About MFA courses in the United States

Most comprehensive universities in the United States have MFA in their art departments and professional art schools.

In the United States, there are detailed regulations for the awarding of MFA degrees. The American Association of Schools of Art and the Association of Professional Schools of Art and Design recognize that the MFA is primarily practical and creative, emphasizing application. At the same time, it also requires necessary artistic literacy and theoretical knowledge. The entrance examination focuses on students' creative talents, and the teaching plan closely follows the characteristics of the major, emphasizing the practicality of the course and the breadth of performance works, while taking into account the improvement of theoretical accomplishment.

The degree awarding criteria mainly depends on students’ artistic creation skills and expressiveness reflected in the creative practice process. For example, the teaching of film and television, drama and fine arts majors focuses on film and television creation, drama creation and art creation practice, and professional art history theory is also studied. Graduation is mainly about work screening and performance, and professional art analysis, summary articles or papers are completed in combination with screening and performance. . If a person who has obtained a Master of Arts (MA) degree wants to study for a Master of Arts (MFA) degree, many professional credits cannot be substituted for each other, and the necessary credits need to be retaken.

It’s not that MFA doesn’t teach like undergraduates, it just pays more attention to practice, and the research content is of your own choice (of course, multiple topics are acceptable), and schools generally do not restrict it.

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1. Is it difficult for art graduates to apply for graduate studies in the United States?

If students decide to take the postgraduate entrance examination, the admission ratio for applying to prestigious schools in China is about 1:10 (the Central Academy of Fine Arts has 1,869 people taking the postgraduate entrance examination in 2010, and plans to recruit 190 people). There are more than 500 MFA (graduate) majors on the list in the United States. In addition to the admission ratio of famous schools, which is also about this ratio (refer to Bard College 7:100), the admissions of other schools are higher than those of famous Chinese schools. easy. And the English part of the application for most colleges and universities only requires TOEFL scores and does not require the GRE. This is lower than the English threshold for studying abroad in many other science and engineering majors.

As long as you have strong professional courses and the assistance of our professional consultants in Kai Tak in the United States, it is actually relatively easier than taking the exam at a prestigious domestic school.

2. What materials do art undergraduates need to apply to study in the United States for graduate school?

Undergraduate diploma is generally required. TOEFL score of 80 or above, undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above, undergraduate transcript, resume, artist statement, recommendation letter, fill in the application form, submit application fee, and portfolio.

3. What are their evaluation criteria for art majors applying to study in the United States?

The most important thing is the portfolio.

See whether the work is in line with the school’s educational philosophy. Teachers from the Art Department who participate in the judging will focus on commenting and scoring the submitted works, and then refer to the creative narrative, GPA and other items to select the best. The TOEFL scores and other related application materials only need to meet the requirements.

4. What are the characteristics of applying for MFA (Graduate School of Fine Arts) in the United States?

1) There are many colleges and universities. There are 500 colleges and universities in the United States with MFA majors on the US News list.

2) Admission standards are different. Each institution has different standards for graduate student selection based on its own educational advantages.

3) Portfolio is the most important. In postgraduate admissions screening, students' portfolios are the main criterion.

4) There are many subjective factors in judgment. The judges and teachers from each school have their own preferences for various artistic styles. The same application may fail in school A, but may succeed in school B. This is related to the tutor's style and the focus of institutional education.

5) The application process is complicated. The application process for fine arts is more complicated than that for other majors. The added portfolio and creative self-description are the core of the application.

1. School selection plan. When students choose to apply for a college, they should choose based on their existing artistic style and own conditions, combined with the college's educational policy, professor's style and admission conditions. This is more targeted.

2. Portfolio. According to the different requirements of each institution, the selection, arrangement and preparation of the portfolio in the application materials are the most important. After meeting the basic requirements such as TOEFL scores and GPA, the portfolio is the top priority when applying to American art schools. Not all schools can apply to the same portfolio. Some schools require students to have interdisciplinary abilities, while others require specialization in the arts. Which works should appear in the application materials and the order in which they are arranged will all affect the application. to the result of the application.

3. Writing part. Artist Statement - A self-described creative statement is also a very important part of the application materials. How to find a theoretical foothold for your works is crucial for applying to American art schools. This is also one of the weakest links for Chinese students. The weakness of English is only one aspect. The teaching model of American art education supplemented by art history, philosophy and psychology has created a unique creative concept for every American art candidate when applying.

Creativity is expressed simultaneously through the performance of the portfolio and the Artist Statement - the language description of the creation, and creativity is the only criterion used by almost every art school when recruiting students. Raising the theoretical level of your portfolio is another important factor for a successful application.

4. Study abroad expenses. Tuition fees at some public universities in the United States are not high. Some colleges provide a co-op education model. While taking classes, you can intern in design companies and enterprises, and the income is enough to meet tuition and living expenses. There are also very good private schools that provide full scholarships to all admitted graduate students, including free tuition and living allowances, but students are required to work 20 hours of teaching or research per week. Although such colleges are rare, students with excellent majors should try to apply.

5. English requirements. Some students have very good professional qualifications, but their English is not up to standard. This is not uncommon among our art students. There are some art schools in the United States that offer conditional admission. You can receive English training after arriving in the United States, pass the exam, and meet the requirements for class attendance before officially starting to take professional courses. The premise is that all other materials meet the admission requirements, the professional performance is excellent, and candidates who are deficient in English can consider such colleges.

In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, often abbreviated as BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts), is awarded to students with an undergraduate degree in visual or performing arts majors. Some countries also name it Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA (Bachelor of Creative Arts). The full name of MFA is Master of Fine Arts. When translated into Chinese, it should be a Master of Creative Arts, rather than a literal Master of Fine Arts. It offers a wide variety of majors, from sculpture, weaving, painting, design, illustration, interior design, Graphic design, animation, photography, film, and more recently jewelry design, or multimedia design all require BFA or MFA degrees.

The characteristic of MFA is that it is the highest degree in the creative field. There is no doctorate. When working in the American design industry, MFA is the highest degree. Therefore, being able to obtain MFA is a very high honor. Not only can Find a good job and also be qualified to teach at a university.

The admission requirements for applying for MFA are different from other majors in that you must attach a portfolio. This is the biggest key to the school's assessment of whether you can enroll, followed by GPA and TOEFL. In addition, special proof of financial resources and tuition deposit will be required. During the two years of MFA study, one-third of the courses require creation, that is, the submission of works. The remaining one-third of the courses must study art theory or history, and you must complete 60 credits before you can graduate. However, Requirements vary from school to school.

Among the more than 3,000 universities in the United States, there are not many schools that offer MFA degrees. Most of them are provided by specialized private art colleges. It takes at least two years to study for an MFA. If you want to complete a master's degree in art in one year, you should study for an MA (Master of Arts). If you want to study for a doctorate, you usually need to study art history or art theory courses. Ph.D. The fees required in two years depend on the city where the school is located. Since most of these schools are private institutions, tuition fees are high. It is estimated that living expenses and other expenses total 300,000-400,000 in two years. Students can work on campus to subsidize it. Living expenses.

Generally speaking, those who want to study for an MFA degree must have BFA qualifications and a TOEFL score of 80 or above. In addition, there is no need to take the GRE or GMAT unless the school has special requirements.

Hope it helps you