MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media Curriculum

Applicants accepted into the two-year program must meet specific artistic standards and academic prerequisites for graduate study. The focus of the two-year curriculum is a required Master Critique class in each semester. Other first-year requirements include: Studio Imaging I and II, and at least three other academic courses chosen out of three subject categories—historical perspectives, criticism and theory, studio and contemporary issues. Entry to the second year is based on successful completion of all first-year requirements and a portfolio review.Students in the two-year program will take Thesis Forms I in the fall of their Thesis (final) year, and focus on completing the thesis in the spring during Thesis Project, Thesis Forms II, and Thesis Project Presentation classes.

General Requirements

• Successful completion of 60 credits, including all required courses, administrative requirements and the thesis project and paper. Documentation of all thesis projects must be on file in the MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media Department to be eligible for degree conferral.
• A matriculation of two academic years. Students must complete their degree within four years, unless given an official extension by the provost. Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.3 (B+) and pass all end-of-year evaluations in order to remain in good academic standing.
• Entering students must have basic computer skills, a practical understanding of Mac OS and Adobe Creative Cloud. Summer workshops are available at SVA for students without this background. Prior to the beginning of classes, students must have read all required books on the reading list.

Professional Lecture Series

The Scheimpflug Lecture Series features artists, curators, critics, and creatives from the fields of the lens-based arts. A schedule of lectures and screenings will be announced at the start of each semester and attendance is mandatory for all students throughout their matriculation.

First-Year Degree Requirements (Two-Year Program)

PHG-5025 Studio: Related Media

PHG-5030-5032 Critique

PHG-5035-5037 Critique

PHG-5051-5056 Historical Perspectives

PHG-5073-5078 Criticism and Theory

PHG-5093-5096 Contemporary Issues

PHG-5402 Studio: Imaging I

Second-Year Degree Requirements (Two-Year Program)

PHG-6030 Master Critique

PHG-6050 Thesis Forms I

PHG-6055 Thesis Project Proposal

PHG-6070 Thesis Forms II

PHG-6200 Thesis Project

PHG-6210 Thesis Project: Presentation

The three-year curriculum is tailored particularly to those who have not concentrated on the lens arts during their undergraduate studies, those interested in pursuing a career change and international students who may need additional support adapting to a new educational environment. The first-year course of study allows each student to engage in coursework such as history, theory and criticism, as well as studio practice, which may not have been studied in undergraduate education. With the successful completion of the first year of the three-year program, students automatically continue on to the two-year MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media program. These students are given the time and exposure to develop as fully matured artists and practitioners, and many of our most renowned graduates have matriculated in this manner.

General Requirements

• Successful completion of 72 credits, including all required courses and administrative requirements. 
• A matriculation of three academic years. Students must complete their degree within six years, unless given an official extension by the provost.
• Successful completion of the thesis project and paper. Documentation of all thesis projects must be on file in the MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media Department to be eligible for degree conferral. 
• Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.3 (B+) and pass all end-of-year evaluations in order to remain in good academic standing. 
• Entering students must have basic computer skills, a practical understanding of Mac OS and Adobe Creative Cloud. Summer workshops are available at SVA for students without this background. Prior to the beginning of classes, students must have read all required books on the reading list.

Professional Lecture Series

The Scheimpflug Lecture Series features artists, curators, critics, and creatives from the fields of the lens-based arts. A schedule of lectures and screenings will be announced at the start of each semester and attendance is mandatory for all students throughout their matriculation.

First-Year Degree Requirements (Three-Year Program)

PHG-5010 Bases of Critique

PHG-5041 The Social History of Photography

PHG-5042 The Aesthetic History of Photography

PHG-5035-5037 Critique

PHG-5402 Studio: Imaging I

PHG-5406 Studio: Imaging II

PHG-5413 Studio: Lighting I—Fundamentals and Beyond

Second-Year Degree Requirements (Three-Year Program)

PHG-5025-A Studio: Related Media

PHG-5030-5032 Critique

PHG-5051-5056 Historical Perspectives

PHG-5073-5078 Criticism and Theory

PHG-5035-5037 Critique

PHG-5093-5096 Contemporary Issues

Third-Year Degree Requirements (Three-Year Program)

PHG-6030 Master Critique

PHG-6050 Thesis Forms I

PHG-6055 Thesis Project: Proposal

PHG-6070 Thesis Forms II

PHG-6200 Thesis Project

PHG-6210 Thesis Project: Presentation

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.

