Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Studies
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is offered through a joint program with The College at Brockport and the Visual Studies Workshop, providing a unique opportunity for graduate studies. All of the courses for the MFA program are held at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY. This interdisciplinary program reflects the diverse and hybrid nature of the field of Visual Studies with roots in art practice, history, and theory, film and museum studies, philosophy and psychoanalysis. The Visual Studies program emphasizes studio work in photography, digital imaging, film, video, multi-media, installation, and visual books and critical studies in the history and theory of these media.
What You’ll Learn
Students in the visual studies program become part of the Visual Studies Workshop (VSW). As members of VSW, students join a community of interest in the media arts that supports and encourages the development of images in many forms.
Our unique partnership with VSW places students among professionals in the media arts. It also brings work to life through presentation and exhibition.Curriculum
Students work on series, sequence, installation, film and video, and digital media. They also experiment with visual books, growing visual literacy with emergent ideas.The MFA program culminates in a final thesis project presented to the public.
Admission Requirements
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum undergraduate 3.0 GPA
- Two letters of recommendation
- Statement of objectives
- Portfolio of images, book samples, writing excerpts, or short videos that represent a body of work
- Fall Semester: February 15
Graduate Assistantships
Several graduate assistantships are available in the second and third years of the program to those students who exhibit leadership potential within the VSW community. Graduate assistants manage VSW's website, teach undergraduate photography and video courses, work as the photo editor and designer for Afterimage, and are assistant coordinators in VSW's Research Center, Exhibitions and Events, and Community Education programs.
Career Outlook
More than 90% of VSW's graduates work in media arts-related fields. Many have gone on to prominent careers as artists, curators, executives, and educators with world-renowned institutions.
They also go on to hybrid careers such as artist-publishers, administrator-activists, educator-archivists.This school offers programs in:
- English
Last updated November 8, 2018
