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Abstract
This design research and thesis project explores true costs and benefits of receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree, and aims to inform the reader about the ins and outs of applying to these programs.
Through my primary and secondary research, I’ve attempted to determine if an MFA is really the most effective way for a designer to learn their craft, diving deeper into the pros and cons of pursuing such a degree.
I went into this research engagement hoping to come out on the other end able to make a definitive blanket statement about how every student can benefit from going the extra mile to obtain a graduate degree.
Some believe that MFA programs simply support the university industrial complex and empty the pockets of creatives, while others report that it was the most valuable experience of their academic career. I was also interested in researching the process by which design students pick a graduate program, and what motivates them to pursue the higher degree (if not teaching).
With this information, I have developed a succinct tool to help users decide if it would be an academically rewarding, financially responsible decision.
Overview
In two weeks, I will graduate with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Communications Design, and a minor in Studio Arts. For as long as I can remember, I have checked boxes, jumped through academic hoops, and “gone through the motions” of American primary, secondary and, then higher education. Now I have reached a crossroads.
I believe that if not for the global Coronavirus pandemic of 2019 and the vast amount of time I have had to contemplate the meaning and worth of higher education, I may not have reached the epiphany that I assume a great number of undergraduates reach towards the end of their degree– I don’t really know what I am doing anymore, or what I would like to do next.
When I first embarked on this investigation, I was hoping to be able to make a sweeping generalization, declaring that it is either worth it, or not worth it for a creative to pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts degree. For many creative fields, the MFA degree is considered a terminal degree, ie. the highest degree you can obtain in that area. It is required if you wish to become a professor, but outside of teaching it is generally not necessary for professional practice in these fields.
After completing this research engagement, I see now that no such generalization should be made. Every student is unique, and not everyone can benefit from a Master’s program. That being said, there are many important factors to take into consideration when a creative decides to further their education with an MFA degree.
First of all, the best thing you can do is to know yourself. You should not be going into a program that you are not one hundred percent invested in. This is a problem for many of us, dare I say the vast majority, who may not be entirely sure what they want to do yet or who they would ultimately like to become.
Before I settled on this thesis topic, I was planning on writing a thesis that would compare the German and American higher education systems, hoping to condemn the latter. I had just returned to CSU Chico after a magical year abroad studying at a technical media university in Stuttgart. I had such an eye-opening, focused experience in Germany compared with my multidisciplinary and somewhat superficial experience at CSU Chico in my first semesters, that I was a bit disappointed.
There are two things to note here– first the program in Germany lacked a liberal arts component, which the CSU system strives for. Second, this university was far more focused on preparing students for their vocational futures, instilling them with technical hard skills (rather than soft skills) that would prepare them for their immediate careers… Germany’s whole approach to education is fundamentally different from ours because of that. All the way up until Gymnasium (German equivalent of American secondary school), students are encouraged and assisted in finding what they are best at, enjoy the most, and are most suited for, and then they are grouped into continuing education accordingly.
In contrast, the American system is less interested in finding out what you’re good at. It’s more of an “are you stupid” system, intended to weed out those incapable of higher education and more tedious vocational career paths. Once you’ve jumped through the hoops, filled in the bubbles, and passed your standardized tests, this system provides little in the way of helping you find your strengths and passions. Much less, guides you towards which degrees and certificates you should pursue. Our education system evolved rapidly after World War II, and hasn’t changed drastically since, despite the quickly advancing world around it.
The aim of this research is to help recent or future creatives who have finished their undergraduate studies decide whether they should pursue a Master of Fine Arts.
In addition, I had set out to answer some more elemental questions about the arts, and American higher education. Does graduate school actually make us better artists, thinkers, writers, or creatives?
Do MFA programs simply feed the multi-billion dollar university industrial complex? Is the nature of an MFA degree in essence a Ponzi Scheme? Why do some people seek out this degree, when it is not necessary for professional practice? Is getting a masters of fine art degree worth it? Do the benefits outweigh the hefty price tag and time commitment?
Background
What is an MFA program?
The Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Board of Directors developed a set of guidelines for The Master of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design in 1977 to illustrate some of the most important objectives of the degree and set a standard of practice. These guidelines can be easily extended to an MFA in dance, writing, or any other degree.
The Masters of Fine Arts degree differs from the Master of Arts in that the Master of Fine Arts is focused more on professional artistic practice in a very specific area, whereas Master of Arts programs (generally contrasted with Masters of Science degrees) are said to center on scholarly, academic and critical studies of the field of study.
The MFA is widely recognized as a terminal degree, meaning that it is the highest level of education and study that one can complete in the field, and the MFA qualifies it’s recipient to join academia as a professor at a university level in these studies. Most MA degrees are non-terminal and only one year, while the MFA is generally 2 or 3 years. A Doctor of Fine Arts is a doctoral degree which may be given as an honorary degree in the US, or earned as a professional degree in some countries (such as the UK). A Doctorate of Fine arts is comparable to a PhD, and the recipient of such an honor has usually made a significant contribution to their society in the arts. This is a very rare degree.
Graduate programs are different from undergraduate programs in several ways. You can expect them to be far more rigorous, self-directed, and specialized. They explore a specific area of interest, and the programs are typically much smaller than undergraduate programs. Some programs boast a more multidisciplinary approach, allowing you to take electives outside of your area of study, but generally you won’t have much time for extra classes.
