Master of Fine Arts

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In the United States, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate degree typically requiring two to three years of study beyond the bachelor's degree level and usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, or theater/performing arts. Coursework is primarily of an applied or performing nature with the program often culminating in a major work or performance. Several MFA programs were established in the 1930's.

MFA programs have generally required a bachelor's degree prior to admission, but many have not required that the undergraduate major be the same as the MFA field of study. The most important admissions requirement has often been a sample portfolio or a performance audition.

The MFA differs from the Master of Arts in that the MFA, while an academic program, centers around practice in the particular field, programs leading to the MA are usually centered on the scholarly, academic, or critical study of the field. The title "Master of Fine Arts" has origins in medieval France, prior to the 1648 founding of the École des Beaux-Arts.

The MFA has traditionally been seen as a terminal degree, meaning that it is considered to be the highest degree in its field. In the interest of further developing the connection between creative production and continued academic research, however, some universities have established competing Ph.D programs in fields such as creative writing, visual arts, and theater. Similar PhD programs were abandoned in the 1960's and 1970's.

The College Art Association has the following statement at [1]

Guidelines M.F.A. STANDARDS

Adopted by CAA Board of Directors, April 16, 1977; revised October 12, 1991.

DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

The M.F.A., unlike most master's degrees, is used as a guarantee of a high level of professional competence in the visual arts. It is also accepted as an indication that the recipient has reached the end of the formal aspects of his/her education in the making of art, that is to say, it is the terminal degree in visual arts education and thus equivalent to terminal degrees in other fields, such as the Ph.D. or Ed.D.

First and foremost, the profession demands from the recipient of the M.F.A. a certifiable level of technical proficiency and the ability to make art. However, having earned the degree does not necessarily guarantee an ability to teach this proficiency to others. When work toward the M.F.A. has been concentrated in a particular medium, there should be complete professional mastery of that medium. The generalist, whose preparation has been broader and less specialized, must still meet the critical demands of the profession by convincingly demonstrating expertise and knowledge in a number of areas. The need for thorough training of the mind, the eye, and the hand is self-evident. The remainder of this document outlines specific standards and requirements for the M.F.A. that are approved and endorsed by the CAA Board of Directors.

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