In Focus: The MFA Review: University of Notre Dame

Each installment of In Focus: The MFA Review highlights a unique MFA program for photographic artists, providing readers a concise overview of its identification, curriculum, school, pupil expertise, monetary help, and post-graduation outcomes. It additionally serves as a showcase of the inventive work produced by school, college students, and alumni. Rather than functioning as rankings or endorsements, these options are meant as sensible beginning factors—instruments to assist potential college students evaluate applications, establish what issues most to them, and make extra knowledgeable selections about their graduate training. While sure particulars shared in these articles might change over time, my hope is that these program snapshots provide a transparent sense of what every represents within the current second.

Thank you to Martina Lopez for finishing this interview and compiling all the pictures/sources!

Institution title: University of Notre Dame

Degree Title: MFA in Studio Art

Location: St. Joseph County, IN

Link to Program Page: 

Link to Application Page: 

Instagram: @_notredameart

Tell us a little bit about your program. How would you outline its scope and objective?

Notre Dame’s MFA in Studio Art is a three-year, 60-credit terminal diploma that helps independently motivated artists working in studio artwork (together with images), design, or artwork historical past; college students pursue an space of curiosity via unbiased research and studio advising.

What would you say makes your program particular?

It is deliberately small and selective (the division admits a really restricted variety of MFA college students annually), creating an intimate studio setting and shut school mentorship. Because of the dimensions, and that each MFA has the identical funding and division expectations, this system fosters camaraderie as an alternative of competitors.

We have a robust integration with the college’s museum sources (Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and division galleries), common visiting artists/lectures, and cross-disciplinary alternatives within the College of Arts & Letters. Students are inspired to substitute two of the required 4 Art History programs for sophistication outdoors of the Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD), and college students can take lessons cross-listed with AAHD, comparable to video manufacturing lessons in Film, Theater, and Television (FTT). We are the one division on campus that requires a written thesis in addition to a Thesis Exhibition.

What specialised amenities can be found for pupil use (i.e. darkroom, lighting studio, print lab)?

Lighting studios: in Riley Hall (professional-level studio amenities).

Photography darkroom: An particular person darkroom area is offered for graduate college students.

Equipment Checkout: The Equipment checkout system is offered to help college students’ work. Items included, however will not be restricted to the next:  large-format cameras, lenses, High-end digital cameras, video projectors, sound recorders, GoPros, and video cameras can be found.

The Digital Printing Studio (DPS): This absolutely staffed print facility options desktop and wide-format, pigment-based archival-quality printing on state-of-the-art Epson and Canon inkjet printers.

Is your program strictly photography-focused, or does it encourage/enable interdisciplinary work?

The MFA is multidisciplinary: college students enroll within the Studio Art MFA and should focus in images. But this system explicitly helps work throughout studio disciplines and requires coursework in artwork historical past; unbiased research is a key construction. Students may take design or artwork historical past programs as a part of their program.

Do you specialise in a selected space (i.e. documentary, experimental, environmental work)? And as soon as in this system, is a pupil in a position to shift their focus if their inventive pursuits change?

The division helps a spread of photographic practices (documentary, conceptual, experimental, digital/analog); as a result of the MFA is structured round unbiased research and school mentoring, college students can pursue and shift their focus as their apply evolves. Due to our dimension, interdisciplinary research is inspired.

How structured is the curriculum? Are there required programs, or is it extra self-directed?

The MFA is a 60-credit, three-year program combining required graduate-level coursework (together with artwork historical past credit) with a robust emphasis on unbiased research and studio analysis; school votes and candidacy evaluations are a part of development (so, construction + self-directed work).

Does this system incorporate video work or rising media comparable to AI, VR/AR, or 3D/360 imaging?

Many MFA college students work in video, nonetheless there aren’t any particular course supplied in video besides via FTT. In addition, there are school in Design and Studio areas that work with AI, AR and video.

Does this system provide profession improvement help, comparable to portfolio evaluations, workshop/convention attendance, or networking alternatives?