Is it hard to get into an MFA program?
Difficulty is variable when it comes to applying for an MFA program. Generally programs are quite specific, and you should have a clear idea of exactly what you wish to study when you are applying in order to avoid wasting your time and money.
As with most academic programs, it is best to start your application process early. Asking lots of questions, reading about what each program has to offer you, and consulting the faculty or a mentor is highly recommended. If your application is not accepted, it is advisable to reach out for feedback about why, so you may improve your chances at being accepted by the next one.
Both Yale Professor, American author and literary critic, Dr. William Deresiewicz, and Yale alumni and Professor at Chico State, Barbara Sudick, advise strongly against applying to private, for-profit art universities like the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, or the School of Visual Arts in New York. While these programs may consistently have the highest acceptance rates, the quality of education they offer, student satisfaction, tuition rates, and how likely you are to find a well-paying job after graduation varies drastically.
Applying to Graduate School
Graduate programs typically require a 3.0 grade point average on the applicant’s undergraduate transcript. At many universities, applicants are also required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), a standardized test administered by the Educational Testing Service that tests your proficiency in a range of subjects (mathematics, literature, humanities, etc.).
In addition to GPA and the GRE score, applicants in creative fields are expected to prepare a portfolio and have several recommendations ready, as well as a personal statement. When I interviewed Stacie Rohrbach, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Design, she mentioned that for their programs, two years of professional design practice post-undergrad is required for acceptance.
If all other requirements are met, you will likely have a personal interview with a graduate admissions coordinator. There, you should be ready to express your goals and curiosities, and explain how you believe that specific graduate program will help you achieve your aforementioned goals, and satiate your curiosities.
Project Statement
If you are considering an MFA program in design, you are probably interested in going into teaching at the university level, or have an aggressive zeal for academia. These are both good things, and in order to teach, an MFA is the only ticket. However, you may not be set in stone about going to grad school– you’ve heard it’s really hard, you’ve heard its really expensive, and you probably just spent the last 15 years in school already… So why do more?
The problem that this research engagement attempts to remedy is the lack of understanding about MFA programs, ie., the hidden pros and cons. This design project attempts to distill the kinds of questions one should contemplate before applying to MFA into one user-friendly tool.
Target Audience
My target audience is specifically focused around students who are fresh out of their undergraduate program, contemplating applying for their Masters of Fine Arts degree.
However, my findings are relevant to any creative within the humanities, fine arts and design realm considering a terminal degree program.
Usability Testing
Due to the pandemic, I was only able to conduct usability testing with two subjects. Sonya Gaysinskiy and Jenna Lateano followed through my post-it prototype and offered feedback and pointed out pain-points.
I created my blueprint with paper and twine so that I would be able to move and rearrange the questions and structure of the prototype quickly, as I received feedback. I would later apply the critique and integrate additional advice into an interactive, clickable mobile mockup in Adobe XD.
Design Solutions
The final product of this design project is an interactive application, available for use on my portfolio website.
It leads the user through a choose-your-own-adventure style flow chart, organizing a vast succession of queries into a succinct journey that ends in a recommendation of what action the individual user might consider taking next in regards to his or her academic or vocational future.
https://xd.adobe.com/view/c4a0fbed-e7bd-406c-ade2-a544779080d2-91f3/?fullscreen
Challenges
The biggest challenge I faced was taking on such a large-scale project alone, during a pandemic. Design lends itself to collaboration, feedback, and iterative practices that I think are best completed when designers work together. Gathering data, conducting interviews, usability testing and getting feedback was tedious to complete remotely. Managing my time and deciding what kinds of design research to conduct was arduous. Ultimately I think I learned a lot about myself and how to best maximize my productivity through this process.
Learnings
Overall, I’ve discovered no “one size fits all” answer when it comes to whether or not anyone should get a Master of Fine Arts degree.
If you are interested in research or looking to immerse yourself in topics you find scintillating, an MFA is a great option. If you’re interested in more than a traditional role as a writer, designer, or artist, and are looking to expand your horizons, an MA, MFA or MDes may be beneficial. If you know what area of your field you wish to pursue, or wish to retrain for a new career (say you got your undergraduate degree in English, but would like to dive into service design) it is definitely worth it to look into all of your options.
But first– take time off. Work in the field, outside of academia. Perhaps many fields. It’s all very case by case, and you must know yourself first and foremost.
I enjoyed this research experience, and found the personal takeaways from this research engagement to be extremely rewarding. I am far more comfortable with not knowing exactly who I am, or what I want to do for the rest of my career yet, because that is all part of the process.
Programs Used
Adobe
Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator, Indesign, Photoshop, Lightroom Classic
Chrome, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Forms, Slides
Other
Slack, Signal, Zoom.us, Lucid.app, Meriam Library Database, Otter.ai, Linkedin Learning
Credits
Anne Chamberlain
Author, Researcher, Designer, Photographer
Professor Barbara Sudick
Thesis Advisor & Design Professor
Professor Heather Altfeld
Honors Thesis Professor
Motivational Team
Claudia Chamberlain, Jenna Lateano, Ben Lewis, Dylan Sanders