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DEGREE QUESTIONS

Is the Transart Institute’s Master of Fine Arts program accredited?

The MFA in Creative Practice is validated through the School of Art and Media, University of Plymouth in the UK.

What is a Master of Fine Art degree?
"The M.F.A., unlike most master's degrees, is used as a guarantee of a high level of professional competence in the visual arts. It is also accepted as an indication that the recipient has reached the end of the formal aspects of his/her education in the making of art, that is to say, it is the terminal degree in visual arts education and thus equivalent to terminal degrees in other fields." (CAA) The Transart Institute meets the MFA Definitions and Standards adopted by CAA, the College Art Association.

Will I need to get my diploma evaluated since the program is accredited in Europe?

As this is a European degree, 95 percent of human resource departments will be fine with a copy of your diploma and/or transcripts. If you apply for teaching jobs in community colleges, notably in California and Florida, they will ask you for a credential evaluation which will cost you approximately $100. Alumni recommend the following agency which has Transart data on file: Educational Credential Evaluators, P.O. Box 514070, Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470, http://www.ece.org/

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

What if I don’t have an undergraduate degree?
It is possible to apply to the program without a first degree. Candidates for professional equivalency produce a comprehensive enhanced CV showing personal life/work experiences which are relevant to learning outcomes of specific courses/modules in Art, Design, Media and related fields. The CV should, where relevant include conferences attended or papers given, all study days attended and courses completed as well as teaching, promotion material (or other material) developed.

Is it possible to get advanced standing for courses taken at another university?

Up to two semesters of advanced standing can be granted for graduate work done at accredited institutions if courses relate to the Creative Practice MFA program, pending review of your transcripts. The University of Plymouth charges 25% of tuition costs per unit for accepted credits. It is not possible to receive graduate level credit for professional experience.

How detailed should my study plan be?

You will want to outline your studio plan, devoting one or two paragraphs to describing your project goals and make reference to possible research you think would support your project. You do not need to submit a full plan, in fact it should be open enough so that it can be influenced by your experiences in the first summer residency. You will continue to develop your project plans throughout the residency based on input from faculty and other students, submitting a final plan for approval by the end of the summer residency. Here are some examples of project plans submitted at the end of their first and second summer residencies. 

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What's the age range of your students?
The average age 2009 was 37. Most students are in their 30's and 40's, some in their 20's and a few are 50+. The program attracts a lot of mid-career artists and artists who are currently teaching at other university but there are many emerging artists and a few right out of undergraduate programs as well.

How good does my English need to be to participate in the program? 

The program runs in English. Your English must be good enough to read critical texts and have discussions and attend lecture on this level at the residency. Students can work with their mentors in any language they choose. Students can do their research and write their papers in any language their appointed faculty person speaks. Currently we have faculty in German, Italian, Spanish and possibly French. All administrative work including student evaluations and other paper work must be in English. If English is not their first language, students may be required to provide a TOEFL with a score (iBT) of 52 or better.

Can I start the program with the fall semester or winter residency?

Students can only begin the program at the summer residency. Project plans for the independent study semesters offsite are discussed and approved. We feel it is important for students and teachers to spend concentrated time together. Creative workshops, seminars and critiques have a lot of influence on the project plans students leave the residency with as well. Winter residencies are much shorter, focussed mainly on feed back about the prior semester's work and potential adjustments to the existing project plan.

Will getting my MFA from you help me to qualify for teaching at the college level in the U.S.?
Yes. If you've explored the job listings of the College Art Association and the Chronicle of Higher Education you'll find that an MFA is required almost without exception. It is a good idea to join these organizations and begin to study their ads so you can prepare yourself.

Are there artists in the program who also like to show in the white box aside from being outside of it?
Absolutely. There are many professional and mid-career artists and teachers in the program. More are interested in traditional venues than not. We do see an increased interest in non-traditional or non-corporate exhibition venues, partly due to a vital dialogue and exchange of ideas about audiences and intentions and the fact that there are several curators in the program who are also thinking about these issues in new ways. And many artists in the program are working in new genres or new combinations of genres where there isn’t an extensive presentation history i.e. animation, cyberart, digital and experimental media, gaming, robotics, virtual reality.

FINANCIAL QUESTIONS

How much is the program per year?

Current tuition can always be found here.

Is there some form of financial aid available?

Around one third of students receive scholarships from Transart Institute directly. Additional financial aid information can be found on the >> admissions and >> financial aid pages.

I am already approved for a FAFSA/Stafford Loan in the United States. May I use this loan for your school?

You will be a student at Plymouth University. Since you will be out of the country only for part of the academic year Title IV loans can not be applied. Plymouth University and Transart Institute are in the final round of making private student loans available through Sallie Mae International. 

PROGRAM QUESTIONS

How is this program different from other MFA programs?

