Please note that we are no longer accepting applications to this program; however, art video courses and study opportunities will continue to be offered in the Department of Film and Media Arts. Please contact VPA’s Office of Recruitment and Admissions to explore other programs.
The master of fine arts (M.F.A.) degree program in art video compresses inclusive media art design with art-making practice. We encourage exploration of the aesthetic possibilities of subject, genre, and media technologies from personal points of view.
Students work closely with faculty in developing structure and strategies for making art in video and related media, including mediated performance art, expanded narrative, radical documentary, multichannel and site-specific installation, and moving picture and sonically rich art for digital network intervention and life.
Our program is relatively unusual, as it focuses on video art, not on digital multimedia or communications. We have a history and tradition in this area. Students are treated like professional artists; they are expected to be critical thinkers and highly productive individuals, making and exhibiting their art while they are here and being role models for our undergraduates and community at large.
The program is supported by digital video and audio facilities, and we have a comprehensive, international collection of video art available for research and teaching. In addition, the city of Syracuse is home to the Everson Museum of Art, which established one of the first video art collections in the United States and today holds the largest video collection in the world.
The art video program at the M.F.A. level assumes candidates are highly motivated to produce challenging work and are capable of working in a tutorial environment. Financial awards are based on portfolio review, letters of recommendation, and previous experience. Teaching assistantships permit opportunities to establish classroom teaching experience. The production and post-production facilities are staffed by graduate students, affording opportunities to learn successful management of a multi-use, multi-format facilities.
Our graduates have typically continued in their field as video artists, multimedia designers, post-production specialists, independent producers, and faculty in other university video, film, and new media programs.
Student Work
Curriculum
The art video M.F.A. degree program requires 60 credits. Below are the general program requirements.
View full art video M.F.A curriculum.
Major studio: 24 credits
Studio electives: 12 credits
Art history or related academics: 12 credits
Free electives: 6 credits
Graduate seminar: 3 credits
Final presentation: 3 credits
Total Credits: 60
Length of Residency: 3 years