PHG-5010

Bases of Critique

Fall semester: 3 credits

This group critique provides a stimulus for creative exchange and a forum for students to focus their individual growth and activities during the first year. Guided by prominent figures in the visual arts, the structure and content of meetings is determined largely by student needs.

PHG-5025

Studio: Related Media

Fall or spring semester: 3 credits

This course will introduce students to a variety of tools and platforms at the forefront of lens-based imaging. The class will explore the following topics: 3D capture and printing, UV and vinyl printing, laser cutting and coding for artists. Students will be encouraged to explore and think critically about new imaging technologies. Hands-on technical assignments will be supplemented with critiques and discussion of technology and its relation to art practice.

PHG-5030 through PHG-5037

Critique

Fall and spring semesters: 3 credits per semester

Critique seminars are a focal point of any given semester. Guided by prominent figures in the visual arts, and assisted by their peers, students will concentrate on producing a coherent body of work that best reflects their individual talents and challenges the current boundaries of their media. The program is designed to expose students to divergent points of view.

PHG-5041

The Social History of Photography

Fall semester: 3 credits

Photography manifests a distinct desire to capture and represent the entire world. Through a thematic survey of photography from its invention to the mid-20th century, this course examines its early practitioners and uses of photography as it spreads from private to public spheres. The rapidity with which photography spread will be discussed in relation to nascent consumer culture, myriad applications in the sciences and industry, colonial expansion, and snapshots and candid imagery, among other topics.

PHG-5042

The Aesthetic History of Photography

Spring semester: 3 credits

This course examines the history of photography from the perspective of aesthetic theory and networks of crossovers with fine arts, particularly with respect to avant-garde painting of the 19th century and experimental art practices throughout the 20th century. We also consider the historiography of photography, with an eye toward revisionist texts that valorize women’s practices and colonial usages, as well as key exhibitions and collections that facilitate the canonization of photography as bona fide fine art. What criteria apply when photographs function or are designated as fine art? This and other questions that arise will point us to an exploration of present-day issues. 

PHG-5051

Historical Perspectives: Past Tense, Present Tense

Fall semester: 3 credits

An exploration of photography’s shifting relationship with several key topics that have played a central role in the history of the medium is the focus of this course. These topics will provide a lens with which we can explore our continued, and often complicated, engagement with the past. Issues to be addressed will include: photographic abstraction, the role of creative communities (e.g., Black Mountain College), the road as subject and metaphor, Africa as photographic subject and creator, the archive and modern consciousness and the artist as curator. In addition to readings and discussions, distinguished guests will help us to consider subjects from their professional perspectives.

PHG-5053

Historical Perspectives: Non-Western Practice

Fall semester: 3 credits

The significance of non-Western perspectives in the history of photography is the focus of this course. Beginning with an overview of Western history we will examine how the non-Western perspective is determined, and its contemporary status within the practice of photography. To this end, a range of discourses will be considered, including historical context, politics, and identity, as well as individual artists and their work.

PHG-5054

Historical Perspectives: Issues in the Moving Image—A History of Hybrids

Spring semester: 3 credits

“Cinema is truth 24 frames per second,” remarked Jean-Luc Godard, begging the question of whether truth is an attribute of fiction or documentary. Throughout his 45-years-thus-far career, Godard—more rigorously and prolifically than any other filmmaker—blurred the presumed boundaries between so-called “fiction,” documentary, ethnographic, pornographic, and avant-garde films. His work will be central to this course, as will the films of Andy Warhol. We’ll also look at work by Chris Marker, Orson Welles, Harun Farocki, Alan Clarke, Nick Broomfield, Jonas Mekas, Yvonne Rainer, Alain Resnais, Guy Debord, Werner Herzog, Jean-Pierre Gorin, Chantal Akerman, Robert Frank and Craig Baldwin. Weekly screenings and reading assignments will be required. A 1,000-word paper at mid-semester, and a longer paper at the end of the semester, will be required.

PHG-5073

Criticism and Theory: Critical Reading

Fall semester: 3 credits

This course will combine a format of reading and classroom discussions aimed at providing critical perspectives on the issues that inform the practice of contemporary art, photography, and other lens-based art around the world. Readings include texts by artists, writers, and theorists of the past three decades that bear upon the practice of art-making today. Students will be required to develop a framework from these readings that is relevant to their own objectives. Discussion will be based on interdisciplinary study, screenings, and exhibitions.