Transart Institute is the only low-residency fine art program which is open to all media genres. and the program is a-disciplinary. Our students are generally working professionals with wider world experience than students from a serial undergraduate/graduate course of study. The low-residency approach, with intensive residencies, gives our students the opportunity for deeper academic experiences than within a traditional full residency context. A significant opportunity which arises with the intensive residency format is the possibility of inviting practicing artists, media specialists and theorists who would not be able to commit to a full residency program because of their careers. Other unique qualities of the program are that it is entirely individual. Each student creates his/her own educational experience through independent study, one-on-one with self-chosen faculty and mentors. Finally, students work in their own studios in their own environment. Traditional programs often necessitate working in temporary on-site studio spaces. Balancing work, family and jobs is one of the more difficult challenges artists face. If students can establish a good, solid artistic praxis with the support of the program in their own environment, chances are much greater the praxis will continue to flourish after the program.

Is this an interdisciplinary or new media program?
The MFA Creative Practice is an a-disciplinary program. The art work itself, the ideas, content, process and presentation are the focus of the program. Your choice of media is up to you. It should be the media that best expresses what you have to communicate. New media is an open term and is intended here to be inclusive of genres and media not traditionally considered “fine art” as well as analog work like photography or film that do not necessarily involve digital processes. It also implies an awareness of current media and media practices. Although one needs to have some interest in contemporary art, it isn’t necessary to work digitally to reach the goals of the program. The program attracts artists working in robotics and cyberspace as well as painters and choreographers.

I’m an artist, not an art historian or a writer, how much research work is involved in the program?

The main emphasis in the program is on studio art. Cultural studies, writing and research are undertaken to inform the studio project. In the first semester each year students read in preparation for their research and write an introduction to their paper. In the second semester students write a 10-15 page paper. There are no grades given. Faculty is assigned on the basis of the research topic in the first year. Students choose their advisors in the second year. You can expected to spend around 5 hours per week on reading, researching and writing these two papers. It depends on the student though and how much experience they have with research.

RESIDENCY ON SITE QUESTIONS

What is the summer residency?
Three weeks of intensive on-site work consisting of workshops, seminars, presentations, lectures, talks, exhibitions and performances as well as individual meetings with faculty, alumni and students. These residencies take place at beginning, middle and end of the program. Two semesters of off-site independent work occur between the summer residencies.

What is the winter residency?
Four days of intensive on-site work consisting of presentations and talks. Professional development workshops are available at some residencies. Each student installs work and brings documentation of work as applicable, presenting their projects and getting feedback on the work and the presentation. exhibitions and performances as well as individual meetings with faculty, alumni and students. These residencies take place between the fall and spring modules.

Do I need a visa to come?
Due to the low-residency nature of the program, if you do need a visa it can be a tourist visa. Transart Institute will write you a letter confirming your status as either an applicant or an accepted student if you need one.

Can I get a student visa for Germany or the US by becoming a Transart Institute MFA student?

This is not possibly due to the short duration of the residencies.

Do students bring their work physically or only virtually to the residency in Berlin?

Most students bring digital work or digital documentation, a few bring physical work for critiques in the first and second summer. For the third summer most will bring physical work for their graduate exhibition but it depends on the nature of the project and whether the student is documenting, performing or exhibiting the project. Presentation is determined in the project plan and finalized at the second winter residency where students try out their intended presentations in a New York gallery for presentation input.

SEMESTER OFF SITE QUESTIONS

Where will I do the library research necessary for the program?

Transart Institute offers access to hundreds of periodicals and subscriptions via online licensed databases as well as a wealth of library research opportunities and tools.

Does the advisor I choose to work with have to reside near me?

No, students choose their advisors based on academic compatibility, not geographic proximity. Communication is by telephone, e-mail, postal mail, and in-person meetings at residencies.

How do I find an advisors?

Students choose their own studio advisors. In the first year you choose from summer faculty and experienced Transart advisors. You can work with pre-approved from advisors outside of the program in your second year. Faculty, guest artists and lecturers are all good sources for suggestions. Transart has a pool of international advisors and can approve artists and curators outside of the program as long as they are qualified. You will have two critiques each semester with your studio advisor. As well, a growing list of available mentors and media specialists with their locations, bios, areas of interest and websites will be listed on our site this spring. It is possible to work with someone not in your geographic proximity as long as it is possible to meet in person, for the required studio visits.

For your research advisor in your first year you will be placed with Transart summer faculty and experienced Transart advisors. You can work with pre-approved advisors outside of the program in your second year. Faculty, guest artists and lecturers are all good sources for suggestions, you can also work with one of your summer seminar faculty. Your advisor will support your research efforts with input by email at three stages of the process.

What is a guidance committee?

Your guidance committee consists of your research and studio advisors. You will arrange to meet with them during the first week of each semester. These meetings support a vital connection between the studio and research components of your project and are available to meet with you during the semesters if issues or changes come up. Any member of the committee can call a meeting at anytime during the semesters if questions come up.

What if I can’t work 20 hours a week on my studio project?
Students need to work an average of 20 hours a week. As working professionals it is understood that the work will not necessarily be evenly distributed among the weeks. Each person must find their rhythm and process of working. 20 hours per week gives you an indication of the overall amount of work expected by faculty and mentors throughout the program.

With the distance, how is my progress evaluated?

Your studio and research advisors will send you and the institute evaluations of your project at the end of each module.