Master of Fine Arts Degree (MFA) Procedures & Requirements

The handbook is designed with full-time study in mind.

It is the student's responsibility to review material available online and to meet all requirements for the MFA degree, including the School of Art requirements listed below, and to observe all appropriate deadlines. The University of Georgia's Graduate School Procedures and requirements are available here. Please also make note of the Graduate School's enrollment policies. This link includes information on Minimum Enrollment, Continuous Enrollment, Residence Credit, and Leave of Absence, Time Limit, and Extension of Time requirements.

Each graduate student in the School of Art is assigned a mailbox (located around the corner form the administrative offices) where mail and notices will be placed for your convenience. Check your mailbox often for important announcements. To the left of the mailboxes is a bulletin board for general information. Whenever possible, communication will be sent via your UGA email address.

Keep the Dodd Graduate Art Office informed regarding changes of address and phone number and be sure to check your UGA email regularly. 

1. Faculty Advisor / Major Professor / Graduate Advisor

Faculty Advisor

A Faculty Advisor will be assigned to each MFA student upon matriculation, and this faculty member will serve as the student's initial point of contact. The Faculty Advisor is a temporary, one-year position designed to help first-year students acclimate and make appropriate decisions regarding their program of study. Decisions about the Major Professor and MFA Committee are deferred until the beginning of the second year, by which point students should have had exposure to a variety of professors. 

Major Professor

Not later than the beginning of the second year, students will identify and secure a Major Professor. The Willingness of a faculty member to serve in the role of Major Professor is secured by obtaining the professor's signature on the Departmental Advisory Committee Form. If the student wishes to change their Major Professor at any time during their program of study, a form for this purpose is available here. Note: The role of Major Professor can be filled by the faculty member who served as the student's Faculty Advisor the first year; however, this is not required.

Graduate Advisor

While the Faculty Advisor and Major Professor are important sources of curricular guidance, students must also meet with the Graduate Advisor each semester prior to registration to ensure that they are in compliance with and making adequate progress toward graduation. Students will not be able to register for courses until they have met with the Graduate Advisor, who will lift the "advising hold" from the student's account, thereby making course registration possible. Meetings with the Graduate Advisory should follow meetings with the Faculty Advisor or Major Professor, which students are responsible for initiating. 

2. Program of Study

Students in the MFA program are required to complete a total of 67 hours for their degree. While most of those hours are filled with graduate-level course work of the student's choosing, there are a few required courses each year designed to give shape and structure tot he student's experience. What follows is an ideal program of study with specific, required courses noted with an "R".

MFA Sample Schedule

Students in the MFA program must complete 67 hours of course work over three years, and each semester students will take between 12-18 hours. Semesters will not necessarily have the same number of courses, and students are expected to work with the Grad Advisor and their Major Professor to ensure that they are on track. Students may also elect to take courses in the summer; however, this is not required, and offerings are limited.

MFA students are required to take three art history courses (or two art history and one art criticism) over the course of three years. All other required courses are taken in specifically designated semesters and are designated with "R" below.

ARTS 7005 is taken every semester on assistantship, and although required, does not contribute to the mandatory 67 credit hours. 

First Year / Fall Term	Credit	Course	Notes
First Semester Seminar (R)	3	ARTS 8100
Teaching Practicum (R)	3	ARTS 7990	Fall or Spring
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Assistantship Course (R)	3	ARTS 7005
GradFIRST (R)	1	GRSC 7001	Fall

                                                                        Total Hours for First Semester: 12-18

First Year / Spring Term	Credit	Course	Notes
Pedagogy Seminar (R)	3	GRSC 7770
Teaching Practicum, fall or spring (R)	3	ARTS 7990	Fall or Spring
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Critical Eval Methods (Recommended)	3	ARTS 6930
Assistantship Course (R)	3	ARTS 7005

                                                                        Total Hours for First Semester: 12-18

Second Year / Fall Term	Credit	Course	Notes
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Assistantship Course (R)	3	ARTS 7005

                                                                   Total Hours for Second Semester: 12-18

Second Year / SpringTerm	Credit	Course	Notes
Research Studio Course (R)	3	ARTS 7900
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Assistantship Course (R)	3	ARTS 7005

                                                                   Total Hours for Second Semester: 12-18

Third Year / Fall Term	Credit	Course	Notes
Graduate Exit Seminar (R)	3	ARTS 8900
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Assistantship Course (R)	3	ARTS 7005

                                                                        Total Hours for First Semester: 12-18

Third Year / Spring Term	Credit	Course	Notes
Graduate Exit Studio (R)	3	ARST 9210
Grad Level Coursework	3
Grad Level Coursework	3
Assistantship Course (R)	3	ARTS 7005

                                                                   Total Hours for Second Semester: 12-18

 

MFA First Year Seminar, ARST 8100 (R)

An introduction to the graduate-level research in the visual arts, this mandatory course is required for all first semester MFA students.

