Click here for Master of Fine Arts application procedures.
The Master of Fine Arts degree is internationally recognized as the standard qualification required to teach visual arts and craft at post-secondary educational institutions such as colleges and universities. NSCAD’s MFA Program, in existence since 1973, provides students with the opportunity to develop their work in a context of intense critical discussion. Academic studies in art history or other relevant subjects form an integral part of the program. NSCAD’s MFA Program addresses the main areas of study offered at NSCAD, Fine and Media Arts and Craft. Students are selected for their capability as artists or craft persons, their understanding of related critical information, as well as the personal qualities and interests that might be expected to contribute to their success as artists, teachers and scholars.
The Master of Fine Arts in Craft program is discipline-based in ceramics, jewellery design and metalsmithing or textiles.
The Master of Fine Arts in Fine and Media Arts is cross-disciplinary in nature, though students may concentrate in audio and video, digital media, drawing, film, installation, painting, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture or public art.
General credit requirements are the same for Craft, Fine Arts and Media Arts: 42 credits of course work are required in the program (i.e., 30 graduate studio credits, 12 LAS credits of which 6 are mandatory and 6 are elective). A student may accumulate up to 54 credits with optional credits
Course Work Requirements
- Graduate Studio (30 credits)
- Pedagogy Seminar MFAR 6100 (3 credits)
- Graduate Seminar: [topic] MFAR 6200 (3 credits)
- Graduate level Liberal Arts and Sciences (3500 – 4000 level) (6 credits)
- Electives (Optional Credits) (12 credits)
Non-credit Requirements
- MFA Forum (attendance and participation is required in each semester in residence, normally two fall and two winter semesters)
- First-Year Review approved by the Advisory Committee
- Final Thesis Exhibition approved by the Advisory Committee
Any specific make-up courses as determined at admission, not counted towards the MFA degree
The MFA Program is 20 to 24 months in duration, beginning in the Fall semester. NSCAD currently accepts approximately ten students to the program each year, with fourteen to twenty students in the program at any one time. The MFA degree is awarded after the successful completion of 42 credits of course work and other program requirements (including the Final Thesis Exhibition and Statement).
Each regular semester, the student will enrol for 9 to 15 credits. Undergraduate students are expected to work a minimum of three hours a week for each credit; graduate students should expect to work beyond this per credit guideline.
MFA students are considered to hold full-time status during the entire period of their program of study. MFA students pay fulltime tuition regardless of the number of credits for which they register. During a Summer semester, students who were registered during the preceding Fall and Winter semesters may take up to 12 elective credits beyond the specifi c requirements of the program as part of the maximum 54 credits. Tuition fees apply during the Summer semester. Any courses taken in the summer which exceed the required 42 credits must be taken at the student’s expense.
Students may not take more than 30 credits in one academic year, and no more than 54 credits over the 24-month period of their program of study.
In some cases, additional or make-up courses are required as a condition of acceptance to the Program. These courses are taken at the student’s expense and will be in addition to the degree requirements.
MFA Program Advisors are full-time faculty members of NSCAD University and must be in residence at NSCAD during the residency of any MFA student for whom they are acting as a Program Advisor. The Program Advisor remains with the student throughout the duration of the program and ensures that the MFA student is directed towards a selection of courses that meets the requirements of the MFA degree and the needs and interests of the student. The Program Advisor performs the following tasks on behalf of the student:
- advises the student on course selection in respect to degree requirements and the student’s particular interests
- acts as Chair of the Advisory Committee
- helps the student prepare for the First-Year Review
- writes and distributes summaries for the First-Year and Final Reviews
- reviews drafts of the Thesis or Thesis Exhibition Statement
- oversees required revisions to the Thesis or Thesis Exhibition Statement
- reports to the Registrar on the student’s eligibility to graduate
Craft
MFA students in Craft select their Program Advisor during their first semester at NSCAD.
Fine and Media Arts
MFA students in Fine and Media Arts select a Program Advisor with whom to work during their fi rst semester at NSCAD. Students may choose either the Director of the MFA Program or another full-time faculty member to act as an interim Program Advisor during their fi rst semester. MFA students in Fine and Media Arts must select a Program Advisor and an Advisory Committee at least two months before their First-Year Review and Advancement to Candidacy.
