Spring 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
Graduates of four-year or their equivalent undergraduate programs in media arts and film production, as well as graduates from undergraduate programs from cognate disciplines from the University of Windsor or other universities, who are engaged in the study of art and/or, culture, including English, Anthropology and Sociology, Language and Literatures, Performing Arts, journalism, cinema and media studies, film and video production, and Music, among others, depending on the quality of their record, are eligible for admission into the proposed MFA program. Student admission will be determined by GPA, portfolio submission, and a clear statement of interest describing their intended film thesis production. A Media Arts thesis could be any of the following: audio/sound art, audio responsive installation, experimental video, animation, video installation art, interactive art, multimedia performance, and any fusion thereof.

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 rationale, 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 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 functions to stress 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, Printmaking, and Integrated Media (Video, Sound, Photography and Digital Arts). Students with a BFA. 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 the section titled, Application Process and the section titled, The Master's Degree - Admission Requirements, 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 70% cumulative average 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.

      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 Studies;
        (d) Graduate Seminars (VSAR-8596, VSAR-8597, VSAR-8598, VSAR-8599);
        (e) Early in the second term of their first year, students must participate in a first year MFA. group exhibition. This exhibition will be evaluated by faculty members to determine the advisability of a student continuing in the program.

      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. 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 MFA. 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 MFA. 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 MFA. program will require a minimum of two academic years (four terms). Transfer credits will be evaluated and may be accepted.
      Work on an MFA degree should ordinarily be completed within three consecutive years after a student's enrolment.