Art
BFA, MFA

A forum for the sustained exploration of possibilities in cultural production, the Program in Art pushes students to question conventional ideas about contemporary art. It challenges every artist to develop a critical self-awareness about his or her own work and better understand the issues and contexts that inform artmaking in today's world.

Encompassing both studio practice and theory, the Program in Art offers instruction in a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, digital imaging, sculpture, installation, video, film, writing and performance. The program does not require students to concentrate on a particular medium; instead, it relies on a flexible structure of individualized instruction and mentoring to emphasize the articulation of ideas, the development of working methodologies and the realization of independent studio work.

The four-year BFA curriculum begins with a series of foundation courses in which students investigate various media, art-historical traditions and theoretical positions. Additional coursework includes a combination of seminars, group critique classes and independent studies. With the guidance of faculty mentors, students can concentrate on those areas that best serve their personal goals. By the third year in residence, undergraduates are expected to pursue independent studio projects. To earn the BFA degree, candidates must pass two faculty reviews of their overall artistic and academic progress-once at mid-residence and again prior to graduation.

The two-year MFA curriculum does not include any course requirements, thereby granting graduate students a great deal of freedom in designing a course of study that best suits their individualized needs. Each student confers closely with his or her mentor, who, in turn, evaluates that student's progress periodically. The program culminates with a final project during the second year of residency, when every MFA candidate must mount an exhibition or equivalent project and pass a faculty review in order to fulfill the requirements for graduation.

Beginning undergraduates share studios while graduate students and most upper-level undergraduates work in individual studios.