PHG-5074

Criticism and Theory: Aesthetics of The Machine

Spring semester: 3 credits

Though we tend only to think of ‘technology’ as relating to tools and advancements, the term is defined as a systematic practice or knowledge of an art. This clarification is the basis of this course, in which we will closely examine the range of possibilities that various technical tools afford creativity, as well as their often-overlooked limitations and impediments, to continuously shape and push how we perceive, experience and interpret the world around us through myriad outputs. This course will cover the major historical, theoretical, and practical issues of emerging technologies and artistic production that ultimately yield new aesthetics. We will consider the effects of mechanical reproduction, speed and immediacy; conditions of cliché; the influence of database organization and computational thinking; the character of immaterial objects; the promotion of fantasy, subversion, alterity, and so on. Weekly readings will frame our discussions and critical analyses; assignments will be open-ended, allowing for both creative and analytical works and writing that use and/or respond to the techniques and theories studied.

PHG-5078

Criticism and Theory: Global Issues and Strategies

Spring semester: 3 credits

The course is designed to examine changing currents in a world understood as complex, variant and global, with no specific path or set of standards for the creation of images. We will identify themes, issues and artists from global and comparative perspectives. The issues may derive from art, art history and sources such as cultural and commercial practices, geopolitics, topical events and current intellectual trends. The purpose is to explore contemporary issues, images, contexts and challenges in relation to image-making in any media. Readings will be discussed for context, and to broaden personal orientations and strategies. Students will help select topics and direct reading sessions, and will produce a paper (print, hypertext, or image essay) that explores a theme relevant to their own interests and uses strategies different from their previous orientation to image production.

PHG-5093

Contemporary Issues: Video Culture

Spring semester: 3 credits

This course will immerse students in the modalities of video practice that have shaped currents in our contemporary cultures. This includes video’s dominant role in documentary and public dialogue, its antecedents in film histories, and its emergence as an art/installation and multimedia performance medium. Drawing on screenings of video works and on artists’ writings, we will examine the many issues surrounding the act of contemporary video-making. Questions to be raised include: Why make video? What is at stake in a particular video? Why make it this way? Where is it made to be shown? Where will it, in fact, be shown? What are the expectations of the audience and what then is the strategy of the maker?

PHG-5094

Contemporary Issues: Right Here, Right Now

Spring semester: 3 credits

This course offers a forum to research, debate and unravel some of the pressing issues that affect contemporary photographers. Each week, we will concentrate on a question or a theme that is crucial to contemporary practitioners. Subjects include: does size matter?; contemporary print aesthetics; the return of black-and-white; the new color: where has editorial gone?; the power of the edit; roles of nostalgia in a digital era. Through lectures and readings, we will connect contemporary photography with historical precedents, and through discussions explore these connections to each student’s photographic practice.

PHG-5096

Contemporary Issues: Past and Future Looking

Spring semester: 3 credits

Marshall McLuhan proposed that the true subject of any medium are the mediums preceding it. More recently, software and the shift to digital have profoundly shaped how we understand the lens-based arts as a medium and what it can do. This course will chart the evolving nature of this art form with an emphasis on contemporary work in computational photography, 3D-CGI, and other new imaging techniques. Our discussions will draw from artists and thinkers as diverse as Cory Arcangel, Paul Chan, Jeff Desom, Mary Ann Doane, Harun Farocki, Ryoji Ikeda, Friedrich Kittler, Takashi Makino, Lev Manovich, Christian Marclay, James Nares, Trevor Paglen, Deb Roy, Thomas Ruff, Joachim Sauter and Dirk Lüsebrink, Jennifer Steinkamp, Hito Steyerl, Jordan Wolfson, Xu Yong and The Yes Men. Additionally, computational workflows will be discussed, demonstrated and workshopped using iPhone apps and Adobe Creative Cloud. There will be short-form studio projects incorporated into the class that will explore a range of representative computational workflows. This low difficulty research will approach emerging optical tech as an art-making activity.

AHG-5302

History of Video Art: 1965 to 1985

Fall semester: 3 credits

What is referred to as “video art” has become a ubiquitous feature of 21st-century art practice, yet it is an art form whose emergence is still a relatively fresh aspect of contemporary art history. This course will explore the origins of video art, examining its sources in film, photography and performance art. Through screenings of key works; discussion with artists, critics and curators, and in directed readings, students will be exposed to important works and individuals associated with the first two decades of video. Special attention will be paid to an understanding of the cultural and social context that supported the emergence of video art. We will focus upon the evolution of video art from both a technological perspective as well as the development of a video’s critical and institutional framework. Artists whose works will be viewed and discussed include Nam June Paik, Wolf Vostell, Bruce Nauman, Yoko Ono, Peter Campus, Vito Acconci, Frank Gillette, Juan Downey, Joan Jonas, Chris Burden, Lynda Benglis, Ira Schneider, Andy Mann, Martha Rosler, Allan Sekula, Shigeko Kubota, Bill Viola, Gary Hill, Mary Lucier, Woody and Steina Vasulka, Ilene Segalove, William Wegman, Tony Oursler, Antoni Muntadas, Keith Sonnier, Bruce and Norman Yonemoto, Dara Birnbaum, Ant Farm, Videofreex, TVTV, Marcel Odenbach, Dan Graham, Doug Hall, Richard Serra, Howard Fried, Terry Fox, Paul Kos, Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley and Ernie Kovacs.

