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Master of Interdisciplinary Studies
The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in interdisciplinary arts degree program enables off-campus students to earn a graduate degree by taking studio art courses offered off campus in a variety of locations. It is not the equivalent of a Master of Fine Arts degree but is an additional option for art teachers who are interested in studio art classes.
Admission
Degree requirements
Focus areas and electives
Final project
Questions
Admission
An admissions committee in the School of the Arts will review applications to the M.I.S. degree program. The committee will look for demonstrated strength in at least one discipline.
An applicant to the M.I.S. degree program should:
- Be a graduate of an accredited college or university or its equivalent.
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.8 (4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.
- Have a minimum of 36 undergraduate and/or graduate studio credits.
- Write a letter of intent articulating his or her interest in working in at least two disciplines in order to explore interdisciplinary potential in the arts.
- Present three letters of recommendation.
- Prepare a portfolio, with a minimum of 10 images (slides or CD), demonstrating excellence in at least one discipline, but preferably in more than one. Include the title, size, medium and date of each piece.
- Complete the VCU Application for Graduate School.
Many students prefer to take a course before deciding to apply to the M.I.S. degree program. Students who are interested in working toward a degree should apply to the program as soon as possible. The VCU Graduate School will accept, to count toward the degree, no more than six credits taken at VCU or elsewhere.
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Degree requirements
The M.I.S. degree requires the completion of 39 graduate semester credit hours in the following pattern:
- At least nine and no more than 15 credit hours in each of two focus areas.
- From three to 15 credit hours of art electives, either studio or art education, outside the two chosen focus areas.
- Six semester credit hours of an approved final project, resulting in a graduate exhibition and written documentation.
Focus areas and electives
Focus areas include, but are not limited to the following:
- Painting.
- Drawing.
- Printmaking.
- Crafts, including ceramics, paper, textiles, etc.
- Sculpture.
- Computers and the arts.
- Photography.
No more than 15 credits in any one discipline may be applied to the M.I.S. degree. A maximum of six credits taken at VCU or from another institution may be transferred; students with special circumstances may ask for a waiver of these rules.
Final project
The final project is the creation of a graduate exhibition, a public showing of work, and the writing of a final paper with visual documentation. Students who have earned 24 credit hours in the M.I.S. program should contact Sue Munro or their advisers to discuss the final project.
The graduate exhibition should represent the student’s creative, intellectual and technical mastery of the disciplines pursued during the M.I.S. program. The artist’s statement must be available at the exhibition. In addition, the artist should provide any autobiographical material or analysis of the work that might prove helpful to the viewer.
The final paper analyzes the works exhibited from conception through creation to completion. It demonstrates the interrelatedness of the pieces chosen around the unifying idea of the show and discusses the position of the body of work in the “bigger picture of art.” An adviser will work with each student in preparing the final paper and must approve the final version.
Guidelines for the M.I.S. in interdisciplinary arts [PDF]
Questions
For questions about the academic content of courses, the M.I.S degree, or administrative issues such as registration, payment and degree requirements, please contact:
Sue Munro
Virginia Commonwealth University
Off-campus Graduate Art Program
P.O. Box 843062
Richmond, Virginia 23284-3062
Phone: (804) 828-6931
Fax: (804) 828-2756
E-mail: sfmunro@vcu.edu