MFA in Visual Arts Program

Frequently Asked Questions [pdf]

What do you mean by "low residency?"
A low residency program is structured so that you can complete your MFA while living in your own community, thus integrating your art-making within your daily life. Once each semester you attend an intensive 10-day Residency at the AIB/Lesley campus in Boston. After the residency, you return home and continue your course work over the semester. The course work consists of your studio practice and your academic work. There are two semesters per year.

What is the structure?
The MFA in Visual Arts at AIB/Lesley consists of 5 residencies over 4 semesters (2 years) for a total of 60 credits. During your Final Residency at AIB/Lesley you participate in the Graduate Exhibition and present your MFA thesis. Your Graduate Exhibition is accompanied by a full color catalog of the exhibition.

How is my time during the semester spent?
After you are accepted, you come to AIB for your first 10-day Residency, bringing the work from your application and any other work you think is relevant. You are also asked to bring a set of slides of this work for presentations. During the residency you participate in critiques, critical theory classes, elective seminars, and attend various presentations and panels by visiting artists and faculty. It is a full schedule from morning until late evening; a typical day runs from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. Altogether you will attend 5 residencies over the course of your MFA.

The Critique sessions: The focus of the MFA program is the critique sessions—both group critiques and individual meetings. Much of your time at the residency will be spent in dialogue about your work with the MFA faculty, your fellow students, and visiting artists. We provide wall space so that you can display the work you have produced.

The Faculty Advisor: During the residency you choose or are assigned a Faculty Advisor, and map out the direction your work will take over the next 6 months. This includes determining which artists to research, what exhibitions to visit, which books and articles to read, and so forth. You also choose or start to think about choosing a local Studio Mentor who will work with you when you return home. Your Faculty Advisor will guide you through this process.

Critical Theory Seminars: Each of the first 4 residencies includes a Critical Theory seminar which combines art history with critical theory. Well before the beginning of each residency, you will receive the readings for the Critical Theory Seminar that you will attend. The reading should be completed before the residency begins. In some instances, you may be asked to present a paper or make a presentation in the Critical Theory Seminar during the residency. The seminars are designed to aid you in framing your own work discursively as well as providing a context in which to understand current art world practices. For your final residency, you participate in the Final Seminar. This is conducted by the director and is designed to aid you in pursuing your goals after graduation and beyond.

Elective Seminars: During each residency you participate in an elective seminar taught by one of the MFA Faculty. The topics for these seminars vary each semester and cover a wide range of contemporary studio issues and practices. As we are located in Boston, these seminars often take advantage of the wide-range of cultural activities available in a large cosmopolitan city. Often they incorporate field trips to galleries, exhibitions, and to other artists’ studios.

The Studio Mentor: After researching potential mentors, you approach them to determine if they would be willing to work with you. Mentors receive $1,000 for working with you over the semester (half paid mid-semester after filing a mid-term report, and half upon receipt of them filing a final report). They are expected to meet with you at least 4 times over the course of the semester to view and discuss your work. All mentors must be approved by The Art Institute of Boston.

On-going throughout the semester: Your Faculty Advisor is in contact with you throughout the semester to discuss the scope of work that you both agreed upon. Additionally, you submit your work electronically to your advisor so she or he can keep up with your work and the fulfillment of your academic and studio plans. You are expected to devote a minimum of 25 hours to your work. When you return for the next residency, you will bring the work you produced over the previous semester.

How much will it cost?
Costs are as follows (all charges are subject to change):
Tuition for the 2008-09 academic year is $7,665 per semester ($15,330/year, $30,660 total). There is a $350 residency fee charged for each residency period. Meals are provided by the program.
1. Final (5th) residency fees also include a $350 culminating evaluation fee and a $125 degree completion fee, but no tuition is charged.
2. Critical Theory packets are provided. You may need to purchase additional books each semester to accompany some of the reading for the Critical Theory seminars.
3. You may be asked to buy materials or pay a small fee for seminars.
4. If you are not a local student you should consider the cost of housing, which ranges from $75 to $130 per night.

I’m a teacher, so I can’t take 10 days off during the school year. Is there any way to come at another time?
Our residencies are held during the “off” times for school. We have many teachers in our program. In case of a conflict, however, the program can be completed by attending alternate semesters—6 months “on” and 6 months “off.” This means you would attend one semester per year, (semesters start with a residency and conclude with the completion of the 6 month period spent working at home), take a leave of absence for the next semester, and then return for the following semester (i.e. one year from the last one you attended). You have 5 years to complete the MFA degree.

Will I get studio space?
We are a low residency program and since you will not be at the AIB/Lesley campus except during the residency periods, we do not provide studio space. One of our missions is to encourage self-reliance and self-motivation so that you can integrate art-making into your routine in your own community. Hence, we encourage you to set up your own studio within the framework of your daily life. During the residency, some seminars do, however, make use of the AIB studio facilities.

Are teaching assistantships or scholarships available?
Due to the low residency format, assistantships are not available to our program. We do not have scholarships at this time.

Can I visit?
We designate one day during each residency for prospective applicants to visit and experience the program first hand. Visitors can observe group critiques, join students and faculty for lunch, and attend a critical theory seminar. Please contact the Lesley University Office of Graduate Admissions for information on arranging a visit during a residency. If you are not able to come to Boston during a residency you are welcome to make an appointment to visit Lesley University’s Cambridge campus and Porter Square Gallery and meet with an admissions counselor.