Grad First Seminar GRSC7001 Required Courses (R)

This required one-credit, seminar style class is designed to introduce graduate students to supplement discipline-specific education with more generalized material meant to help incoming students successfully navigate graduate education at UGA. 

Teaching Pedagogy Class, GRSC 7770 (R)

These required first-year courses are designed to train students to teach studio art and satisfy the university's teaching preparation requirement.

Grad Studio Seminar, ARST 7900 (R)

Taken in the spring of the second year, this required course is designed to formalize studio time and cross-disciplinary exchange, and provide a mechanism for cross-disciplinary critique with faculty and peers.

Art History (R)

Students are required to take 6-9 hours of grad-level art history courses at the 6000-level or above. 

Art Criticism (can be taken in lieu of a third art history course)

Students may elect to fill 3 of their 9-hour art history requirement with any one of the following courses:

3 hours of grad-level Art Criticism: ARTS 6000, ARTS 6910, ARTS 6920, ARTS 6930, or ARTS 8350; or 3 additional hours of grad-level Art History (6000 level and above); or any of the following: LAND 6620, Land 6730, EDES 6610, EDES 6630, EDES 6560, ARED 7310.

Graduate-Level Coursework

In addition to required course work, students must take at least 39 additional credit-hours at the graduate-level, as decided in consultation with the student's Major Professor. These courses should consist mostly of studio art classes, but may also include graduate-level courses taken outside the Art Department, pending instructor approval.

Graduate Exit Seminar, ARTS 8900 /Graduate Exit Studio ARST 9210 (R)

In the final year of study, graduate students must take the Graduate Exit Seminar in the fall and the Graduate Exit Studio in the spring. Together, these courses formalize hours spent toward the production of the MFA thesis exhibition and catalogue.

Assistantship Hours

ARTS 7005 is to be taken during each semester of funded study. These hours correspond to those spent toward the student's assistantship responsibilities - i.e. grading, teaching, gallery support, etc. 

Directed Study Policy

In the first and second year of study, Directed Studies will be limited to 1 per academic year (fall and spring). Directed Study hours are not limited in the summer or in the third year of the program. Students seeking Directed Study will be required to fill out a "Directed Study Proposal Form" available here. This form identifies the student's research goals, the research questions the student intends to explore, and describes the professor's method for supervising and evaluating research. It is to be signed by the professor of record and submitted to the Major Professor and the Grad Advisor in the course of advising and registering.

3. Formal Reviews / Committees / Required Paperwork

Each spring MFA candidates are reviewed in the context of a formal critique. Typically, the Continuance Exam is held in the spring of the first year, after 12 hours of coursework; the Candidacy Exam is held in the spring of the second year, after 30 hours of coursework; and the Final Exam is held in the spring of the third year in conjunction with the MFA exhibition.

A. Continuance Exam

Following completion of 12 hours of coursework, MFA students are required to organize a Continuance Exam. The Continuance Exam will be conducted by the student's Faculty Advisor and 2-4 additional members of the faculty, who have volunteered to participate on the basis of the digital "research portfolio" assembled in the context of ARTS 8100: the First Year Seminar.

At the time of the review, students should show (or make available) a variety of recent work and, in advance of the meeting, they should prepare and distribute a written statement about their research (no more than 3 pages), along with a list of 5-10 readings (books, essays or articles) to be completed by the student before their Candidacy Exam in the spring of the following year. Questions to be addressed in the statement should include but are not limited to the following:

What is the work about? What are the dominant concerns of the work?

How does the work engage these concerns?

Is the work guided by certain questions? What are they?

How do you anticipate the work changing?

What aspects of the work require further development?

What artists are working in a similar vein (either conceptually or formally)?

In the event a candidate fails a review, the committee may elect to schedule a second examination. In the event the candidate fails the review a second time, they will be dismissed from the program. 

B. MFA Committee

In the first semester of the second year, students will work with their Major Professor to select 3 additional committee members. A final committee member, assigned by the graduate office in consultation with the Major Professor, will be added as a "wild card" reviewer for a total of 5 committee members. Committees are to be finalized no later than the midpoint of the second year.

Committees must consist of 3 full-time, permanent faculty from the School of Art. Additional members must have a terminal degree or comparable experience and be approved by the Major Professor.