Formal reviews of a student’s progress are required in the first and final year of the Program. All MFA students are required to present work to their Advisory Committee in order to remain in good standing in the program. The First-Year Review is a formal review of any concerns or issues that have arisen over the year. Students are responsible for organizing this meeting, which is chaired by the student’s Program Advisor.
If the First-Year Review results in a recommendation for suspension, the student must reapply for admission to the program according to the normal application procedures and deadlines.
The Final Review to fulfi ll MFA requirements takes place in the student’s second year before the end of the second Winter semester, in conjunction with the MFA Exhibition. The Final MFA Review, which is mandatory, includes the exhibition, thesis statement and the oral presentation. The thesis statement consists of a thorough and articulate written discussion of the work presented in the thesis exhibition and of topics and information (autobiographical, critical, historical, technical, theoretical) that help to position the work within a broader conceptual context. The main portion of the Review meeting with the student’s Advisory Committee is for discussion and questions about the exhibition and thesis statement.
NSCAD University presently offers a number of exchange opportunities for MFA students during the summer (non teaching) semester. The institutions that have participated in graduate exchange include the following:
- Kyoto City University of the Arts, Japan
- NSCAD of Newcastle, Australia
- NSCAD of Sydney, Australia
- The European Graduate School, Saas-Fee, Switzerland
MFA students may satisfy some of their liberal arts and science requirements through enrolment in courses at the following institutions with approval of the Director of the MFA Program:
- Dalhousie University (dal.ca)
- University of King’s College (ukings.ca)
- Mount Saint Vincent University (msvu.ca)
- Saint Mary’s University (smu.ca)
An MFA student may approach any full-time faculty member or pro-rated faculty member to work with in Graduate Studio. MFA students who have successfully completed one liberal arts and science course at NSCAD University may apply to enrol in a graduate level Independent Study in Art History (AHIS 4700) or Independent Study in Critical Studies (CSTU 4110) or MFA Research (MFAR 6600). Interested students should consult with the Director of the MFA Program regarding proposals for such courses.
Each MFA student accepted to the Program is awarded a $1500 scholarship for each of two years of full-time continuous enrolment in which the student remains in good standing.
Each MFA student may be awarded a $2500 teaching assistantship per semester, for four semesters of full-time enrolment in the Program. MFA students must apply each semester for a teaching assistantship.
MFA students for whom English is not a first language must meet certain minimum language requirements as per the Graduate Admissions Requirement before being accepted into the Program. Nevertheless, such students are strongly encouraged to consider further English language training outside NSCAD University, concurrent with their graduate studies. Students at any stage of study, from Foundation to Graduate level, are encouraged to bring their writing concerns to the Writing Centre. They may bring questions, ideas, drafts of work in progress, or graded work to the tutors for feedback and suggestions. Handouts and other resources are also available.
A number of scholarships are available to students newly entering the MFA program. Review for these scholarships is carried out as part of the admissions review process and a separate application is not necessary. Students already enrolled in the MFA program may also apply for certain scholarships at NSCAD. Further information on these scholarships and other fi nancial assistance may be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office. Specific scholarship information is available later in this Calendar, and on the NSCAD website, and applications for these scholarships are available from the Office of Student and Academic Services.
The Program is administered by the Director of the MFA Program. The Director also chairs the MFA Committee, which consists of representatives from areas of NSCAD and includes two MFA students, one in the fi rst year of study and one in the second. This Committee is responsible for advising on the Program and liaising with NSCAD’s governance bodies and with faculty.
The MFA students organize a group exhibition of their work at the Anna Leonowens Gallery. This exhibition usually takes place each January. Typically, the MFA student who serves on the Exhibitions Committee represents the MFA students in working with Gallery staff on this exhibition.
Many areas of NSCAD are open on a 24-hour basis. The library and technical facilities of NSCAD have posted hours of operation. After-hours access may be arranged with the Directors of the Photography Department and the Multimedia Centre (video, audio and computers) if either of these are the primary focus of an MFA student’s program. For reasons of safety, there is no after-hours access to either the Wood Shop or the Metal Shop. Studio and/or office space is allocated to MFA students according to need.
The MFA Program administers a Visitors’ Program. Visitors are selected by the MFA students in consultation with the Director of the MFA Program or with an elected subcommittee. MFA students assist the Director and the Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant to organize and administer these visits.
Click here for Master of Fine Arts application procedures.