AHG-5303

History of Video Art: 1985 to Present

Spring semester: 3 credits

As video art became more widely accepted and the tools became increasingly affordable and available, the medium quickly emerged as a primary site for the global dialogue that characterizes contemporary art practice. Among the topics to be addressed in this screening, lecture and discussion course will be the emergence of Asian, Latin American and European Video Art, the continued development of sculptural video installation work and the emergence of the market for video art. The blurring of the lines among video art, digital art forms, digital cinema and art made for the Internet will also be addressed. Artists whose works will be viewed and discussed include Nam June Paik, Wolf Vostell, Bruce Nauman, Yoko Ono, Peter Campus, Vito Acconci, Frank Gillette, Juan Downey, Joan Jonas, Chris Burden, Lynda Benglis, Ira Schneider, Andy Mann, Martha Rosler, Allan Sekula, Shigeko Kubota, Bill Viola, Gary Hill, Mary Lucier, Woody and Steina Vasulka, Ilene Segalove, William Wegman, Tony Oursler, Antoni Muntadas, Keith Sonnier, Bruce and Norman Yonemoto, Dara Birnbaum, Ant Farm, Videofreex, TVTV, Marcel Odenbach, Dan Graham, Doug Hall, Richard Serra, Terry Fox, Howard Fried, Paul Kos, Paul McCarthy, Mike Kelley and Ernie Kovacs.

PHG-5402

Studio: Imaging I

Fall semester: 3 credits

This course offers a broad overview of still and moving image-editing software from Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve. In addition to software, the course will also cover equipment that includes the use of flatbed and film scanners, monitors and displays, and audio equipment. The enhancement of images for various output options, color management, basic video, and audio editing and recording will all be addressed. Emphasis will be placed on refining and maximizing existing workflow techniques to create a body of work that is well-executed from concept to presentation.

PHG-5406

Studio: Imaging II

Spring semester: 3 credits

A continuation of Studio Imaging I, this course will explore more advanced still and motion graphics techniques. It will focus on the use of Adobe Photoshop and After Effects to refine and manipulate still and moving images, and will also cover topics such as color grading and color theory. Through a variety of technical and creative assignments, this course will help students refine their skills and offer new creative potentials to their existing practice.

PHG-5413

Studio: Lighting I—Fundamentals and Beyond

Fall semester: 3 credits

This course is an opportunity for students to acquire a systematic understanding of principles and methods to design and manipulate lighting in the image-making processes. The course begins with an exploration of the physics of light in order to explain its behavior. Sessions and assignments will introduce and discuss a variety of tools and approaches, as well as related historical and artistic examples. Collaborative teamwork, utilization of lighting equipment and digital photographic studio workflow are required and practiced throughout the course. A solid understanding of the principles covered, coupled with hands-on experience, will enable students to effectively shape the visual look of their work.

PHG-5414

Studio: Lighting II—Exploring Styles

Spring semester: 3 credits

The goal of this advanced lighting course is to help students develop personal styles by challenging them with assignments to analyze, envision, plan and problem-solve a variety of lighting-related situations. Both the instructor and student will bring sample images to deconstruct and emulate in class. These case-specific scenarios will be used to explore advanced lighting techniques in the studio and on location. To follow the fast pace of this course, students need to have knowledge and experience of basic lighting techniques and equipment.

PHG-5416

Studio: Photo Books—Past, Present and Future

Fall semester: 3 credits

This studio course will provide a comprehensive understanding of the design and content creation for art books, photography books, artist books, and other art-related publication projects. Our focus will be on book design, production and publishing: categorization, subject matter and content creation, editorial direction and creative direction of publication projects, prepress and print production, author/scholar/curator collaborations, publisher relations and distribution channels. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the many contexts in which photography and art publications are produced, as well as the ability to develop interests into artistic research to explore the broad range of possibilities for one’s own work in the realm of publishing projects. Coursework will include guest presentations and relevant site visits. 

