THE MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE
VISUAL ARTS
VISUAL ARTS

27.2.1 THE MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE

The program provides two years of advanced education and creative development in the student's chosen areas of research. The program functions to stress studio production and the exploration of ideas and technical skills within a critical framework. Areas of research within the M.F.A. program are Painting/Drawing, Sculpture, Printmaking, and Integrated Media (Video, Sound, Photography and Digital Arts).

Students with a B.F.A. degree from the University of Windsor are encouraged to seek their Master's degree elsewhere.

Admission Requirements

1) In addition to the requirements set forth in 1.3 and 1.6.1 for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, applicants for admission to the Master of Fine Arts program must satisfy the following particular requirements:

(a) have an honours B.A. with a major in Visual Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from an approved college or university; an applicant with a general B.A. with a major in Visual Arts may be admitted with the stipulation that deficiencies will be made up;
(b) present twenty slides of recent work for evaluation by the departmental graduate acceptance committee;
(c) have attained at least a B standing in undergraduate art courses;
(d) have six courses in art history;
(e) present transcripts of all university- and/or college-level work;
(f) present three letters of recommendation.

2) An applicant who has graduated from a recognized professional institution may be required to apply for entry into a special program prerequisite to admission into the M.F.A. program.
3) Students who are deficient in any of these requirements may be asked to register in appropriate undergraduate courses in order to satisfy the requirements.

4) Applications for admission to the Master of Fine Arts program should be complete by February 10 for Fall admission; applications received after that date may not be considered.

Program Requirements

1) Ten to twelve courses are required including Thesis (27-797):
(a) four courses in Studio Practice;
(b) two to four additional courses which may be taken within or outside Visual Arts;
(c) one seminar on contemporary issues (28-660);
(d) one Art History Seminar (28-656) or Directed Individual Studies course (28-600);
(e) Graduate Seminars (27-596, 27-597, 27-598, 27-599);
(f) Early in the second term of their first year, students must participate in a first year M.F.A. group exhibition. This exhibition will be evaluated by faculty members to determine the advisability of a student continuing in the program.

2) Thesis: The thesis will consist of an exhibition of a body of original creative works within the candidate's area of research. The thesis will be planned with, and executed under the direction of the candidate's principal faculty advisor. This final exhibition should be regarded as the equivalent of the scholarly thesis of an academic discipline.

3) Committees:
(a) Guidance Committee: Each student will choose a guidance committee, approved by the Visual Arts Graduate Program Committee, at the beginning of the second term of his or her Master's program. This committee will meet with the student periodically throughout the time required to complete the M.F.A. program and to assess his/her work and progress through the program.
(b) Thesis Defence Committee: This committee will assess the student's thesis exhibition, conduct the oral examination, decide if the M.F.A. degree should be awarded and determine the thesis grade. The thesis committee will be constituted as follows: a member of the graduate faculty appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research serving as a non-voting chair, the student's principal advisor and two additional faculty members, one of whom will not have been a member of the student's guidance committee. In addition a professional artist or artist-educator not from the University of Windsor or the Windsor area will be chosen as an external member of the committee. The student will choose the last three members of this committee with the approval of the Visual Arts Graduate Program Committee and subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

4) Examination and Thesis Requirements:
(a) a solo exhibition of the completed creative thesis acceptable to the student's thesis committee;
(b) a written and photographic documentation of the thesis to be retained by Visual Arts;
(c) a formal oral defense of the thesis before the student's thesis committee.
(d) written support document given to each member of the Thesis Committee two weeks prior to the scheduled defense.

5) Residence Requirements: The M.F.A. program will require a minimum of two academic years (four terms).

Transfer credits will be evaluated and may be accepted.

Work on an M.F.A. degree should ordinarily be completed within three consecutive years after a student's enrolment.