2024-2025 Academic Catalog
Art M.F.A.
|
|
 Return to: Graduate Degree Programs
The BFSDoArt Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Art degree program provides students with a six-semester curriculum leading to the terminal MFA Art degree. Recognizing the close scholarly and functional relationship between Art and Design, the MFA Art is cross-disciplinary and combines technical skills, creative work, inquiry, and investigation to focus on the advanced preparation of artists and designers in their areas of specialization. The MFA program supports degree holders’ ability to become professional practitioners in art, design, and education; leaders in critical thinking; and significant contributors to the contemporary dialogue of their discipline through research and scholarship.
The MFA mission aligns with the University’s mission and values: collaboration, academic excellence, discovery and innovation, openness and inclusion, and integrity. Opportunities to demonstrate these values are essential to the curriculum through the activity of group critique and communal studio spaces (centering around a physical studio space within the Arts Building called the MFA hub), and weekly one on one studio visits with faculty. The degree promotes cultural enrichment and community engagement through experiences such as regular visiting artist exhibits and lectures by national and international artists as well as annual exhibitions within the local arts community in Savannah and Statesboro. In line with the mission of global impact of university students, faculty, staff, and alumni, our program offers an annual visit to the premier international Art Fair in Miami and our graduate students and faculty pursue international exhibition and presentation opportunities.
Application Deadlines
Priority Deadline: March 1 for Fall Semester, October 1 for Spring Semester; application portfolios for the MFA Art degree program are not reviewed during summer session.
Admission Requirements
- Completed requirements for the Bachelor’s degree in a college accredited by the appropriate accrediting association.
- Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate studio arts courses and an additional minimum of nine (9) credits of art history.
- A 3.0 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average or higher on all undergraduate work.
- Three (3) letters of reference identifying your studio practices and ability to pursue coursework of an advanced critical and theoretical nature.
- In addition to application materials required by the College of Graduate Studies, prospective students are required to submit a creative portfolio for consideration by the admissions committee in the Art Department.
Electronic Portfolio is emailed directly to MFA Graduate Program Director and must include:
- Statement of Interest and Intent describing purpose of entering fulltime graduate studio art program and ultimate goal(s) as an artist.
- Artist’s Statement highlighting body of work presented in portfolio.
- Resume or CV.
- 20 to 30 images of current artwork representing a mature body of work.
You may email the following file types:
- IMAGES: PDF image portfolio that iJPEG or JPG, under 5MB and 1200 pixels or larger on the longest side
- AUDIO: AIFF, WAV, XMF, MP3, under 10 MB with a minimum bit rate of 96.
- VIDEO: 3GP, WMV, AVI, MOV, ASF, MPG, MP4, M2T, MKV, M2TS, under 100MB with a minimum resolution of 640x480; minimum 12 fps.
Acceptable Media File Types
IMAGE MEDIA
- File format: PDF, JPEG or JPG only
- File dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side.Anything larger than 1200 px may not be viewed by the committee.
- File size: under 5 MB
AUDIO MEDIA
- File formats: AIFF, WAV, XMF, MP3
- Bit rate: minimum 96 kpbs-maximum 320 kbps
- Codec: aiff, wav, au
- File size: under 10 MB
VIDEO MEDIA
- File formats: 3GP, WMV, AVI, MOV, ASF, MPG, MP4, M2T, MKV, M2TS
- Resolution: minimum 640 x 480, maximum 1920 x 1080
- Aspect ratio: 4:3 or 16:9
- Bit rate: recommended above 240 kbps
- Frame rate: minimum 12 fps, recommended 30 fps.
- Codec: h.264, h.263, mpeg-1, mpeg-2, mpeg-4, Windows Media Video, and motion jpeg mpeg-1 muxed, Apple Lossless Container: 3gp, asf, avi, mov, mpeg, mpeg-2, mp4, ogg
- File size: under 100 MB
Currently, linked media from YouTube, Vimeo, etc. is not accepted. Please use upload-ready media files only.
|
Program of Study
Students admitted into the Master of Fine Arts degree program are expected to maintain full-time enrollment throughout the degree program. A grade of “A” or “B”is required in course work applied toward the degree. After earning grades of “C” or below in two courses during their degree program, students will be dismissed from the program. Masters Program Requirements: 60 Credit Hours
Major Studio: 36 Credit Hours
Student develops an individual creative process and professional art and design practice methodology in studio coursework with opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary media, work individually with a professor, and participate in group critique experiences. Art History/Critical Theory/Professional Practices: 12 Credit Hours
A series of required graduate courses that expose graduate students to selected themes and issues in modern and contemporary art, classic and contemporary readings in the field of art and design, research and writing standards for thesis support paper, and career success strategies for emerging artists and designers. MFA Thesis: Thesis Exhibition and Support Paper: 6 Credit Hours
Completed during the last two semesters of a student’s program, the thesis exhibition, support paper and oral defense of exhibition and paper is the culmination of the MFA graduate degree. The student’s thesis exhibition represents a sound-body of contemporary artwork, presented professionally. The written support text adheres to the College of Graduate Studies guidelines and explains the historical and theoretical foundations for the student’s creative body of visual artwork. The student acknowledges and defends their accomplishments during the oral defense of exhibition and written support text. Electives: 6 Credit Hours
Select 6 credit hours from the following elective courses (in department and/or other courses outside of major department): Total Credit Hours: 60
Required Participation in Faculty Review of Creative Work Throughout Program
- Graduate Semester Critiques: Present current finished works in three critiques per semester with Graduate Faculty
- MFA Candidacy Review (30 hour Review): Faculty Review of body of work during (Year 2 end of Fall)
- Graduate Research Symposia Poster Presentation (Year 1, 2, 3 Spring)
- Preparation of MFA Thesis Exhibition with Gallery Director (Year 2 Spring)
- Written Support Document reflective of thesis body of creative work
- Presentation of hardbound thesis monographs to
- Thesis Chair and
- Department of ART Archives
- Oral Defense of Thesis Exhibition/Written Support Document
Advisement
Graduate students are advised by their program. Graduate students should reach out to their graduate program director for information regarding the structures in place to facilitate advisement. For more information visit Graduate Academic Advisement .
Graduate students can also contact the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies for more information about their program director.
Phone: 912-478-COGS (2647)
Email: gradschool@georgiasouthern.edu
|
Return to: Graduate Degree Programs
|
