Mar 19, 2024  
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Studio, M.F.A.


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Return to: 10200 The Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design  

The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree program in studio arts is divided into the following areas of specialization: Ceramics (CER), Drawing and Painting (DP), Graphic Design (GRD), Interior Design (ID), Photography (PHOT), Printmaking (PRT), Sculpture (SCU), and Textiles (TEXT). Each specialization requires course work within the discipline. Students should stay in close contact with their faculty advisors to determine which particular classes are best suited for their development as artists and designers.

All degree programs of the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) through Georgia State University.

Applicants may obtain additional information about the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design by contacting the school’s director of graduate studies.

Application Procedures

Applications for the Studio program are reviewed once a year, in the spring, for fall admissions. Each applicant must satisfy the general requirements of the College of the Arts. Incomplete or improperly prepared applications and portfolios will not be reviewed.

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements of the College of the Arts, the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design has the following requirements:

M.F.A. Degree:

Applicants for the M.F.A. degree must submit the following items:

1.     Three letters of recommendation. No form is required.

2.     A one-to-two-page statement of purpose describing current academic interests, proposed area of specialization, and long-range career goals. The statement should also explain how the graduate program at Georgia State University would serve those interests and goals.

3.     Portfolio: A successful portfolio demonstrates creativity and commitment in a cohesive body of work. Portfolios should be submitted via the online application and can include still images, video files, audio files, or any combination. A numbered “List of Works” should be uploaded in the art portfolio submission page. Please use the following format for your list:

o   Title, medium, dimensions in height x width x depth (if applicable) and time (if applicable), date of completion. Include a digital portfolio of 20 high resolution jpeg images of recent work, including details if necessary at 2MB per file. Video or audio files may be included as part of the 20 work examples. (Note: URL’s may not be uploaded, but may be included on the “List of Works” for time-based works.) Applicants may show work in diverse media as long as all of the work demonstrates the pursuit of cohesive ideas. Please format to 150 dpi, 1500 pixels on the greatest dimension. Please limit each video or audio link to no more than 5 minutes. If the video or audio link requires a password, be sure to list it. Example: https://vimeo.com/1234567_password: My Application2018. Do not send original work.

4.     A current resume/CV outlining your skills, experience, and interest.

5.     Transcripts. Unofficial transcripts for the application are acceptable and official transcripts required upon admission.

6.     A one-page artist statement that describes your current body of artwork and your studio practice.

Please note: Deadlines are for completion of applications.

All materials must be in the Office of Graduate Admissions by the deadline. It is recommended that you submit all your materials a month in advance.

Still image submissions:
Label all materials with name and area of study. Include no more than 20 images. Be sure to include the title of the work, date, medium, and dimensions as part of your file and metadata. Include 20 images in JPEG format (150 DPI, 1500 pixels on greatest dimension).

Moving image/sound submissions:
Label all materials with name and area of study. Include no more than six minutes of audio-visual material. Work must be accompanied by a list with the title of the work, date, full running time, and the student’s role (e.g., director, actor, etc.) in each work and must be submitted in the appropriate file format for the medium.

If an applicant wishes to include a mixture of stills, sound, or moving images, then the materials will be divided evenly. For example, if still and moving images are submitted, 10 stills and three minutes of motion are allowed.

Degree Requirements


M.F.A. with Concentrations in Ceramics (CER), Drawing and Painting (DP), Graphic Design (GRD), Interior Design (ID), Printmaking (PRT), Photography (PHOT), Sculpture (SCUL), and Textiles (TEXT)

In general, the requirements for an M.F.A. are as follows:

Category of Work

Units Required

Description

Professional Development

12

Pedagogy, Teaching Practicum, Professional Practices, and Thesis Writing.

Studio-Specific Courses

30

Graduate Studio/Design Seminars and Graduate Studio/Design Practice

Electives

6

Variable - must be outside area of specialization, can be outside School of Art & Design

Art History

12

Graduate-level courses in Art History

Thesis

12

Intensive work with a thesis committee to prepare your written thesis and exit show, lecture, presentation, or screening

Total

72

 

 All M.F.A. candidates in CER, DP, PHOT, PRT, SCUL, and TEXT must complete a written thesis and an exit exhibition. Normally, ID and GRD students will also complete a written thesis and exit show, though there may be exceptions for those fields of study.

