SVA's MFA Photography, Video and Related Media curriculum breaks with the conventional approaches to teaching photography

Location:

New York City, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Film & Television

Program Overview

Program Description:

The MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Department is the premiere program for the study of Lens and Screen Arts. For over 24 years, this fine art program has produced remarkable graduates who have flourished as exhibiting artists, journalists and commercial artists, as well as curators, scholars and teachers. Noted as a top-tier program in U.S. News & World Report, our educational goals attract fine art students with diverse backgrounds from all corners of the world. The camera is a universal matrix for documenting, exploring and interpreting the ever-changing world around us. From the traditional practices of both still photography and video to the virtual realm of the circuit, we offer students the opportunity to pursue their specific interests. We then provide the intense critique and historical context necessary to foster the exploration of new methods in these genres. The department’s celebrated faculty actively engages students in contemporary and responsible creative initiatives, including experimental, narrative or documentary video, installation and conceptual art, tableau and real-world-witness photography. This program has pioneered digital imagery education since its inception in 1988. We look to the future and push our students to challenge the old aesthetics. Our students are encouraged to rethink their own assumptions and engage an enlightened audience, not only visually, but also contextually; critical and theoretical discourse is all part of the mix. Foremost, we want to challenge students to define their work by bearing witness, giving testament and observing the creative and social concerns of our times. We provide the critical thinking necessary for students to expand their ideas and make notable contributions to the larger visual arts culture. Our expansive curriculum is tailored to each individual student to allow for the appropriate understanding of technology, history, criticism and professional practices in this competitive field. Graduate students are allowed to choose from a number of tracks that best suit their previous experience and future goals. We also offer a three-year program for exceptional non-fine-arts baccalaureates who want to change course and engage in the lens and screen arts. New York City is the hub of a creative network that reaches throughout the world. Our program draws on the energy of the city and offers as a resource all the opportunities available therein. We enlist some of the world’s greatest talents as members of our faculty, as well as advisors, mentors and lecturers. The New York City network is invaluable for its creative and professional support, which students will require upon graduation, and long after, as they continue to pursue their goals. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website

Financial aid is only available for those who qualify.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

The School of Visual Arts (SVA) been authorized by the New York State Board of Regents to confer the degrees of Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Professional Studies. Specific programs in which these degrees are offered, and data required by the U.S. Department of Education on "Gainful Employment" for each program, may be found on sva.edu. SVA is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation; the Art Therapy program is approved by the American Art Therapy Association, Inc.; and the Art Education program is accredited by the New York State Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education (RATE).  

Financial Aid:

Yes