General Course Listing

The courses that follow reflect the offerings for the 2024-2025 academic year. For additional course details please visit the Registrar page and click on the Graduate Course Listing.

APG-5022 through APG-5024

Graduate Seminar I

Summer semester: 1 credit per section

In this foundational seminar, students develop their own art practice in conjunction with a deeper understanding of contemporary issues in art, theory and politics. Topics of special discussion include social engagement, collaboration, transdisciplinary practice and personal narrative.

APG-5112 through APG-5114

Studio Practice I

Summer semester: 1 credit per section

The core of the summer session is studio practice. The objective is to produce original advanced work with instruction and support from faculty and a robust roster of individual artists. Wednesdays will be dedicated to one-on-one conversations and studio visits with faculty, visiting artists, writers, curators and critics. Studio Practice is the central element and primary requirement of the program. Studios are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

APG-5140

Practice Lecture Series

Summer semester: 1 credit

The Practice Lecture Series explores visual representation in myriad forms as modes of inquiry for artists, writers, and other creative professionals. The series invites internationally recognized artists, curators, critics and scholars to give presentations to the MFA Art Practice community.

APG-5278

Studio Workshop: Ceramics

Summer semester: no credit

Students in this workshop will have the opportunity to explore ceramics as a tool for their individual practice. We will cover practical hand building, mold-making and cast ceramics, among other techniques.

APG-5279

Studio Workshop: Fibers

Summer semester: no credit

Students in this workshop will have the opportunity to explore fibers as tools for their individual practice. A series of demonstrations that explore 2D and 3D surfaces will introduce the traditional methods of sewing, felting, dyeing, knotting and weaving. Digital demonstrations will explore pattern design for laser cutting, digital embroidery and textile design that can be outsourced to print. Students will also learn techniques for designing and creating costumes and wearable art for performances, videos and photographic works, and using soft sculpture and fiber projects for installations. Current trends and historical examples of fiber art and costumes will be discussed.

APG-5282

Studio Workshop: Bio Art

Summer semester: no credit

In this course students will be introduced to the emerging field of biological arts through hands-on laboratory practices and discussions. Demonstrations include microscopic imaging, growing 2D and 3D biomaterials, painting with bacteria, working with bioluminescence, bioplastics and molecular gastronomy techniques. Discussion topics will range from bioethics, genetic manipulation, climate change and sustainability. Workshops will take place in the SVA Bio Art Lab, which is a laboratory that facilitates using the tools of science as an art practice.

APG-5289

Studio Workshop: Digital Sculpture

Summer semester: no credit

Making sculptures using computer-aided fabrication and rapid prototyping machines is the focus of this workshop. Students will learn how to make templates for sculptures using Adobe Illustrator and SolidWorks, and how to use machines like the Epilog laser cutter and the CNC router “ShopBot” to create fully realized 3D objects from their designs.

APG-5320

Foundations of Criticism

Summer semester: 2 credits

Beginning in the 20th century, theories of art have taken on a significant role in the production and reception of works of art. Why is this the case? In this course student artists cultivate an understanding of the historical emergence of modernity, modernism and postmodernism through lectures, readings and seminar discussions. Lectures cover key ideas from Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and Freud in context, with particular attention paid to the struggles and contributions of historically marginalized peoples. Readings and discussions investigate change and continuity in art making, thinking and writing in the modern world.

APG-5341

Artist-in-Residence Workshop

Summer semester: 1 credit

First-year students will work with the MFA Art Practice artist-in-residence on a collaborative, multidisciplinary work that they will present at the end of the first summer residency during Open Studios.

APG-5347

Group Critique for Studio Practice

Summer semester: 2 credits

Giving and receiving feedback on work-in-progress is an essential part of a successful studio practice. In this three-summer course sequence, all students participate in group critique. Over the course of each summer, students will have the opportunity to present their work to the entire program, including their peers and faculty. The course provides an opportunity for feedback on work-in-progress, as well as a rigorous and thoughtful inquiry of how one’s work is perceived as a public statement.

APG-5231

Beginning Video and Sound Editing Workshop

Fall semester: 1 credit

Through various methods that include instructor-led workshops, field experiments and group critique, students will explore practices for creating audio and video projects, possibilities for installation, multichannel works and performance. High-definition video and proper compression for projection, web and DVD will be addressed, and students will become familiar with basic editing software, including Adobe Premiere. The workshop includes screenings of film, video and sound work from modern and contemporary artists. It considers the use of media as both a document and final product.

APG-5232

Intermediate Through Advanced Video and Sound Editing Workshop

Fall semester: 1 credit

Through various methods that include instructor-led workshops, field experiments and group critique, students will explore the best practices for creating audio and video projects, possibilities for installation, multichannel works and performance. This workshop will assist students in mastering advanced video and audio editing techniques, as well as the opportunity for critical dialogue about video works in production. The course includes screenings of film, video and sound work from modern and contemporary artists. It considers the use of media as both a document and final product.

APG-5390

Studio Practice Review I

Fall semester: 2 credits

During Studio Practice Review, online study sessions will take place and students are expected to continue studio work from their home location. On a weekly basis students are required to post and comment on one another’s work online, and will collaborate with one another on a publication. Periodically, guest reviewers, including artists, curators and critics, will also give feedback.

APG-5395

Studio Practice Review II

Spring semester: 2 credits

This course is a continuation of APG-5390, Studio Practice Review I. Students will continue to participate in online group critiques of their studio work. They will also begin planning their summer group exhibition.

