MFA FILM/VIDEO

The two-year Film/Video MFA program is a selective and rigorous program committed to helping students develop and refine their practice as artists working with the moving image. The Graduate Major Studio course rotates between different members of the core faculty, exposing students to diverse approaches and expertise.

The Graduate Major Studio in the Film/Video MFA Program focuses on critiques of student work and discussion of various theoretical and contemporary issues in the moving image. The curriculum includes visits with nationally and internationally known film/video artists and curators.

Each semester, students may choose a Mentor Advisor from outside the department for consultation on a particular facet of their work. Other program opportunities include cross-registration with MIT and UMass Boston, internships, and teaching assistantships. In addition to screenings and Visiting Artist lectures, the City of Boston offers exceptional cultural, creative and intellectual resources for students.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Develop a professional studio practice, with personal content and vision
• Advance technical knowledge and skill in film and/or video, and in other media as needed
• Expand the media in which time-based work can be produced
• Understand the work in relation to the anticipated audience
• Understand one’s work in relation to contemporary art and art history
• Develop the ability to critique peers’ work across disciplines
• Develop awareness and understanding of the diverse cultural, historical, and experiential issues expressed and inherent in one’s own artwork and in that of one’s peers
• Develop presentation skills including public speaking, proposal writing, exhibition guidelines and artist’s statement
• Exhibit one’s work in a professional setting and in a professional manner. Students may also participate in other exhibitions and curatorial opportunities at the college or other venues
• Understand how to engage in professional organizations and events for career development
• Develop knowledge of major historical and cultural characteristics of specific times /places. Infer relationships between society and art
• Recognize various types of texts used in art historical analysis, and evaluate their content and effectiveness. Use various ideas, approaches and facts in the analysis of art. Formulate, research and argue a hypothesis. Articulate verbally and in writing, theoretical and critical perspectives on art
• Recognize the impact of historical works of art on contemporary art
• Draw connections between various artworks, artists and concepts
• Collaborate with artists in other disciplines

We’ve been here for 145 years, pioneering, sustaining, and refining a world-class education in art and design, and sending skilled and experienced scholar-artists out into the world as professionals, ready to shake-up and shine on local and global stages.

MASSART BY THE NUMBERS

STUDENT BODY

• Undergraduate Students: 1780
• Graduate Students: 128
• Continuing Education Students: 186

RESIDENCY

• Students from Massachusetts: 73%
• Other New England States: 12%
• Outside of New England: 15%

FACULTY

• Full Time Faculty: 120
• Part Time/Adjunct Faculty: 162

OUR LEGACY

In 1873, the Massachusetts Normal School opened its doors in response to the Massachusetts Drawing Act, a progressive 1870 mandate requiring all cities in the Commonwealth of over 10,000 residents to include drawing in their public school curricula (“normal schools” were the precursors to teachers’ colleges). The Industrial Revolution was changing the way the world functioned, and mid-19th Century Bostonians believed that industry wasn’t the only way to build a stronger nation. Art, they felt certain, was also essential to growing a powerful country, a vital economy, and improving and advancing the well-being of citizens. London and Paris - thriving cities with grand museums and galleries - were compelling examples.

At MassArt, we’ve always believed that art is an igniting force for positive change. From our earliest days, we’ve offered a bright gate where access to a world-class art education isn’t defined by economics or privilege. We’re committed to providing an education and the promise of a future based on talent, ambition, and drive. As the first publicly supported freestanding visual arts college in the US, we take great pride in our ability to nurture and support students with extraordinary creative promise, regardless of limitations in college prep opportunities, or financial status.