GUIDELINES

WRITTEN ELEMENTS FIRST YEAR MFA

Semester 1: Research paper

Length of Papers: Unless otherwise stated by your teacher, a range of 3000-6000 words (not including bibliography, footnotes, illustrations, etc.) is the range of pages it is expected you will produce to cover your topic in depth. To submit more or less you must have permission from your faculty in advance.

Annotated bibliography: It isn't expected that you will have completed all the readings when you submit your annotated bibliography in the fall semester. Make clear the books you haven't read and those you have. In the books you haven't read write something about why you think they may be important, what attracted you to them. Here is a link to additional guides and examples: http://www.transartinstitute.org/Guidelines_Annotated_bibliography.html

Outline: It should be approximately 10% of your paper or 300-600 words. A guide to an outline structure can be found here: http://www.transartinstitute.org/Students_files/Outline.pdf

Language: For students with English as a second language, research faculty have the option to require that the student engage a professional proofreader if they deem it necessary.

Semester 2: MFA thesis proposal

01 - Title of project

02 - Name of student and any collaborators and their roles

03 - Intended advisors for studio and for research element (first, second, third choices)

04 - Description of proposed project - practical element

05 - Description of proposed project - written element

06 - Project results, e.g. documentation, performance, script, intervention, website, exhibition, book, journal

07 - Brief description of research method

08 - Initial bibliography for written element

09 - Research question you pose?

10 - Intended audience

11 - Short statement on your current practice

12 - Formulate entire project in 2-3 meaningful sentences.