德克萨斯农工大学康莫斯分校

The MFA program is intended for graduate students both committed to and capable of intensive, advanced study culminating in an individual and self-generated language of expression. It is a rigorous course of study as it leads to the terminal degree in the fine arts. MFA students are initially encouraged to explore a broad range of issues meaningful to their work, while simultaneously refining their technical skills. Their explorations may touch upon individual modes of expression, formal elements, experimentation with media and methods, themes and symbols, and relationships among the visual arts and other disciplines. Subsequent courses direct the student toward more mature and self-critical art, leading ultimately to a sustained and cohesive body of work that forms the Master of Fine Art Exhibition (ARTS 515).

MFA students in the Studio Art emphasis will participate in mid-term and end-of-term critiques. These critiques, together with the periodic evaluations of the student’s supervisory committee, determine whether or not the student meets the expectations of the program. Students who fail to pass a critique or fail in other ways to meet the expectations of the program can be suspended from the MFA track. Students must pass a critique for candidacy after their second semester or in the semester of their 30th hour (whichever comes first). The critique for MFA candidacy will include an exhibit supported by a written statement. Students who fail their candidacy may still pursue the Master of Arts in Art with an emphasis in Studio Art.

The New Learning Context – Studio Emphasis Only

Designed to broaden the student’s education, the New Learning Context is an essential component of the Studio Art emphasis in the MFA degree. Lasting a full academic term and providing twelve semester hours credit, the New Learning Context encourages the student to seek out new ideas and experiences of benefit to his or her art. A student may choose between two options: 1. The Semester Away, or 2. The Planned Program Alternative. The first option requires the student to live and work away from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Whether by taking courses at another institution, through extensive traveling, or by living in a major artistic center in the United States or abroad, this option provides experiences invaluable to the student’s artistic and intellectual growth. The second option, for students whose economic or personal circumstances preclude extended travel, allows for similar experiences within the region. An example of the second option would be a planned sequence of visits to museums, galleries and artists’ studios in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Whichever option is selected, the student’s art will be expected both to represent the efforts of a full academic term and to reflect the knowledge and experience gained from the New Learning Context.