MFA vs MA
If you are keen to take up an art related or design related master course in the United States, then it is ideal to go through information related to Art school and the Art department. There are considerable differences between a Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree.
Art school aims at helping the students mold and develop to become a professional artist. Thus, all kinds of resources, including faculty, infrastructure and courses, are designed to aid the professional arts students.
It takes just eighteen months to complete the Master of Arts program. It helps the students to pursue an advanced professional degree program to equip the students to handle the market competitions. MA degrees help by focusing on one medium of art, and hones their artistic skills through academia. MA students can often take up a MFA degree to advance their education.
The MFA degree is classified as the most advanced qualification one can obtain. This is in spite of the fact that students can receive an art history PhD if desired. It takes about two to three years to finish the course and receive the certificate, and will help the students gain proficiency, and master the art.
Art programs designed by the art department enable students to explore various other subjects, like literature, language, science and business. They also offer opportunities for exposure to social initiatives.
When a student is pursuing his masters, he is forced to take up a particular area of art as his focus. Art school’s art department in varsity provide programs with strong academic value. When deciding between art school and art department, consider the opportunities where you can excel in your work area, and take up various kinds of training to gain professional exposure.
To obtain admission into art school and art department, you need have a work portfolio, past art course transcript, and a recommendation from one of the art instructors, along with your General Record Exam score if required. If the student is not from a native English speaking country, then he or she is required to submit the ‘Test of English as a Foreign Language’ score to get admission. Admission is finalized after evaluation of the various papers submitted by the student.
For an MFA admission, the student must have completed his or her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree. Bachelors of Art degree students are not eliminated from the applicant list, as they need to complete the required courses, or Master of Arts degree, before getting admission for the MFA course.
Summary:
· MA degrees can be completed in eighteen months, while MFA degrees take two to three years to complete.
· Art school aims at helping the students mold and develop to become a professional artist. While MFA degrees help the students gain proficiency, and master the art.