HELP 2011-2012 University Catalog Art and Visual Technology, MFA Print-Friendly Page

Banner Code: AR-MFA-AVT

Art and Design Building, Room 2050
Phone: 703-993-8898
Web: soa.gmu.edu/

Faculty

Harold Linton, Director

Professors: Carbonneau, Frederick, Kravitz (gallery director), Linton (director), Sandell

Associate Professors: Ashcraft (associate director), Cooley, Crawford, Feerick, Frenn, Rothstein, White

Assistant Professors: Cui, Endress, Karametou, Sheridan, Winant (associate director), Wrbican

Term Assistant Professors: Constantine, Del Popolo, Stanley, Starr

Adjunct Faculty: Bradley, Carr-Shaffer, Cushner, Dicicco, Erlich-Moss, Feuer, Goldman, Gorman, Guerrieri, Hicks, Ho, Hoffmann, Morris, Nahidian, Organ, Petzwinkler, Porrata, Salyards, Sapsford, Tomhave, Watson

Graduate Program

The MFA is a terminal degree that prepares students to become professional artists, work in technology or arts-related fields, and teach at the university level. Candidates are required to complete 60 credits of which 45 credits are made up from both core and studio requirements.  An additional 15 credits are based on comprehensive experience.

MFA students may choose an emphasis in digital arts, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, or InterArts. The latter offers students the opportunity to combine art forms in interdisciplinary projects that may be installation, performance, publishing, time-based, or writing-based, and combine creative and critical approaches in their work.

While it is anticipated that students will move through the MFA as described in this catalog, individuals with extensive professional accomplishment may, upon recommendation of the SOA Graduate Committee and with prior approval of the CVPA dean, craft an individualized program that meets curricular requirements.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general university requirements for admission for graduate study, candidates for the MFA must hold a BA or BFA degree. Upon applying, they must submit a portfolio, statement of intent and professional goals, and three letters of reference. Applications will be accepted for the fall semester only. The deadline for receipt of application materials is January 15.

Diversity among students accepted for study is another consideration. Applicants with degrees in areas other than art are welcome, although they may be required to complete undergraduate core courses.

Portfolio Guidelines

The applicant’s portfolio is a major selection criterion for graduate admission and should represent the applicant’s most accomplished work.

The portfolio and all other application materials should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions.  For more information, contact the School of Art office at 703-993-8898.

Portfolio requirements are different for each graduate area of emphasis and are listed below.  Incomplete portfolios will not be considered.

Applicants’ portfolio items are considered part of the application for admission and, thus, cannot be returned. Please do not send original materials.

Portfolio requirements by area of emphasis:

New Media: 20 images on a Mac (Apple Macintosh platform) compatible CD. CD images must be numbered on the CD and correspond to an accompanying written descriptive list.  List should include: name of artist, title, date, medium, and size of each work. Videos (no more than four minutes for each selection) must be playable from a Mac-compatible CD or DVD. Only the relevant parts of the video should be marked for viewing, with the applicant’s role clearly stated. New Media applicants should not submit slides.

Painting: 20 images on a Mac-compatible CD or slides.  All images must be numbered and correspond to an accompanying written descriptive list.  List should correspond in number and include: name of artist, title, medium, size, and date of each work.

Photography: 20 images on a Mac-compatible CD or slides. All images must be numbered and correspond to an accompanying written descriptive list.  List should correspond in number and include: name of artist, title, medium, size, and date of each work.

Printmaking: 20 images on a Mac-compatible CD or slides.  All images must be numbered and correspond to an accompanying written descriptive list.  List should correspond in number and include: name of artist, title, medium, size, and date of each work.

Sculpture: 20 images on a Mac-compatible CD, slides or DVD. All images must be numbered and correspond to an accompanying written descriptive list.  List should correspond in number and include: name of artist, title, medium, size, and date of each work.

InterArts: 20 images on a Mac-compatible CD, slides, videos, or writing-based materials. All images on the CD must be numbered and correspond to an accompanying written descriptive list.  List should correspond in number and include: name of artist, title, medium, size, and date of each work.  If videos are included, they must contain no more than four minutes for each selection. Only the relevant parts of the video should be marked for viewing, with the applicant’s role clearly stated. If writing-based materials are submitted, they should be submitted in printed form.

Supplementary material for all applicants, but not specifically requested by the review committee, such as CDs (Mac-compatible only), videos (DVD, VHS in NTSC format), film, web addresses, press clippings, or reviews of exhibitions may be submitted but will be reviewed only at the discretion of the AVT graduate application reviewers.

Studios

The School of Art is located in the Art and Design Building which houses well equipped studios for drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture, as well as six computer-equipped studios that cross platforms and are installed with current software applications used for two dimensional imaging, three-dimensional modeling, animation, video production, sound editing, multimedia authoring, photography, and web publishing.

Studios are open to students for extended periods mornings, evenings, and weekends whenever classes are not in progress. Policies, procedures, and schedules for studio use are established by the AVT studio faculty and are posted in the studios.

Academic Policies

Please see College of Visual and Performing Arts  for college academic policies.