Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts (MFA)

Program Code: G-EDA-MFA
Degree Designation: Master of Fine Arts
Department: Art & Art History Department
Website: mfaeda.duke.edu

Program Summary

The master of fine arts in experimental and documentary arts (MFA|EDA) is a terminal degree supported by three academic units: the Department of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies, the Center for Documentary Studies, and the Program in Cinematic Arts. The MFA|EDA brings together two forms of artistic activity—the documentary approach and experimental production in analog, digital, and computational media—in a unique program that will foster collaborations across disciplines and media as it trains sophisticated, creative art practitioners.

Academic Requirements

The master of fine arts in experimental and documentary arts degree requires fifteen courses over four semesters: ten required (core) courses in prescribed sequence and five elective courses. In order to build cohesion in the program, all matriculating students will enroll concurrently in required courses in the first semester: one studio course—MFAEDA 711 (Documentary Fieldwork), one seminar—MFAEDA 703 (Continuity and Change in Experimental and Documentary Arts), and one elective. In the second semester, the cohort will enroll in one required studio course—MFAEDA 712 (Experiments in the Moving Image), one required seminar—MFAEDA 702 (Genealogies of the Experimental), and one elective. After a summer of individual thesis research, the second year will focus on supporting production of the thesis project and paper via an elective methods seminar, a thesis production studio course, a seminar on research and writing the thesis, as well as three elective courses. All students are required to enroll in MFAEDA 720-723 (Critique I-IV)—to review, and discuss student work—in all four semesters. Final projects will be presented at an MFA Thesis Exhibition in the fourth semester and a written thesis paper will be submitted.