We also participate in Open Houses several times a year on the Cambridge campus. Typically, the Director of the MFA program attends to speak with prospective students, and also gives a presentation about the program. For details about the next Open House visit the web at: www.lesley.edu/openhouse

Do I need a BFA undergraduate degree?
If not, what do I need?
We will accept applicants whose Bachelor’s degree is in an unrelated field, based on the strength of their portfolio, and their understanding of art history as demonstrated in their personal statement. We may also admit students who do not hold a Bachelor’s degree, however a formal application for a waiver must be submitted. Several criteria are assessed when an applicant is being considered for a waiver.

The criterion includes, but is not limited to:
• the applicant’s submission of creative work must show extraordinary accomplishment, comparing favorably with the work of the strongest applicants;
• the applicant’s personal statement, letters of recommendation, and transcripts from the credit equivalent of two years of undergraduate course work should be uniformly excellent, demonstrating the candidate’s capacity to undertake graduate study in his or her chosen field;
• the applicant’s life experience or professional work should be analogous, in breadth and depth, to the intellectual engagement normally associated with a completed undergraduate education. This shall be demonstrated through a detailed essay, beyond the personal statement, describing life experiences and addressing various defined issues;
• the applicant can demonstrate proficiency in art history (this means a working knowledge of art history as well as contemporary art)

What are you looking for in the portfolio?
How should the portfolio be formatted?
For the portfolio you should submit 20 images of your strongest recent work. Think of this like an exhibition. We are interested in seeing a cohesive body of work that indicates clear authorship and intent. Your images should demonstrate that you are actively engaged with your work and that you have good work habits. If you do not have recent work, then we suggest sending a variety of work with a clear explanation attached to the slide sheet or CD as to why you are including particular works. Additionally, you can submit supplementary materials in slide/book/CD form. If you are submitting material as a CD you must include a print out of the images to accompany the CD. Be sure to test your CD before you send it.

Images should be presented as slides in a slide sheet or on a MAC compatible CD in a traditional format such as Powerpoint. Along with the slides/CD you should include an annotated description of each image you are submitting including medium, size, date, and a print out of the images if you are including a CD. Please label each of your slides with your name and indicate the medium you are working in as well as the proper viewing angle. Please do this directly on your slides and on your slide sheet explanation. Do not send original slides. CD’s should also be labeled with your name. For film/video/new media please submit a VHS or DVD (Mac only) no longer than 30 minutes, cued to a 5 minute section that you want us to view. Enclose a SASE along with your application if you want your slides/CD/DVD returned. We retain the application portfolios of those students who are accepted and attend the program.

Also, if I’m working in two styles is it okay to submit them both in the portfolio or is it better to submit one style only?
It is fine to submit both styles, but an explanation of the evolution of these styles is suggested both on the slide sheet explanation as well as in the body of your application letter essay. It is not recommended that you submit more than one style for the purpose of showing you are versatile.

What are you looking for in the application letter essay that accompanies the application?
This statement is not meant to be a personal autobiography. You should discuss your work in terms of the art issues and ideas that your work addresses. For example: which artists or movements have influenced you? How has your work changed over time? What are your goals for your work? What do you hope to accomplish in an MFA program?

If I’m working in one medium, but want to pursue another in the residency (for example, from photography to film) how does that work, or is that okay?
That is ok, but you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in your new medium when you switch to your new medium. That may require that you take additional classes along side the MFA program. It is important to put your best work in your portfolio and to pursue projects at a graduate level that are appropriate to your skill level. We do, however, encourage experimentation and pushing the boundaries of your work. If you have an intent to pursue a different medium from one that you are proficient in, we encourage you to contact the Director of the MFA program to discuss this.

What if I am an international student—how does that work?
The program works no differently for International students than it does for U.S. residents with the exception of Visa and TOEFL requirements. International students can stay and study in the United States for the duration of the 10-day residency only. Students will be permitted to enter the United States a few days before the residency begins and will be able to leave the United States a few days after the residency ends. However, it is important to note that international students in this program must remain outside of the United States between each residency. Please read the information relevant to international students in the paper application, or refer to the Information for International Students on our website: www.aiboston.edu/mfa.

How does this program differ from others?
Our program is designed to support its mission: to foster the artist’s ability to work independently with discipline and focus both during the MFA program and, especially, after graduation. The interdisciplinary nature of our program encourages artists to combine an understanding of current art and cultural theory within the on-going development of their own medias and methods. The low residency format of our program is ideally suited to developing good work habits and self-reliance along side of strong, individually tailored career goals. Our extensive critique structure during the residencies, coupled with the faculty and studio mentoring over each semester, facilitates the cultivation of a broad network of art world dialogues/contacts within the student’s home environment and beyond. Additionally, the Graduate Exhibition and accompanying catalog, as well as the MFA Thesis, provide an entry into many aspects of an artist’s future career—from showing in galleries to teaching at the college level, to the invention of new, hybrid possibilities.

What is the number of applications and rejects?
We currently have an approximate acceptance rate of about 25–35%.
We accept 15 to 20 new students twice per year.

* AIB/Lesley University reserves the right to alter fees and tuition at its sole discretion.