Master of Fine Arts | Minneapolis College of Art and Design (2024)

8 Credits Per Semester

Mentorship is regarded as the core of the MCAD graduate curriculum. Students can expect to spend approximately one hour per week with their mentor (or equivalent). Each semester the student and mentor determine its content, which is summarized in a Learning Contract in context with the student Long-Range Learning Plan. Students work one-on-one with their mentor in the advancement of studio work, studio research, and professional practice. Mentor Credits coursework is structured to facilitate discussions and assess goals on a weekly basis. Credits may also include attending visiting artist/designer lectures, exhibitions and workshops, audited courses, seminars, and internship and externship opportunities.

Semester 1

In this five-week course offered at the start of the MFA program, students reflect on personal and situational context, privilege and difference, intentions versus results, and intended audiences for their creative practices. Students take field trips focused on different groups of people living in the Twin Cities who have influenced and shaped current cultural and social circ*mstances, potentially including Indigenous, Black, immigrant, and hyper-local/neighborhood-level perspectives. Artists, designers, curators, writers, or other cultural workers/thinkers are invited to help illuminate relationships to creative practice. The course establishes a framework for sustained commitment to antiracism in practice and community life by introducing related vocabulary and concepts.

Semester 1

The Graduate Critique Seminar provides all graduate students structured group critiques of their work and that of their peers. Students develop a methodology of critique and the ability to discuss work across disciplines. A rotation of guest artists, designers, and critics visit throughout the semester. The visitors present their own work and discuss their practice and then participate in student critiques. Each student has a minimum of two formal critiques each semester with options for additional critiques throughout the semester as time permits. The seminar includes contemporary readings and conversations about contemporary art, successful critiquing strategies, and methods for describing intent, content, meaning, and form of presented artwork.

Semester 1

This is one of two courses that exposes students to contemporary visual criticism and theory in art and design. This course brings together reading, discussion, writing, oral presentations, and at least three site-visits (museums, galleries, agencies, conventions, studios, etc.), to help students expand their art and design vocabulary. Students will practice verbally analyzing and articulating their practices in relationship to various histories and cultures. Via individual studio visits with the instructor early in the semester, this course becomes highly tailored to reflect the areas of foci of the enrolled students. Early in this course, students will examine concepts of privilege and difference in relationship to systems of power, both in and outside the art and design worlds. Also early in the course, students will be briefly introduced basic popular lenses for examining art and design work, including selected identity issues (race, gender, sexuality), iconography/semiotics, Marxism, and cultural studies/post-colonialism. Topics for the remainder of the course will be determined by the students’ practices, and the instructor will provide appropriate historical context as necessary.

Semester 2

The Graduate Critique Seminar provides all graduate students structured group critiques of their work and that of their peers. Students develop a methodology of critique and the ability to discuss work across disciplines. A rotation of guest artists, designers, and critics visit throughout the semester. The visitors present their own work and discuss their practice and then participate in student critiques. Each student has a minimum of two formal critiques each semester with options for additional critiques throughout the semester as time permits. The seminar includes contemporary readings and conversations about contemporary art, successful critiquing strategies, and methods for describing intent, content, meaning, and form of presented artwork.

Semester 2

This is the second of two courses that expose students to contemporary visual criticism and theory, along with corresponding historical context. Students gain exposure to artists, designers, systems, curators, critics, and visual/textual methods influencing current practices in art and design, building beyond content/topics covered in the first course. This course brings together reading, discussion, writing, oral presentations, and at least three site-visits (museums, galleries, agencies, conventions, studios, etc.), to help students expand their art and design vocabulary. Students will practice verbally analyzing and articulating their practices in relationship to various histories and cultures. Via individual studio visits with the instructor early in the semester, this course becomes highly tailored to reflect the areas of foci of the enrolled students. With instructor guidance and classmate feedback, students draw connections between their personal practice and course materials, honing the ability to narrate, analyze, and discuss the contexts of their work using new vocabulary. There is particular focus on preparing for the Mid-Program Review’s oral presentation, written statement of intent, and a list of research sources.