While there may be some variations, the M.F.A. in the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design is a three-year degree. A typical three-year course of study will proceed as follows:

Fall, Year 1


Course Units Description
ART 6100 - Pedagogy for Teaching Assistants   3 Theory and practice of university-level teaching
Interdisciplinary Graduate Seminar 8400 3 Inter-disciplinary seminar focused on a particular
research idea/topic
Studio Practice 8500 3 Discipline-specific art studio/design work and critique
Art History Seminar AH 6900   3 Graduate-level Art History focused on a particular research topic*
Assistantship** ART 8700   6 Time for assisstantship duties

Spring, Year 1


Course Units Description
Teaching Practicum

ART 6200  

3 In-class experience with university-level teaching
Interdisciplinary Graduate Seminar 8400 3 Inter-disciplinary seminar focused on a particular research idea/topic
Studio Practice 8500 6 Discipline-specific art studio/design work and critique
Art History Seminar

AH 6900  or History of Subject*

3 Graduate-level Art History focused on a particular research topic
Assistantship** ART 8700   3 Time for assistantship duties

 

* For PHOT, ID, CER, and GRD students, one Art History Seminar may be substituted with an area-specific history course (e.g. History of Photography, etc.)

** Assistantship hours do not count toward the 72 hours required for the M.F.A. degree.

 24- Hour Review: At the end of your first year of study, you will undergo a review to determine your progress through the program. For more information on this process, see “24- Hour Review Process” in the policies section, below.

Summer, Year 1


Course Units Description
Assistantship** ART 8700   18 Time for summer assistantship duties

Fall, Year 2


Course Units Description
Professional Practices

 

ART 6500  

3 Learn professional practices necessary to work as an M.F.A.-level artist
Studio Practice 8500 6 Discipline-specific art studio/design work and critique
Art History Seminar

AH 6900  

3 Graduate-level Art History focused on a particular research topic
Elective 3 Course outside your area of specialization  - may be outside the School of Art & Design, with permission
Assistantship** ART 8700   3 Time for assistantship duties

Spring, Year 2


Course Units Description
Studio Practice 8500 6 Discipline-specific art studio/design work and critique
Art History Seminar

AH 6900  

3 Graduate-level Art History focused on a particular research topic
Elective 3 Course outside your area of specialization  - may be outside the School of Art & Design, with permission
Assistantship** ART 8700   6 Time for assistantship duties

Choose Committee for M.F.A. Thesis and Exit Show: At the end of your second year, you will choose your committee for your M.F.A. thesis, submit your thesis topic, and begin planning your exit show. See “Thesis” and “Exit Show” in the policy section, below.

Summer, Year 2


Course Units Description
Assistantship** ART 8700   18 Time for summer assistantship duties

Fall, Year 3


Course Units Description
Thesis Writing ART 6600   3 Intensive graduate-level writing course for preparing your M.F.A. thesis
Thesis Hours 8999 6 Time for researching and writing your thesis and preparing your exit show
Assistantship** ART 8700   9 Time for assistantship duties

Spring, Year 3


Course Units Description
Thesis Hours 8999 6 Time for researching and writing your thesis and preparing your exit show
Assistantship** ART 8700   12 Time for assistantship duties

Policies


The following policies are not exhaustive of the guidelines applicable to students in the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design. For a fuller list of policies, see the student handbook. The policies contained herein are only those that most directly impact the above-stated curriculum.

24-Hour Review Process


At the end of 24 hours of M.F.A. course work, you will undergo a 24-hour review. This review will occur typically at the end of your first year of study. This review is meant to assess your progress, and to give you feedback on your strengths and weaknesses.

You will work with your faculty advisor to schedule an individual review. Scheduling of reviews will begin mid-spring semester so that each candidate has an appointment time and day for the end of the semester. The review will consist of an overview of all the work you have produced as an M.F.A. candidate in the first year of study. As a result, it is important for you to produce a body of work consistent with the expectations of your area of specialization. Each area will have a presentation preference (i.e. physical or digital) as well as a minimum/maximum number of works expected. It is your responsibility to work with your advisor to ensure that you follow the preferred format for your area. Your faculty advisor and members of your area of specialization will conduct a formal review and critique of your work. This is a critical assessment of your first year of production as well as your future potential as an M.F.A.-level artist or designer. Your faculty advisor and review committee will also assess your readiness to pursue further course work needed to reach the thesis level. You must ensure that your work is of high quality and reflects your capabilities, vision, and voice. Each review is highly individualized, and will include opportunities for dialogue between you and your reviewers. You should be able to discuss and defend your work in a cogent, articulate, and professional manner. At the end of the process, the review committee will meet and come to a decision regarding the outcome. There are three possible decisions and outcomes for the review process:

Decision Outcome
Full Pass Proceed with coursework under the supervision of your faculty advisor.
Provisionary Pass You are on probation and must address the concerns of the committee. Typically, you will be given a remediation plan. Failure to complete this satisfactorily will result in dismissal from the program. Students receiving a provisionary pass must apply for and complete another review to be readmitted to Full Status. Typically, students must wait until the start of the following fall semester to reapply for review.
Failure Students who fail the 24-hour review will be dismissed from the program immediately and may not apply for re-entry to that program.

