Experimental and Documentary Arts

The Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts is a terminal degree offered jointly by three academic units: the Department of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies, the Center for Documentary Studies, and the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image. The MFA brings together two forms of artistic activity—the documentary approach and experimental production in analog, digital, and computational media—in a unique program that will foster collaborations across disciplines and media as it trains sophisticated, creative art practitioners.  The ideal candidate has a well-established practice in documentary arts, film/video and new media, or experimental technology, and seeks a program with a pioneering focus on stimulating aesthetic production outside of traditional contexts.  

The MFA in Experimental & Documentary Arts is a two-year degree program requiring 15 courses over 4 semesters: 10 required (Core) courses in prescribed sequence and 5 electives. 

• 5 Studio courses: Documentary Fieldwork, Experiments in the Moving Image, Computational Media, Thesis Writing Workshop and Thesis Project Workshop.
• 5 Seminars: Continuity and Change in Experimental and Documentary Arts, Critique I-IV.
• 5 Electives complete the requirements, with one required as   supporting thesis research and preparation ("Methods").

Each student’s culminating project will be presented in a second year Spring MFA Exhibition. A written thesis on the project will also be required.

YEAR 1 – FALL

• Documentary Fieldwork (3 credits) Exploration of the range of mediums and approaches to community-based documentary work that expresses both cultural/political realities through a personal point of view.
• Computational Media (3 credits) Experimental computational media techniques for graphics interactivity, and data visualization. Final project required.
• Elective: Open (3 credits)
• Critique I (1 credit)

YEAR 1 – SPRING

• Experiments in the Moving Image (3 credits) Techniques and methodologies of experimental film and video production. Final project required.  
• Continuity and Change in Experimental and Documentary Arts (3 credits) Historical and conceptual survey of documentary studies with attention to experimental and artistic practices. Final paper required.
• Elective: Open (3 credits)
• Critique II (1 credit)

SUMMER

• Individual Thesis Research

YEAR 2 – FALL

• Thesis Writing Workshop (3 credits)
• Elective: "Methods" (3 credits) An elective supporting thesis research and preparation.
• Elective: Open (3 credits)
• Critique III (1 credit)

YEAR 2 – SPRING

• Thesis Project Workshop (3 credits) Production and completion of thesis project.
• Elective: Open (3 credits)
• Critique IV (1 credit)

• Hold a bachelor's degree (or the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree) from an accredited institution.
• Submit scanned electronic transcripts from all post-secondary school education.
• Submit three letters of recommendation.
• Submit a Statement of Purpose which includes a personal history detailing one's practice and relationship to documentary and experimental visual arts, as well as what the applicant seeks to achieve through participation in the program. We encourage you to include specific information on past endeavors as well as projects that you wish to undertake during your study.
• International applicants must also provide official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
• Please note, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to the MFAEDA.
• Applicants may submit a portfolio of any combination of media for consideration. 
• Submissions of 2 dimensional, 3 dimensional and installation works are limited to a maximum of 25 images.
• Submissions of time, sound and computational media are limited to 10 minutes total, and may include multiple projects. 
• Please include a brief narrative description of each body of work, and label all images clearly with title, year, medium, dimensions, format, and production role where applicable. 
• If desired, applicants may include URLs where additional related work may be viewed. 
• Digital materials (CDs or DVDs), and analog formats (VHS, 16mm, slides, etc.) may be accepted by mail if necessary.  To enquire, please contact the program in advance.  Materials sent by mail without prior authorization will not be considered.

Scholarships

Incoming students may be eligible for financial support in the form of teaching assistantships, program fellowships, or tuition awards. However, there is not sufficient aid to cover tuition in full. In addition to any financial awards they may receive, most students finance their education through a combination of loans, grants, and work study.