MASTER OF FINE ARTS Graduate Degree

The Master of Fine Arts degree is the terminal graduate degree in studio art. Graduate students in the BFSDoA MFA program are charged with surpassing their previous art achievements by evolving a fresh conceptual premise into a body of artwork relevant to today's contemporary art world. MFA candidates achieve new heights as a studio artist through coursework that challenges them to advance their conceptual, historical, theoretical and practical knowledge. In the supportive climate of an artistic community, graduate students from around the world co-exist in spacious graduate studios. A number of graduate assistantships are available to provide students with valuable professional experience along with financial support.

The MFA degree program guides the graduate student towards competence in specific media, while acknowledging that in contemporary art the boundaries of various disciplines often consciously cross when relevant to student conceptual and production goals. MFA Studio Courses and Emphasis Areas include: Ceramics; Drawing/Illustration; Graphic Design; Jewelry & Metalsmithing; Painting; Photography and Digital Imaging; Print, Paper & Book Arts; and Sculpture. Relevant issues are addressed in the MFA Seminars of: Professional Practices for the Studio Artist, Art Theory and Criticism, Critical Readings in Contemporary Art, and Pedagogical Practices for the Artist in Academia. Recognizing that the MFA graduate promises to be the next generation of the professoriate, the degree program also offers an optional pedagogical practicum intended to prepare the MFA graduate as a faculty member in higher education.

How to APPLY
Graduate admission to Georgia Southern University is a collaborative process between the College of Graduate Studies (COGS) and the graduate faculty in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art (BFSDoA). Admission is restricted to include only those students whose academic records and creative accomplishment indicate that they can successfully undertake graduate work. Graduate applicants to the MFA Program identify their interest in either a two-dimensional or three-dimensional course of study and provide a statement of intent describing their rationale for choosing to pursue the MFA graduate degree.

Interested applicants must complete the on-line application for graduate admission and submit statement of intent, artist's statement, letters of reference, curriculum vita, transcripts, and application fee to COGS by the appropriate application deadline identified on http://cogs.georgiasouthern.edu. International applicants must include an I-20/DS-2019 Request Form, bank statement, TOEFL test scores and Certificate of Immunization.

Additionally, a quality portfolio of current artwork (i.e., slides or CD with printed reproductions of digital images) is submitted directly to the BFSDoA Graduate Director for review. For more information, to schedule a tour of the department, contact the BFSDoA Graduate Director on (912) 681-5358 or visit our website at http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/art.

Resources
Official Master’s Program of Study Form
Degree Program of Study
Proposed Program of Study

Contact
If you have any questions regarding the graduate programs at Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art, please email mfagrad@georgiasouthern.edu