PHG-5610 / PHG-5615

Studio: Video Projects I and II

Fall and spring semesters: 3 credits per semester

Designed for students with a variety of backgrounds in the moving image, this workshop-based course prioritizes video production and postproduction. Combining craft and critique, it emphasizes the camera, sound, lighting and editing skills necessary to create well-produced and conceptually interesting projects. Students are expected to be active participants in the class, as their work will be screened and critiqued on a regular basis throughout the semester. In the fall semester, editing, lighting and sequencing will be focal points. The spring semester will emphasize advanced workflows, equipment and techniques through practical demonstrations, exercises and assignments.

PHG-5618

Video and Film Installation

Fall semester: 3 credits

This project-based course explores the conceptualization and production of film and video installations. It will examine ways in which video installation exceeds dominant forms of movie consumption, such as screening environments, multichannel and projection mapping. These topics will be examined through a range of moving image works: artists’ films, cinema, television, documentaries, animations and the Internet. The course will include student presentations, lectures with screenings, workshops and field trips. Each student will be guided through the different stages of production. Workshops for specialized equipment will be offered, including operating and editing RED camera; green screen; sound recorders; media players; monitors, digital and film projectors.

PHG-6030

Master Critique

Fall semester: 6 credits

Group critique seminars are the focal point of student activity in any given semester. Assisted by their peers, and guided by prominent figures in the visual arts, students will concentrate on producing a coherent body of work that best reflects their individual talents and challenges the current boundaries of their media. 

PHG-6050

Thesis Forms I

Fall semester: 3 credits

This course is required as a preparation for the second-year thesis. Students will finalize the central ideas for their thesis projects, and consider appropriate strategies for the form, presentation and distribution of these ideas. In a highly practical way, the course considers the history and features of various visual solutions available to photographic artists, depending on their audiences and goals. Books, exhibitions, installations and interactive presentations—the course helps students identify the questions each form raises, and work through them to find appropriate answers for their own projects.

PHG-6055

Thesis: Proposal

Fall semester: 3 credits

A thesis proposal is a short, written document that outlines the aim and motivating questions behind a student's thesis project. It also includes a research list, a bibliography and visual documentation of work to date. The proposal is reviewed by staff and faculty and must be approved prior to the spring semester of the thesis year. 

PHG-6070

Thesis Forms II

Spring semester: 3 credits

A continuation of PHG-6050, Thesis Forms I, this course will provide instruction and critique, enabling students to complete their written thesis proposal and accompanying work.

PHG-6200

Thesis Project

Spring semester: 6 credits

The thesis project represents a unique and original vision that furthers an understanding of creative visual expression. It is the culmination of the student’s matriculation, suitable for public viewing, accompanied by written documentation that explains the historical precedents, evolution and generation of the project. Each student works in an integrated set of relationships with the Thesis Forms instructor, fourth-semester critique class and an outside advisor chosen from the community at large.

PHG-6210

Thesis Project: Presentation

Spring semester: 3 credits

The culmination of the thesis year and the final stage of a student’s matriculation is the formal presentation of the thesis project to a panel of faculty members. In addition to successfully passing the oral presentation, each student must submit all required written and visual documentation for the thesis project. The department chair will review all evaluations from the panel, the thesis advisor and thesis faculty. The successful completion of all components of the thesis is required for degree conferral. This course will help students move their work out of the classroom and into the world by addressing issues such as documenting your work, applying for grants and residencies, writing artist proposals, and more.

PHG-6211

Thesis Extension

One semester: 3 credits

This course is designed for students whose thesis projects have not met the unanimous approval of the Thesis Committee, or who need an additional semester to complete their projects. Students will have full access to all facilities, participate in an appropriate critique class and continue to work with their thesis advisor.

PHG-6428

Studio: Moving Image—Postproduction Strategies

Fall semester: 3 credits

A fundamental issue of time-based works is structure: the temporal shape and flow of a work are major determinants of its impact and meaning. What principles determine a work’s shape-in-time, its temporal architecture? What binds image and sound components into a comprehensible unit? This course will examine, in detail, specific topics that emerge during the postproduction phase of a moving-image project. It will focus on the organization of materials and workflow strategies, as well as sound, color, special effects and installation issues. Students will use their current projects as material in a series of exercises and assignments addressing macro- and micro-movie structures, including sound-picture relationships, multichannel and installation architectures, and image manipulations and compositing. Student presentations will be balanced by examples drawn from movies, documentary, television, online sources and artists’ cinema works for the white cube, the black box and public space.