Semester 3

The Graduate Critique Seminar provides all graduate students structured group critiques of their work and that of their peers. Students develop a methodology of critique and the ability to discuss work across disciplines. A rotation of guest artists, designers, and critics visit throughout the semester. The visitors present their own work and discuss their practice and then participate in student critiques. Each student has a minimum of two formal critiques each semester with options for additional critiques throughout the semester as time permits. The seminar includes contemporary readings and conversations about contemporary art, successful critiquing strategies, and methods for describing intent, content, meaning, and form of presented artwork.

Semester 3

This course is designed to help students articulate the theoretical basis of their work in relation to acknowledged contemporary works and culture. Students research, outline, and write the first three-quarters of their thesis paper on the nature of their current practice. The semester concludes with public presentations based on the students’ work over the course of the semester.OutcomesInvestigate the theoretical basis of one’s own creative practice. Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize appropriate literary sources using online and library-based resources. Compose, edit, and revise written papers based on feedback. Present the results of thesis research in an oral presentation.

Semester 4

This course is designed to guide students through the process of final thesis development. Students will meet throughout the semester to ensure work is moving forward according to various requirements and deadlines. There will be a writing intensive component at the end of the semester to complete the required final quarter of the thesis paper. The instructor will submit the final grade for the paper as a part of this course. This course also guides students through the process of finalizing the thesis paper for submission to the college.OutcomesDemonstrate effective time-management, communication, and organizational skills through working with a thesis committee.Engage in reflective thinking and writing to formulate personal responses to experiences, situations, events, or new information.Follow instructions to prepare a final written thesis for submission to the college repository.

Semester 4

This capstone project is the completion of the student’s required studio work for the Thesis Exhibition under the guidance of a mentor in preparation for the final thesis review. The process is guided by graduate candidates in consultation with their mentor and the Thesis/Exhibition Review Committee.

Only offered Spring semester

This course addresses skills and knowledge useful for succeeding post-graduation. Students will further develop their communication skills in both written and oral forms. Via individual studio visits with the instructor early in the semester, this course becomes highly tailored to reflect the areas of foci of the enrolled students that builds upon their prior professional understanding gained through undergraduate study and/or previous professional experience. Topics can include goal setting and planning, informational interviews, job/internship searching/ applications, writing for professional opportunities and applications, the documenting and marketing of work, tax issues, and studio/business startup concerns. By the end of this course the students will be expected to produce a portfolio of documents or artifacts related to their professional goals.

Only offered Spring semester

This course introduces graduate students to general teaching pedagogy, course planning resources, as well as classroom and course management. It exposes students to teaching and learning theories as they develop skills in the higher education classroom. Students in this course will be assigned a teaching assistantship position simultaneous with this course. The cohort will reflect together on their weekly experiences in varied classrooms. The course will also introduce professional documents and strategies for teaching job applications and interviews.Read more aboutteacher training and support

Only offered Fall semester

This three-part course (three 5-week mini-courses for 1-credit each) is offered to MFA degree seeking students through MCAD Continuing Education. This course counts as one of your MFA electives, and allows our graduates to leave MCAD with not only their MFA degree, but also this focused certificate. Students will learn strategies to develop high quality online course design, how to help artists and designers facilitate the creative process remotely, and how to conduct critiques effectively online.

Please note that the prices listed on the Continuing Education page do not apply to MFA degree-seeking students as this course would be included in normal tuition. More course information can be found here.

• For-credit internships: typically 1 to 3 credits, set up with Career Development Office
• 1-credit electives offered in Spring semesters
• Online courses from the MA in Graphic and Web Design or the MA in Sustainable Design–please ask the MFA Director for access to their current registration guide to determine which classes are being offered in the upcoming semesters, and which courses do not have prerequisites.
  • Fall typically featuresMotion Design, andSystems Thinking, while spring often featuresTypography,UX,Web Development, andSustainable Design
• Study abroadoptions during the summer (optional, added cost)
• Transfer creditfrom other programs offering graduate study. For example,Ox-Bowoffers 2-week graduate courses (3 credits each) over winter break. These transfer credits are generally an extra cost, similar to counting study abroad as an elective (Ox-Bow offers some competitive scholarships).