Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• CFA AR 806: Directed Studio 1
  Four semesters of Grad Print/Photo Studio are required for graduate students in the Print Media & Photography MFA program. These courses consist of independent research and practice that will culminate in the thesis exhibition in the spring of the student's final semester. Each of the studio courses emphasizes materials, process, experimentation, and development of a personal voice within the disciplines of printmaking and photography. Students will also participate in group as well as individual critiques, where work-in-progress will be considered and questioned. Through practice and discussion, students will gain an understanding of their work within a larger, historical and contemporary context and will be encouraged to articulate their point-of-view within their chosen medium of practice.
• CFA AR 807: PMP Directed Studio 2
  A formative critique focuses on purpose, technique, function, and expression. In this course students participate in weekly critique groups to develop rigor in their ability to see, describe, assess, understand, contextualize, and discuss their own work and the work of their peers. Students present work in progress and each student comes prepared to share all the research behind the work, material studies, experimentations and learned outcomes. The progression of critique courses establishes a pathway to the final thesis exhibition.
• CFA AR 808: PMP Directed Studio 3
  Prerequisites: CFA AR807. - Four semesters of Grad Print/Photo Studio are required for graduate students in the Print Media & Photography MFA program. These courses consist of independent research and practice that will culminate in the thesis exhibition in the spring of the student's final semester. Each of the studio courses emphasizes materials, process, experimentation, and development of a personal voice within the disciplines of printmaking and photography. Students will also participate in group as well as individual critiques, where work-in-progress will be considered and questioned. Through practice and discussion, students will gain an understanding of their work within a larger, historical and contemporary context and will be encouraged to articulate their point-of-view within their chosen medium of practice.
• CFA AR 809: PMP Directed Studio 4
  Prerequisites: CFAAR808. - Four semesters of Grad Print/Photo Studio are required for graduate students in the Print Media & Photography MFA program. These courses consist of independent research and practice that will culminate in the thesis exhibition in the spring of the student's final semester. Each of the studio courses emphasizes materials, process, experimentation, and development of a personal voice within the disciplines of printmaking and photography. Students will also participate in group as well as individual critiques, where work-in-progress will be considered and questioned. Through practice and discussion, students will gain an understanding of their work within a larger, historical and contemporary context and will be encouraged to articulate their point-of-view within their chosen medium of practice.
• CFA AR 810: Visual Narrative Concept Studio 1
  Throughout this course students will develop individual visual and written research projects using series and sequence as a framework. Students will compile research materials relating to their study and focus on the interpretation and translation of information, concepts, forms and symbols into a language of visual storytelling. Semester I of Concepts Studio will provide the basis for students to explore the narratives they are interested in telling. Through individual meetings with Graduate faculty, group discussions and group critiques, students will test their concepts and the forms they use to deploy them. The work created in this course will provide the foundation for the development of thesis projects in the second year.
• CFA AR 811: Visual Narrative Concept Studio 2
  A continuation of Concept Studio I with the expectation that students have identified content in relation to narratives that they are interested in telling. Semester II focuses on the exploration of forms that are appropriate to deploy these narratives. Through individual meetings with Graduate faculty, group discussions and group critiques, students will further test their concepts and the forms they use to deploy them. The work created in this course will provide the foundation for the development of thesis projects in the second year.
• CFA AR 812: Visual Narrative Concept Studio 3
  Concept Studio III emphasizes the development of the thesis project. Having established and identified content and form in Semesters I and II, students advance the work that will become their thesis in individual consultation with the graduate faculty, the community of graduate peers, as well as with a roster of visiting artists.
• CFA AR 813: Visual Narrative Thesis Studio
  The Thesis Studio emphasizes the final development and completion of the Visual Narrative thesis project to culminate in finalization and presentation at the end of the second year of graduate study. The thesis is comprised of original written and visual work that integrates drawing, narrative, sequence and theoretical and/or arts-based research.