APG-5430

Art History: Deconstructing and Decolonizing Modernism

Fall semester: 1 credit

We all take it for granted that artists can use any materials, any disciplines (painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, sound, video, spoken word, performance, etc.) they want in the making of their work. But when and how did this way of working begin? This course proposes that at least in the history of modernism there is a time and place when and where this kind of interdisciplinary thinking can be reasonably said to start, beginning with examples of gesamtkunstwerk, and exploring other key and canonical examples in modern and contemporary art.

APG-5431

Art History: Diasporic and Anti-Colonial Art History, Theory and Practice

Fall semester: 1 credit

This course explores how cultural shifts are articulated through the intersection of art, politics and pop culture. It introduces the history and power of image-making and knowledge production through a critique of the cultural evolution of the Western concept of research and its linkages to extractive economies while speaking to the specificities of the colonial experience.

APG-5437-A

Art and Politics

Spring semester: 1 credit

Drawing on art history, philosophy and political theory, this course will explore strategies for creative interventions in the political arena. Topics of discussion will include race, gender, bio-politics, identity, power structures, public space, cultural policy, censorship and social justice.

APG-5438

Art and Pedagogy

Spring semester: 1 credit

This course will explore pedagogical strategies for art practice, including collaborative dialogues, action research and experiential learning. Topics of discussion will include the role of art in society, aesthetic inquiry into social systems, institutional critique, artist accountability and evaluation of social practice projects.

APG-5532

Special Topics

One semester: 1 credit per section

In this series students will participate in in-depth discussions on compelling, contemporary issues as they relate to the art world. Topics may include environmental concerns, professional development, studies of contemporary artists and exhibitions, social justice and the history and philosophy of art.

APG-6020 through APG-6022

Graduate Seminar II

Summer semester: 1 credit per section

In this seminar students develop their own art practice in conjunction with a deeper understanding of contemporary issues in art, theory and politics. Topics of special discussion include social engagement, collaboration, transdisciplinary practice and personal narrative. Wednesdays will be dedicated to one-on-one conversations and studio visits with faculty, visiting artists, writers, curators and critics.

APG-6110 / APG-6111

Studio Practice II

Summer semester: 2 credits per section

This is the second part of a three-semester course in which original, advanced work will be produced with instruction and support from faculty. Studio visits primarily take place on Monday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays will be dedicated to one-on-one conversations and studio visits with faculty, visiting artists, writers, curators and critics. Studio Practice is the central element and primary requirement of the program.

APG-6220

Performance Workshop

Summer semester: 2 credits

This workshop will provide a critical and research-driven exploration into world-building through performance art. Students will utilize a range of approaches centering shape-shifting as a way to actualize live performance work. Through studies and iterations, language and writing, movement and choreography, sound and music, as well as lighting and atmosphere, objects and materials, sculpture and installation, the group will explore how these modes of creating social spaces can be used as a poetic tool for subverting discourse. Over the course of the workshop, the cohort works toward a live collective performance/presentation. Structured as a lab/think tank that proceeds as a series of screenings, workshops, physical warm-ups, written exercises and readings. This workshop will provide an intersectional analysis of how culture, race and gender identity help shape the way we cultivate realities.

APG-6340

Artists’ Writing

Fall semester: 2 credits

This course will explore a range of artists’ writing forms, including journalism, manifestos, poetry, theoretical writing, letters, artists’ books and artist-run publications. Students will develop an understanding of the research process, including finding sources, organization, and proper academic formatting and citation. A deeper appreciation of one’s own writing in relation to the development of one’s artistic practice will be underscored throughout the semester.

APG-6390

Studio Practice Review III: Thesis Production

Fall semester: 2 credits

During the third online semester, in addition to maintaining a studio practice and receiving regular feedback from a mentor, MFA candidates begin working on their thesis. The thesis is the culmination of artistic development, consisting of both a project and research document. Faculty will guide students in considering their ideas and concepts to production of artworks, which they will also research and write about.

APG-6395

Studio Practice Review IV: Thesis Production

Spring semester: 2 credits

In the penultimate semester, students will produce their thesis work that will be exhibited and presented for fulfillment of the thesis requirement in the summer. Faculty will offer feedback and guidance.

APG-6480

Thesis: Documentation

Spring semester: 2 credits

Instructor: T. Goodeve

A written thesis document reflecting rigorous research is required for graduation from the MFA Art Practice program. Students will formulate and refine the central ideas that will become their thesis documents, and will consider appropriate strategies for the research, form, presentation and distribution of their ideas.

APG-6600 / APG-6601

Graduate Seminar III

Summer semester: 1 credit per section

In this foundational seminar, students develop their own art practice in conjunction with a deeper understanding of contemporary issues in art, theory and politics. Topics of special discussion include social engagement, collaboration, transdisciplinary practice and personal narrative.

APG-6620 through APG-6622

Studio Practice III

Summer semester: 2 credits per section

The core of the summer session is studio practice. The objective is to produce original advanced work with instruction and support from faculty and a robust roster of individual artists. Wednesdays will be dedicated to one-on-one conversations and studio visits with faculty, visiting artists, writers, curators and critics. Studio Practice is the central element and primary requirement of the program. Studios are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

APG-6640-A

Thesis: Presentation

Summer semester: 1 credit

MFA Art Practice students are required to produce a thesis project and a thesis document, and create an archive of each. The thesis represents the culmination of each student’s work in the program, and is a central requirement for the completion of the degree. During the final weeks of the program, each MFA candidate will show their work in a public exhibition. They will then defend their thesis, beginning with an oral presentation that describes their research, artwork and conclusions. Candidates will then respond to questions posed by the Thesis Committee. The exhibition and defense is a demonstration of each candidate’s professional competency and artistic mastery.

MFA Art Practice Curriculum