Fall 2020 Graduate Calendar


SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS

PROGRAM
Film and Media Arts (MFA)
Visual Arts (MFA)

COURSES
VISUAL ARTS

Master of Fine Arts in Film and Media Arts (MFA)

Admission Requirements
Student admission will be determined by GPA, portfolio submission, letters of reference, and a clear statement of interest describing their intended film or media arts thesis production. A Media Arts thesis could be any of the following: audio/sound art, audio responsive installation, experimental video, animation, video installation, interactive art, multimedia performance, and any fusion thereof.

1) For admission to the Film and Media Arts Master of Fine Arts program, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

(a) portfolio submission: submit a pdf with links for web or digital download of 3 video/audio/image samples (minimum 5 minutes in total) for evaluation by the departmental graduate acceptance committee;
(b) have attained at least a 75% cumulative average;
(c) present transcripts of all university and/or college-level work;
(d) clear statement of interest;
(e) three letters of recommendation;
(f) minimum language scores for international students: TOEFL 100; IELTS 7.0; Pearson 68.

Normally, successful applicants will have an Honours B.A. in media arts or film production, or or a cognate discipline. Students who do not meet this requirement may be admitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in a qualifying (M1) program.

Degree Requirements

Total Courses: Seven Courses + thesis(a)

(a) One theory course:
MACS-8600 Seminar on Contemporary Issues

(b) Two studio production courses:
VSAR-8650 Studio Production
VSAR-8660 Studio Production II
    (c) One Writing Methods Course:
    MACS-8000 Directed Individual Studies

    (d) Three courses in Studio Practice:
    VSAR-8620 Studio Practice II
    VSAR-8630 Studio Practice III
    VSAR-8640 Studio Practice IV
      (e) Thesis Film/Media Arts

      Course work will culminate in the defense of the thesis. For Film, the thesis proposal includes a preliminary 5 page draft of the thesis support document, a budget, funding sources, production and post-production schedule, and other elements as appropriate to the project. For Media Arts, the thesis proposal includes a thesis project proposal, a draft of the thesis support document and an annotated bibliography of major sources used in the support document.

      The thesis is worth 12 graduate credits and will be conducted under faculty supervision. Students will defend their thesis at the end of the second year before a thesis panel. Those that fail the defense will have the option to appear before the thesis panel again after 6 months.

      Students will be encouraged to attend local and national as well as online film and new media festivals to keep abreast with developments in the field.

      Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts (MFA)

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

      Admission Requirements

      1) For admission to the Visual Arts Master of Fine Arts program, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:
      (a)portfolio submission: submit a pdf with links for web or digital download to twenty images/video/audio pieces of recent work for evaluation by the departmental graduate acceptance committee;
      (b)have attained at least a 75% cumulative average;
      (c) have six courses in art history/visual culture;
      (d) present transcripts of all university and/or college-level work;
      (e) three letters of recommendation;
      (f) provide a clear statement of interest;
      (g) minimum language scores for international students: TOEFL - 100; IELTS – 7.0; Pearson – 68

      2) Normally, successful applicants will have an Honours B.F.A. in Visual Arts, or or a cognate discipline. Students who do not meet this requirement may be admitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in a qualifying (M1) program.

      Degree Requirements

      1) Ten courses are required:
      (a) four courses in Studio Practice (VSAR-8610, VSAR-8620, VSAR-8630, VSAR-8640);
      (b) MACS-8600: Contemporary Issues;
      (c) MACS-8000: Directed Individual Studies;
      (d) Graduate Seminars (VSAR-8596, VSAR-8597, VSAR-8598, VSAR-8599);
      (e) During their first year, students must participate in a first year MFA. group exhibition. Additionally, students will participate in three end of semester reviews to evaluate studio production in semesters 1, 2, and 3.

      2) Thesis (VSAR-8970): The thesis will consist of an exhibition of a body of original creative works within the candidate's area of research, and an accompanying written support document. The thesis will be planned with and executed under the direction of the candidate's principal faculty advisor. This final exhibition will be regarded as the equivalent of the scholarly thesis of an academic discipline.