C. Candidacy Exam

Following 30 hours of coursework, typically in the spring of the second year, MFA students are required to organize a Candidacy Exam with their Major Professor and a committee of 3 faculty of their choosing. At the time of exam, students should show or make available a curated, polished body of work that reflects the direction of their research going forward.

In advance of the examination, they should prepare and distribute a statement (no more than 3 pages) about the work they have elected to show, along with an annotated bibliography comprised of readings that have been particularly useful or influential. For each reading, students should provide 2-3 sentences that describe the reading's significance for their practice. In addition, students should prepare and distribute a list of 5-10 readings (books, essays or articles) they intend to complete before their Final Exam. 

During the Candidacy Exam, students will be expected to introduce their work, dominant concerns within their research, and the broader context in which their practice operates. Students should be prepared to field questions about their work, reading to date, and plans going forward. Always, students should consult with their Major Professor about their expectations and any additional requirements. 

The exam will result in one of three possible outcomes:

1. Pass: In the event the Candidacy Exam is passed, the student may continue toward the degree objective. 
2. Defer: In the event the student needs to resolve or more rigorously address aspects of their practice, a committee may suggest that the student re-take the Candidacy Exam, following an additional semester of coursework. If the five-member committee recommends the re-examination, the student may add two more voting committee members to expand the dialogue. However, the addition of these new members is subject to the approval of the Major Professor and all of the original examining committee members who must remain in the re-review. If the re-examining committee determines that the student demonstrates insufficient promise during a re-examination, the student will be dismissed from the program.
3. Fail: Does not show promise toward completing the degree and, therefore, should not continue in the graduate art program. 

D. Program of Study

After the successful completion of the candidacy exam and not later than the second full week of classes of the student's final semester, students must file a Program of Study Form. (Program of Study for Non-Doctoral Professional Degrees) with the Graduate School. If a change in the Program of Study is necessitated (i.e., change in coursework) after it has been approved, notify the Graduate Coordinator's Office so these changes can be forwarded to the Dean for approval.

E. Application for Graduation

An online Application for graduation must be filed with the Graduate School through ATHENA no later than Friday of the first full week of classes of the semester the student plans to graduate, as per Graduate School Deadlines. 

F. Final Exhibition

The annual MFA thesis exhibition is held annually at the Athenaeum in downtown Athens. Students may choose to exhibit their work at an alternate location, subject to the approval of their Major Professor. 

G. Final Oral Examination & Thesis

The Final Examination is held during the course of the MFA show. The works exhibited along with the final, written report (thesis) will serve as the basis for this exam.

The written report is a 10-20 page account of the student's thesis work (including documentation), some or all of which may be included in the thesis show. Students should identify the work's key concepts and strategies and explore key questions as engaged by their work. In addition, the written report should establish a historical context for the student's research, identifying any artists, theorists, and writers who have been particularly influential or important. Reports should include documentation of the student's work and its installation in the MFA show, as well as proper citations and properly formatted bibliography.

Students are expected to work closely with their Major Professor on their reports, and regular meetings should be scheduled to assess student progress in the course of the final year. A draft of the student's written report is due to the Major Professor and committee members two weeks prior to the Final Examination.

In the event a candidate fails the Final Exam, they will receive a failing grade in ARST 9210, which is require for graduation. The candidate will be allowed to take this course a second time and to schedule a second, Final Examination. 

H. Written Report

A "Written Report", descriptive of the candidate's work in the Final Exhibition, is required for graduation. While the Written Report is not technically a "thesis" and does not require the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, a student guide for preparation of theses is available from the Graduate School. An electronic copy (pdf file) should be submitted to a.) the Graduate Coordinator's office b.) the Major Professor and c.) all members of the student's committee. Copies of past graduates' Written Reports can also be found on Athenaeum. Students will work in consultation with the Art Library to ensure that their thesis is properly documented and stored. UGA Library repository Athenaeum. 

I. Degree Completion

A student must enroll for a minimum of 3 hours of graduate level credit the semester in which degree requirements are completed. Prior to the deadline for completion of degree requirements, the graduating student must:

--(a) Submit one signed, electronic copy of the Written Report to the Graduate Coordinator's Office and one copy to the Major Professor.

--(b) Check that the Major Professor has delivered the Final Oral Examination results to the School of Art Graduate Office.

Specific deadlines for the receipt of the Written Report and Final Oral Examination will be communicated via email annually. 

 

This handbook was last reviewed in August 2022 and last revised on December 5, 2022.