Graduate Program

The Master of Fine Arts is the terminal professional degree in studio art. The Graduate School of Art subscribes to the standards for the MFA degree as set forth and accepted by the College Art Association of America and the National Association of School of Art and Design.

The residence requirement for the MFA degree is at least two academic years of full-time study (minimum 12 credits each semester.) Students have five calendar years from the date of first registration to complete the degree. Individual programs are arranged with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Students must complete:

Graduate Studio 44 Units (20 in the first year; 24 in the second year)
Seminar 6 units
Thesis 3 units
Art History 18 units (combined undergraduate/graduate)
Art/Academic Electives all remaining units (may be art electives at the 500 or 600 level; academic electives at the 400 level or above; art history electives at the 300 level or above)
Total 60 units

Students also present, defend, and document a thesis exhibition.

Academic Regulations: Grades

Students must maintain a grade point average of 2.7 (B-). Failure to do so will place the student on academic probation and may result in dismissal from the program. A grade of B- in the graduate studio will place the student on academic probation. A second grade of B- in the graduate studio will result in dismissal from the program. Work completed with a grade of C+ or below in the student's graduate studio will cause dismissal from the program. Work completed with a C+ or below in other courses do not count toward degree requirements

The unit of credit in the Graduate School of Art is the semester hour and is a measure of the quantity of achievement. One semester hour of credit is assigned for every three hours of graduate studio work, per week, for one semester. A grade point is a measure of quality, assigned to or withheld from units according to the following system:

Grade   Degree Credit Grade Points per Unit
A+ superior yes 4.0
A superior yes 4.0
A- superior yes 3.7
B+ good yes 3.3
B good yes 3.0
B- passing yes 2.7
C+ unsatisfactory no 2.3
C unsatisfactory no 2.0
C- unsatisfactory no 1.7
D+ unsatisfactory no 1.3
D unsatisfactory no 1.0
D- unsatisfactory no 0.7
F failing no 0.0
I course work incomplete no 0.0
X examination not taken no 0.0
N no grade reported no 0.0
P# pass (P/F option) no 0.0
F# fail (P/F option) no 0.0
L successful audit no 0.0
Z unsuccessful audit no 0.0
W withdraw   0.0

Grades of I, X and N will automatically become grades of F if the deficiency is not made up within the next semester of residence.

The grade point average is determined by the number of semester hours for which grades of A, B, C, D, or F have been recorded.  Grades of P#, F#, L or Z are not figured into the student's grade point average and do not count toward degree requirements.

Candidacy

Upon completion of the first semester of study, the student will be assigned a Graduate Committee composed of faculty. This Committee recommends program content and thesis approval. Admission to candidacy for the MFA degree is contingent upon passing a review by the Graduate Committee at the end of the first year of study. At that time, consideration may be given to the transfer of up to six units of graduate credit earned at another institution, provided the student can demonstrate that this would further the achievement of a specific academic goal. A student who fails to achieve candidacy prior to the beginning of the second year of residence may be advised to withdraw from the program. If denied admission to candidacy twice, the student will be dismissed.

Thesis

The thesis requirement for the MFA degree comprises an exhibition of an original work of art or group of such works, a defense of the thesis work to, and approval of it, by the student's Graduate Committee, together with documentation in the form of slides accompanied by a thesis document pertaining to the work.