Art - Concentration in Studio Art, M.F.A.

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Application Deadlines

March 1 for Fall Semester, October 1 for Spring Semester; application portfolios for the MFA 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.
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.
Three (3) letters of reference identifying your studio practices and ability to pursue coursework of an advanced critical and theoretical nature.
Resume.
20 to 30 images of current artwork representing a mature body of work.

You may email the following file types:

IMAGE: JPEG 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: 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 pursue tracks in graphic design or studio art. Students 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.

Certificate Program Requirements: 60 Hours

Major Studio Credit Hours: 36

Student develops an individual creative process and professional studio practice methodology in studio coursework with opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary media, materials, and experiences.

ART 7190 - Graduate Studio Practice (3-6 Credit Hours)

Art History/Critical Theory/Professional Practices Credit Hours: 12

MFA Thesis: Thesis Exhibition and Support Paper Credit Hours: 6

ART 8999 - Master of Fine Arts Thesis (1-6 Credit Hours)

Electives Credit Hours: 6

Select 6 credit hours from the following elective courses (in department and/or other courses outside of major department):

ART 8030 - Selected Topics in Art (3 Credit Hours)
OR graduate level art history course or course in other discipline relative to student’s thesis direction.

Total Credit Hours: 60

Required Participation in Faculty Review of Creative Work Throughout Program

Graduate Semester Critiques: Present two to four works in one critique per semester during (Year 1 Fall and Spring; Year 2 Spring);
Third Semester 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
1. Thesis Chair and
2. Department of ART Archives
Oral Defense of Thesis Exhibition/Written Text

Thesis Exhibition, Support Text, Oral Defense

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.

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