artcareerengine

M.F.A. andPh.D. Programs in the Arts

MODULE 18: MFA / Ph.D / Post-Doc

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Q. & A. Session.

Question: Why should an artist go to top rated school, attend a Ph.D program, or get a post-doc degree or certificate?

Answer:

Outside of getting a quality education and a receiving regular feedback from notable artists, fellow students and visting lectures, the best reason to go to a school with some degree of name recognition is that the cost of private school and public school is growing closer and closer. You aren't really saving a lot of money by going local or living at home in the long run.
Also, many of your friends and teachers from school will become life long supporters of your work and going to a respected program early on means that you're willing to spend time struggling with some of the most challenging ideas in the field of contemporary art. This will transform your work and how you think about your art practice for the better.
Going to a top rated school doesn't hurt your resume either, and further schooling shows a continuing commitment to learning which ultimately means that you're a thinking artist and a bit more dedicated to your art practice than the average person on the street.
Getting your MFA or Ph.D is particualrly important if you plan to go into teaching at the university level because the academic job market is highly competitive and anything that gives you an edge is huge bonus.

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PART 1: SELF EDUCATE ABOUT THE TOP RATED SCHOOLS AND TOP RATED DEPARTMENTS AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON QUIZ 18.

Knowing what schools you want to apply to next, who is on staff, when you can visit, what the application process and interview process consists of and how much money you are willing to spend on graduate school is key to making a successful choice. Research institutions thoroughly before applying so you don't waste time or money on the application process.

Question 1: What are the best ranked schools in your Major?

10 Most Influential MFA Programs in the World

http://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/art_market/top_mfa_programs-52172

USNEWS

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools

College Atlas

http://www.collegeatlas.org/fine-arts-college-rankings.html
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/university-subject-rankings/new-ranking-world’s-top-art-schools

USA Today

http://college.usatoday.com/2015/01/23/top-colleges-for-a-degree-in-fine-and-studio-arts/

Question 2: What are the best ranked schools in your meduim?

Make sure to search by Medium too, because a highly rated school may have a poorly rated department. You'll have to balance school rating against program rating to make an informed choice.

Best Painting and Drawing

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/painting-drawing-rankings

Best Photography

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/photography-rankings

Best Sculpture

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/sculpture-rankings

Best Ceramics Programs

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/ceramics-rankings

Best Printmaking Programs

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-fine-arts-schools/printmaking-rankings

New Media Art Programs

http://www.iupui.edu/~j21099/nmschools.html

Free Graduate Schools

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qWCmafgtAJ7376ojOBZhznks0vhn_gjdDiRhCIgzRww/edit#gid=0

Question 3: Is getting an MFA worth it?

Is getting an MFA worth the price?

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/mfa-degree-successful-artists-620891

MFA's: An increasingly popular, increasingly bad financial decision

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/12/mfas-an-increasingly-popular-increasingly-bad-financial-decision/383706/

27 Writers on Whether or not to get your MFA

http://flavorwire.com/476264/27-writers-on-whether-or-not-to-get-your-mfa

The price to pay: Artists weigh in on getting an MFA

https://creators.vice.com/en_us/article/the-price-to-pay-artists-weigh-in-on-getting-an-mfa

Is an MFA in visual arts worth the price tag?

http://www.bmoreart.com/2011/09/is-mfa-in-visual-arts-worth-price-tag.html

Why get an MFA?

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/books/review/why-get-an-mfa.html?_r=0

Should I get an MFA

http://artfcity.com/2011/10/17/should-i-get-an-mfa/

MFA is it worth it?

http://diannematich.com/2016/07/master-of-fine-arts-degree-is-it-worth-it/

The Value of an MFA

http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/business-of-art/value-of-mfa

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PART 2: PICK YOU TOP CHOICES FOR SCHOOLS AND INCLUDE THEM AS LINKS ON QUIZ 18.

You should have links to all of your favorite schools, especially the top ten that you want to apply to. Keeping an eye on the kind of work that comes out of the schools that you are most interested in is key, as well as making sure you're interested in who's teaching there, what the emphasis of the program is, and whether or not they offer minors in other degrees, such as art education degree, art therapy, etc. are important things to consider. Make sure to research, visit, and contact current students who are in the program to get their impression as well as trying to schedule a visit to campus with an admissions person or a teacher.

