Master of Fine Arts

src: art.utsa.edu

A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a graduate degree that typically requires two to three years of postgraduate study after a bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Fine Arts), though the term of study varies by country or university. The MFA is a creative degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts--or in some cases, theatre management or arts administration. The following terminal degree would be a PhD in Practice-Based Research or Practice-Led Research. Coursework is primarily of an applied or performing nature with the program often culminating in a major work or performance.

Video Master of Fine Arts

Requirements

Entry to an MFA program generally requires a bachelor's degree prior to admission, but many institutions do not require that an undergraduate major be exactly the same as the MFA field of study. The most important admissions requirement has often been a sample portfolio of artworks or a performance audition.

Maps Master of Fine Arts

Comparison with related degrees

The Master of Fine Arts differs from the Master of Arts in that the MFA, while still an academic program, centers around professional artistic practice in the particular field, whereas programs leading to the MA usually center on the scholarly, academic, or critical study of the field. Additionally, in the United States, an MFA is typically recognized as a terminal degree for practitioners of visual art, design, dance, photography, theatre, film/video, new media, and creative writing--meaning that it is considered the highest degree in its field, and is the qualification to become a professor at the university level in these disciplines.

src: www.pacificu.edu

Development of PhD programs

The PhD in Practice Based Research, and/or the PhD in Practice Led Research has exploded in popularity over the last 20 years, with dozens of programs being created at various universities in North America, and Europe offering this terminal degree. Over the last 20 years, this has become the natural extension of the MFA, and, (not without some controversy) the terminal degree in the field.

src: online.uga.edu

See also

• Bachelor of Fine Arts
• Doctor of Fine Arts
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design

src: online.uga.edu

References

src: www.bgsu.edu

Further reading

• Improving Institutional Circumstances for Graduate Students in Languages and Literatures: Recommendations for Best Practices and Evaluative Questions (MLA Committee on the Status of Graduate Students in the Profession)

Source of article : Wikipedia