In order to document the outcome of your 24-Hour review, you will submit a copy of the Graduate Review Record to the school’s graduate director at the end of your last semester before graduation. The Graduate Review Record is used to track your progress through the various steps toward graduation including your 24-hour review. The form is available in the student handbook and on the Welch School of Art & Design website.

Thesis


M.F.A. candidates normally are required to complete a written thesis. At the end of the second year or by the beginning of the third year of coursework, candidates will select a thesis committee. Committees will consist of at least three, and no more than five, graduate faculty members, two of whom must be from the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design, and from your area of study, with one acting as thesis chair. The third member can be graduate faculty from within the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design or from Georgia State University. The proposal abstract must be a written document that clearly states the topic the candidate wishes to pursue and should include an overview of the relevant scholarship on the subject.

The thesis is a scholarly document meant to reflect your research. As such, it should be well written and carefully argued, and should meet the highest academic standards. Theses not meeting these expectations will be refused, which will result in graduation delays and may result in the withholding of the M.F.A. degree. In addition to these school expectations, each thesis must conform to the formatting guidelines set out by Georgia State University and the Board of Regents, as well as the submission deadlines established each year. The guidelines for theses at Georgia State University undergo periodic revision, so it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they follow the guidelines published by the Office of Academic Assistance. Failure to meet published guidelines and/or deadlines will result in delays and may result in the withholding of the M.F.A. degree.

Document Minimum Requirements
Thesis Proposal Prepare a cogent statement of the proposed topic. Include a thorough overview of the relevant scholarship on the subject. Submit at the end of the second year of coursework. Receive approval of faculty advisor and thesis committee.
Written Thesis Present a well written, carefully argued document. Meet academic standards for theses in your area. Conform to published Georgia State University and BOR guidelines. Meet all published submission deadlines. Receive approval of faculty advisor and thesis committee
 

Exit Show


Thesis candidates typically are required to carry out an exit show at the end of the third year of the M.F.A. program. The exit show is not meant as a recapitulation of the student’s career as an artist or designer. It is meant to show the work carried out in thesis. In some cases, the exit show may consist of a public lecture, presentation, or screening. In all cases, the thesis committee will approve the final form of the show, lecture, presentation, or screening, to ensure that it conforms to best practices in each area of specialization.

Candidates will work closely with their faculty advisors and committee members to determine the content and scope of the show. This collaboration is not meant to censor the exhibition or to impinge in any way on the academic freedom of the candidate. The dialogue fostered by this process is meant as a teaching and mentoring opportunity in which experienced faculty members help introduce the candidate to the rigorous professionalism expected of M.F.A.-level artists and designers. Each candidate must work with the Gallery Director to schedule the show. Students are required to prepare, mount, and hang their own shows as well as to produce all necessary collateral materials. Once the show has closed, students are responsible for taking down the show and restoring the gallery to its proper condition. Each exit show is unique to the student; determining what is necessary and appropriate must be a collaborative effort between the candidate and the committee. Like the thesis, the work offered for the exhibition should meet the highest academic standards for works in the student’s area. The exit show is not a pro forma exercise. It is an integral part of the curriculum; failure to complete the show in a satisfactory manner (including, but not limited to, abiding by appropriate gallery regulations) may result in the withholding of the M.F.A. degree. Each candidate’s committee and faculty advisor will critique the final show in order to ensure that it meets appropriate standards of professionalism. Failure to secure final committee and faculty advisor approval for the exit show may result in withholding of the M.F.A. degree.

  Minimum Requirements
Exit Show Meet the academic standards of the area of specialization, both in the quality of work and in the design of your show. Finalize the content and scope of exhibition in collaboration with your faculty advisor and committee. Schedule the show with the Gallery Director according to established timelines. Follow all gallery rules and regulations. Prepare, mount and hang your own show. De-install your show and return the gallery to its proper condition.

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