The program has been designed to meet the needs of artists holding BFA or BA degrees who are interested in pursuing an MFA within a time frame that accommodates their employment or academic year schedule. Departing from the more traditional semester format, students enter this three year program in summer and complete the major portion of their work during four annual seven-week summer residencies of intensive, individually focused studio experience. In addition to exploration in the major, students pursue interdisciplinary investigations in studio topics common to the discipline and address contemporary critical issues and methodology in university graduate seminars. Two independent studios are completed per academic year. Students attend annual on-campus winter weekend critiques and present work completed during the Fall Independent Studio.
Work completed during the Spring Independent Studio is reviewed at the start of each summer.
A final thesis review and exhibition is held following completion of the fourth summer. Students are expected to locate off-campus studio space for work undertaken during the fall and spring independent studio semesters. New York and Washington, DC cultural resources are only hours away. Students will be challenged by the broadly diverse aesthetic and critical opinions of distinguished studio faculty and notable visiting artists and critics who are invited to participate in the program each summer. Summer MFA candidates are expected to follow the curriculum as structured in order to complete the program within four years and present a final thesis exhibition following the completion of the fourth summer.