Art - 2022-23 Graduate Catalog

Director: Charles Kanwischer, School of Art
Graduate Coordinator: Michael Arrigo
Address: 1000 Fine Arts Center
Phone: 419-372- 2786
Fax: 419-372-2544
Program Web Page: https://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/school-of-art/graduate-programs.html

Degrees Offered
Master of Arts
Master of Design
Master of Fine Arts

Programs Offered
The School of Art offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Design, and Master of Fine Arts. Students pursue course work in MFA two-dimensional studies (painting/drawing, and printmaking), MFA three- dimensional studies (ceramics, glass, jewelry/metals, and sculpture), MFA digital arts (animation, imaging, and interactive media), MA art education, and MA art history and MDes in graphic design.

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 MA, MDes,  and MFA 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 classes taught abroad in partnership with Studio Art Centers International (SACI), located in Florence, Italy.

Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the MA in Art History, MDes,  or the MFA degree, students in the Art History, or Art programs are expected to be able to:

• Produce creative works or scholarly projects integrating knowledge of art or art history specialization.
• Illustrate a breadth of understanding of various specializations within art or art history.
• Evaluate area of research in relation to contemporary art.
• Evaluate area of research in relation to historical theories and art.
• Organize a professional art exhibition or produce an art historical research project.

Upon completion of the MA Arts Education degree, students in the program are expected to be able to:

• Analyze the changing knowledge base of visual arts education including visual culture, contemporary art, student development research, and critical engagements with technology
• Appraise verbal, visual, and written communication that supports effective and sustained research, exploration, and collaboration with others concerning issues related to the field of visual arts education
• Compare and contrast independent as well as collaborative qualitative research methodologies that organize data and assess applied theory, field-based analysis, and strategies of design thinking
• Examine and distinguish developmental and leadership opportunities among those who design, write, and apply high quality curricula, assessment plans, and transformative learning within visual arts education
• Perform public advocacy, generate consensus, and initiate positive outcomes for diverse communities of learners within K-12 Art Education, Community Arts Education, Art Museum Education, and visual/sensory literacy programs
• Prioritize reflective practices that inform the personal and professional development of artist-teachers
• Create new constructs for content knowledge, research results, artistic skills, leadership experiences, and the value of human diversity within future teaching responsibilities. 

Prerequisites to Graduate Work
Admission to the MA program in Art Education requires an undergraduate degree in art education or related field from an accredited institution.

For admission to the MA in 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 MA Art History program.

Admission to the MDes in Integrative Design requires a four-year undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 2.75 GPA.

Admission to the MFA in Art requires the equivalent of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or 60 hours in art and 12 hours in art history.

Admission Procedure
Applicants seeking admission should follow the instructions outline on the Graduate Admissions web page. Separate applications must be made to the Graduate College and the School of Art. Each of these units have specific requirements and application procedures that must be satisfied before the applicant can be considered for admission. Submissions to the School of Art should be made through our SlideRoom Portal.

Degree Requirements:

Master of Arts
Art Education: Candidates must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours with a grade of “C” or better. Hours are distributed as follows: 12 hours in Art Education, 9 hours in studio arts, digital arts, and/or graphic design, 3 hours in Art History, and 6 hours for a Masters Project in Art Education. Up to 9 hours of credit may be considered for transfer from other accredited institutions. As a prerequisite to the 6 hours of Masters Project credits, candidates must pass a Candidacy Review before Art Education faculty members.

Total hour requirements may be reduced for students who can apply credit from previous graduate work.

Art History: Candidates must complete a minimum of 33 semester credit hours at the graduate level, with a grade of “C” or better. Hours are distributed as follows: 3 hours of ARTH 5900: Professional practices in Art History, 9 hours of 5000-level seminar courses, 9 hours in 6000-level seminar courses, 6 hours are at either 5000-or 6000-level, 3 hours in studio art or related academic course inside or outside the School of Art, 3 hours ART 6990, and 3 hours/or examination equivalency to fulfill the language requirement, Master’s Thesis, which must be submitted to thesis committee for approval at a minimum of 12 weeks prior to Graduate College deadline for final submission of all work for graduation, and students must be enrolled in ART 6990 Thesis Research during the final semester.

Master of Design

Students majoring in the MDes work with the Graphic Design (GD) Program Chair to choose the student's Major Professor. The Major Professor will work with the GD Program Chair and 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 three graduate faculty members, including the Major Professor.

Students entering the MDes degree program have probationary status during the first 18 semester hours of work. In the semester immediately following the completion of this 18-hour requirement (summer excepted), the student must pass the initial review for permission to continue in the program.

Candidates for the MDes degree must complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours at the graduate level (only grades of "C" or better will count as hours toward graduation).

• 36 semester hours within Integrative Design Studio Core
• 9 semester hours of Integrative Design reserach Core
• 12 semester hours of electives (must be graduate level)
• 3 semester hours of Integrative Design Thesis Project and Oral Defense
  

Awarding of the degree is contingent upon recommendation for graduation by the Graduate Review Committee 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 MDes thesis project and oral defense, required of each student, is the culmination of the candidate's work in the Integrative Design degree. An exhibition/public delivery of the thesis work includes a written thesis paper and documentation of the work, which must be accompanied by promotional material. MDes exhibitions are usually held spring semester in the Dorothy Uber BryanGallery in the Fine Arts Center, though exceptions can be made. The MDes exhibition/public delivery must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.

Master of Fine Arts

Students majoring in a studio area in the MFA program will 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. An MFA in Art Review Committee shall have with at least one member of the committee from the student’s area of study, and consist of the following:  Chair: regular or provisional graduate faculty member of the School of Art; Regular or provisional graduate faculty member of the School of Art; Regular or provisional graduate faculty member of the School of Art; Graduate faculty member of the School of Art/University (may be ad hoc); Graduate faculty member (may be ad hoc or adjunct graduate status).

Candidates must complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate credit, with a grade of “C” or better, distributed as follows: 21 hours studio within specialization; six hours studio critique; 3 hours Art Contentextualizing Practice and Research; 12 hours studio elective; six hours art history; three hours academic elective; three hours general elective; three hours pedagogy; and three hours exhibition research.

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

Students entering the MFA 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.

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.

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

The MFA 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 documentation of the work, which must be accompanied by an exhibition brochure.

MFA exhibitions are usually held spring semester in the Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery in the Fine Arts Center, though exceptions can be made. The MFA exhibition must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.

Graduate Courses
Please access graduate courses online at http://www.bgsu.edu/registration-records/courses-and-classes/class-course-information.html. Graduate courses offered by the School of Art use the prefix: ART, ARTC, ARTE, ARTH, ARTS, and DSGN.

For more information regarding these programs, please visit the program web page.