Best Graduate Schools (sub-category)

Art Center College of Design

http://www.artcenter.ed u/index.html

Art Institute of Chicago

http://www.artic.edu

Alfred University (Ceramics)

https://www.alfred.edu/college-of-ceramics/

Bard

http://www.bard.edu/mfa/

Cal Arts

https://www.calarts.edu

Carnegie Mellon University

http://www.cmu.edu/art/

Claremont Graduate University

http://www.cgu.edu/pages/1.asp

Columbia

http://www.columbia.edu

Cranbrook

http://cranbrookart.edu

Hunter

http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/art

Maryland Institue College of Fine Art

https://www.mica.edu

OTIS

http://www.otis.edu/discover

Pratt

http://www.pratt.edu

RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)

http://www.risd.edu

San Francisco Art Institute

http://www.sfai.edu

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

http://www.saic.edu

SVA (School of Visual Arts)

http://www.sva.edu

Standford

https://art.stanford.edu/academics/graduate-programs/mfa-art-practice

Syracuse

http://vpa.syr.edu

Tufts (School of the Museum of Fine Arts)

http://www.smfa.edu/graduate

UC Berkeley

http://art.berkeley.edu/programs/

UC Davis

http://artstudio.ucdavis.edu

UCLA

http://www.art.ucla.edu

UCSD

http://visarts.ucsd.edu

USC (Roski School of Art and Design)

https://roski.usc.edu

Virginia Commonwealth

http://www.vcu.edu

Yale

http://art.yale.edu

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PART 3: SELF EDUCATE ABOUT THE ART Ph.D.

The Art Ph.D is still a new idea but it has been steadily gaining ground for over a decade and now there are thousands of programs around the world instead of just a few hundred. Like the M.F.A. you are going to want to research the program rating, who is on staff, what the cost and commitment of time is, and what kind of program it is. Many fine art Ph.D's are part dissertation, part art project, or some mix of art production and directed study. You should research your program thoroughly, visit the campus, contact students in the program and ask as many questions as possible before applying.

Question 4: What are the best ranked school to get a Ph.D. in your major?
http://www.gradschools.com/doctorate/fine-art
http://www.phdportal.com/disciplines/68/visual-arts.html
http://www.jameselkins.com/yy/2-list-of-phd-programs-around-the-world/

Question 5: Is getting a Ph.D in your field worth it?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-grant/mfa-degrees_b_868903.html
http://www.collegeart.org/features/reluctantdoctorate

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PART 4: PICK A Ph.D. PROGRAM YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND AND PUT THE LINK ON QUIZ 18.

You should know the top Ph.D. programs you might like to attend in the future and always keep an eye on the development of the work that comes out of those programs, who is on staff and how they are rated in the world. You should also consider the cost, location and whether the program is a good fit for evolving your art practice.

ART P.H.D.'s

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

https://www.akbild.ac.at/Portal/akbild_startpage

Chelsea College of the Arts

http://www.arts.ac.uk/chelsea/

European Graduate School, Switzerland

http://www.egs.edu

Goldsmiths, London

http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/mphil-phd-art/

Royal Academy at the Hague

http://www.phdarts.eu

School of Art, Australia National University

http://soa.anu.edu.au

Slade School of Fine Art, London

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade

The Mountain School of Arts, Los Angeles

http://www.themountainschoolofarts.org

The National College of Art and Design, Ireland

http://www.ncad.ie

Trans Art Institute

http://www.transartadmissions.org

UCSD, San Diego

http://visarts.ucsd.edu/p-overview

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PART 5: PICK A POST-DOC EDUCATION CERTIFICATE OR PROGRAM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED WITH IN THE FUTURE AND LIST IT ON QUIZ 18.

There are many post-doc certificates in every field of art from technical certificates to certificates in further education. Updating your resume with post-doc work is less costly than going back to school and offers you a chance to update your resume by demonstrating both a continuing commitment to your field of study and ultimately, your future employers.

Question 6: How do you find a post-doc job?

https://careers.insidehighered.com/jobs/arts-and-humanities/postdoc/

https://www.h-net.org/jobs/job_search.php?position_id=77

https://www.findapostdoc.com

Question 7: What are tips for gettting post-doc work?

https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/feb/01/applying-for-a-postdoc-job-here-are-18-tips-for-a-successful-application

Question 8: What are some grants for Post-doc Jobs?

http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/fund/hpostdoc.html

PART 2: MAKE A LIST OF POST DOC PROGRAMS YOU WANT TO ATTEND IN THE FUTURE AND LIST THEM ON OUIZ 16.

POST-DOC WORK

Columbia

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/arthistory/news/mary-griggs-burke-center-post-doc.html

McGill Postdoctorial Fellowship

https://www.mcgill.ca/arts/research/postdocs

University of Pittsburgh

http://www.as.pitt.edu/postdoctoral-fellowship-program

Post Doc in Art History

https://tyler.temple.edu/postdoctoral-fellowships | Art History |

Post Doc in Canada

https://www.ualberta.ca/arts/research/postdoctoral-fellows-and-fellowships

Global Center for Advanced Studies

https://globalcenterforadvancedstudies.org | Theory |

MASS ART

http://inside.massart.edu/Administration/Academic_Affairs/Graduate_Programs/MFA_Fine_Arts_Low-Residency_Boston.html | Low intensity residency

Node Institute

http://www.nodecenter.org | Curatorial studies |

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