Graduate Catalog 2004-2005

The School of Art offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts. Students pursue course work in two-dimensional studies (drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking), three-dimensional studies (ceramics, fibers/fabrics, glass, jewelry/metals, sculpture), digital arts (animation, imaging, interactive/web-based media, and video), and art history.

Within these programs students find a broad range of studio and academic disciplines, united by a deep commitment to technical development sustained by rigorous examination of accompanying contextual and conceptual issues. The School of Art’s M.A. and M.F.A. programs seek to foster a productive and diverse community of artists and scholars whose shared goal is preparation for careers in the visual arts.

The School of Art also offers an M.F.A. degree in partnership with Studio Art Centers International (SACI), located in Florence, Italy. Students spend their first year of study in Florence working with SACI’s faculty. Upon successful completion of the first year, students spend their final year at BGSU. Admission to the join BGSU/SACI program is determined by Bowling Green State University. Candidates must submit the same materials required of students applying for the conventional M.F.A. program.

Prerequisites to Graduate Work

Admission to the M.A.-studio art and the M.F.A. programs requires the equivalent of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or 60 hours in art and 12 hours in art history. Prerequisites may be altered at the discretion of the School of Art.

For admission to the M.A.-art history program, an undergraduate background in fine arts, art history, or humanities is highly recommended. Deficiencies in art history may have to be addressed prior to formal acceptance into the M.A. program.

Admission Procedure

Applicants seeking admission to the M.A. and M.F.A. programs should follow the instructions outlined in the "Graduate Admission" section of this catalog.

Applicants to the M.A.-studio art program and the M.F.A. program are required to submit a portfolio consisting of a cover letter describing goals, objectives, educational background, and personal history; resume; three letters of recommendation; 20 slides of work from the proposed area of specialization; and a stamped self-addressed envelope by February 15 for enrollment the following fall semester. Applicants should keep in mind that there is no summer review of portfolios.

Applicants to the M.A.-art history program are required to submit an application consisting of a cover letter describing goals, objectives, educational background, and personal history; resume; three letters of recommendation; and a sample paper from a recent art history course.

Degree Requirements

The M.A. in studio art and the M.F.A. are two separate degree programs. M.F.A. candidates are not required to earn an M.A. en route to an M.F.A. If students elect to pursue both degrees, they must fulfill all requirements for both.

Students majoring in a studio area, in both the M.A. and M.F.A. programs, work with the graduate coordinator to choose the student's major professor. The major professor will work with the graduate coordinator to oversee the student's matriculation process and will serve as the chair of the student's Graduate Review Committee.

The Graduate Review Committee is composed of five graduate faculty members, including the major professor, from the School of Art and the College of Arts and Sciences. All studio majors are subject to periodic reviews by the Review Committee.

Master of Arts

Studio Art: Candidates must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate credit, distributed as follows: 12 hours studio specialization; six hours studio critique; six hours studio electives; three hours pedagogy; three hours art history seminar; and three hours written thesis credit. The written thesis in the studio program can be the result of research in art theory, art criticism, art history, or studio experimentation. The student must submit a photographic record of his/her studio work prior to graduation.

Awarding of the degree is contingent upon recommendation for graduation by the Graduate Review Board of the School of Art after a final review of work submitted by the candidate.

Art History: Candidates must complete a minimum of 31 semester hours of graduate credit distributed as follows: 24 semester hours of art history, of which six must be in graduate seminars in two different areas or periods of art history and at least 12 of which must be in regular lecture courses; three hours of studio or related courses or related courses outside the School of Art; one hour of research techniques; and three hours of written thesis credit. In addition, as a prerequisite to admission to M.A. degree candidacy and thesis work, students must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination in art history after successful completion of 18 semester hours of art history courses.

Candidates in art history are also required to demonstrate a reading proficiency in one of the approved languages of scholarship other than English. The appropriate language will be determined in consultation with the student's advisor (who will be one of the full-time faculty in art history). Proficiency is usually certified by a B-level examination or equivalent, as described under Option A in the "Language Requirements" section of this catalog.

Master of Fine Arts

Students entering the M.F.A. degree program have probationary status during the first 15 semester hours of work. In the semester immediately following the completion of this 15-hour requirement (summer excepted), the student must pass the initial review for permission to continue in the program.

Candidates must complete a total of 60 semester hours of graduate credit, distributed as follows: 21 hours studio within specialization; 12 hours studio critique; 12 hours studio elective; six hours art history seminar; three hours academic elective; three hours pedagogy; and three hours exhibition research.

Awarding of the degree is contingent upon recommendation for graduation by the Graduate Review Board after a final review of work submitted by each candidate.

Total hour requirements may be reduced for students who can apply credit from previous graduate work. Students are required to complete a minimum of two full-time semesters in residence.

The M.F.A. exhibition required of each student is the culmination of the candidate's work in his or her studio discipline. The exhibition is a major show including an in-lieu-of-thesis statement and photographic documentation of the work, which must be accompanied by an exhibition brochure. M.F.A. exhibitions are usually held spring semester in the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery in the Fine Arts Center, though exceptions can be made. The M.F.A. exhibition must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.

Students wishing to enroll in courses outside of their area of specialization must display a proficiency in the chosen area. The instructor may require remedial undergraduate study before approval to take the graduate course is given.