• CFA AR 814: Visual Narrative Topics Seminar 1
  A first year reading and discussion seminar for MFA students, the topic of this course rotates each semester based on contemporary practice and theory as well as covering the work of artists in the field and the development of long-standing field-facing questions. This course encourages a content-based discussion of the readings, as well as critical analysis of the complex issues surrounding historical and current visual storytelling.
• CFA AR 815: Visual Narrative Topics Seminar 2
  A first year reading and discussion seminar for MFA students, the topic of this course rotates each semester based on contemporary practice and theory as well as covering the work of artists in the field and the development of long-standing field-facing questions. This course encourages a content-based discussion of the readings, as well as critical analysis of the complex issues surrounding historical and current visual storytelling.
• CFA AR 816: Visual Narrative Professional Development Seminar
  Throughout this course students will develop a portfolio and learn about professional practice and development in a range of related fields. The Professional Development Seminar helps students complete proposals for work in the fourth semester Visual Narrative Thesis Studio.
• CFA AR 817: Visual Narrative Thesis Seminar
  This course emphasizes the final development and completion of the thesis to be presented at the end of the second year of graduate study. The thesis is comprised of original written and visual work that integrates drawing, narrative, sequence and theoretical and/or arts-based research.
• CFA AR 821: Graduate Sculpture 1
  Concentration on the development of a personal mode of sculptural expression. Students will work on an individual body of work and research materials and their practical application.
• CFA AR 822: Graduate Sculpture 1
  A continuation of CFA AR821. Concentration on the development of a personal mode of sculptural expression. Students will work on an individual body of work and research materials and their practical application.
• CFA AR 823: Graduate Sculpture 2
  Further concentration on developing a personal direction in sculpture. Students will work to prepare an individual body of work in preparation for the thesis exhibition at the end of the year.
• CFA AR 824: Graduate Sculpture 2
  A continuation of CFA AR823. Further concentration on developing a personal direction in sculpture. Students will work to prepare an individual body of work in preparation for the thesis exhibition at the end of the year.
• CFA AR 834: Print Media & Photo Special Topics Seminar 1
  Semesters of Special Topics Seminar courses are required courses for graduate students in the Print Media & Photography MFA program. These courses will be taught on a rotating basis by graduate faculty in the School of Visual Arts. The topics will vary depending upon the faculty member's area of expertise, but will at all times be applicable to printmaking and photography history and practice. Relevant historical and contemporary readings, exhibitions, and artists will be discussed throughout all of the seminars and will be structured around a range of topics, including mechanical reproduction and perception. Students will be required to regularly participate in class discussions, oral/multimedia presentations, visits to area archives, museums, artists' studios and lectures.
• CFA AR 835: Print Media & Photo Special Topics Seminars 2
  Semesters of Special Topics Seminar courses are required courses for graduate students in the Print Media & Photography MFA program. These courses will be taught on a rotating basis by graduate faculty in the School of Visual Arts. The topics will vary depending upon the faculty member's area of expertise, but will at all times be applicable to printmaking and photography history and practice. Relevant historical and contemporary readings, exhibitions, and artists will be discussed throughout all of the seminars and will be structured around a range of topics, including mechanical reproduction and perception. Students will be required to regularly participate in class discussions, oral/multimedia presentations, visits to area archives, museums, artists' studios and lectures.
• CFA AR 836: Print Media & Photo Special Topics Seminars 3
  Semesters of Special Topics Seminar courses are required courses for graduate students in the Print Media & Photography MFA program. These courses will be taught on a rotating basis by graduate faculty in the School of Visual Arts. The topics will vary depending upon the faculty member's area of expertise, but will at all times be applicable to printmaking and photography history and practice. Relevant historical and contemporary readings, exhibitions, and artists will be discussed throughout all of the seminars and will be structured around a range of topics, including mechanical reproduction and perception. Students will be required to regularly participate in class discussions, oral/multimedia presentations, visits to area archives, museums, artists' studios and lectures.
• CFA AR 837: Print Media & Photo Thesis Seminar 2
  The Thesis seminar is taken in the final Spring semester and builds on the work in the previous Special Topics seminars. In the Thesis Seminar, work is dedicated to thesis preparation and writing.