The division and the Graduate School host exhibitions (pupil reveals comparable to Solarium, Riley Hall gallery exhibitions), visiting artists/critics, and school mentoring; campus profession sources (College of Arts & Letters profession providers and Graduate Career Development) help graduate outcomes and placement. If college students are presenting their work/analysis at a convention, they will apply for funding via the Franco Family Institute for Liberal Arts and the Public Good.

What are key commencement necessities (exhibition, thesis paper, portfolio, and so on.)?

The MFA diploma is 60 credit throughout three years; commencement usually features a candidacy overview, thesis/inventive undertaking, and public exhibition(s) of graduate work (division reveals/Solarium)—the program-of-study page and division information describe the MFA candidacy and exhibition expectations.

Who are your present school members? What are their areas of inventive curiosity? Are school members primarily full-time or adjunct?

Martina Lopez, Professor of Art, is Head of the Photography space and the one school member within the division. She was an early adopter of digital expertise; her work combines images/digital & analog apply. Lopez works with photography-specific help workers who’re integral to the division.

These people additionally take part within the weekly graduate seminar.

Hillary Irene Johnson, Photography Teaching Scholar, this can be a three-year place, renewable yearly.  Her work contains video, images, and e-book arts.

Sara Fahling, Digital Studio Program Manager, a full-time workers place. Sara’s work expands past the photographic print into e-book and fiber arts.

Faculty are actively concerned in mentoring college students’ studio improvement and exhibition preparation. The program emphasizes particular person studio advising via one-on-one studio hours with school. In addition, every pupil selects a Thesis Committee comprised of three school members to function their Thesis advisors. Each committee meets formally as soon as a semester, beginning within the second yr. Also, there are casual and formal evaluations by your complete school at mid-semester, via walkthroughs (open studios), and formally, on the finish of the semester evaluations.

How typically do visitor artists, curators, or critics go to for lectures and/or critiques?

The division often hosts visiting artists, critics, and exhibitions. In addition, the University has a strong lecture collection via various departments, comparable to these supplied via the Raclin Murphy Museum.

How many college students are admitted annually, and what number of are images targeted?

The Department of Art, Art History, and Design accepts 6 MFA college students per yr. This implies that usually one images MFA pupil is admitted per yr. The three-year program produces an general MFA cohort of roughly 18 college students throughout disciplines. This small cohort dimension produces extremely targeted critiques, sturdy peer collaboration, and shut school consideration.

What sort of work are present college students creating?

Student work ranges throughout documentary, conceptual, analog/digital, video, and hybrid practices.

What is the overall price of this system (and period), and what funding choices can be found?

Duration: 3 years, 60 credit.

Funding: The division states that each accepted MFA applicant receives a full tuition waiver and a stipend (i.e., this system is absolutely funded for admitted MFA college students). The stipend was $28,500 final yr. It contains, medical health insurance subsidy, along with the complete tuition waiver.

Are there instructing assistantships, and what number of tuition do they cowl?

The Department’s MFAs obtain a full tuition waiver along with a stipend. Students have the chance to show so long as they continue to be in good standing.

Are extra grants/sources obtainable to help pupil tasks?

The college and Graduate School provide inside fellowships and small grants; the division additionally publicizes alternatives for exhibition help and analysis funds on departmental guides (these are awarded competitively and fluctuate yr to yr). Several institutes award grants to Graduate pupil analysis. Here are a number of that supply funding for graduate college students. Franco Family Institute for Liberal Arts and the Public Good; Nanovic Institute

What kinds of careers to alumni pursue, and the way does this system help college students after commencement?

Studio Art and Department alumni enter a spread of careers (graduate research, instructing, museum/gallery work, business and editorial images, unbiased apply). Notre Dame profession providers and school networks help alumni outcomes and connections. Alumni embody Tarrrah Kranjnak (MFA 2004), Christine Lenzen (MFA 2012), Melonie Mulkey (MFA 2019), Joe Matty (MFA 2024), and Thomas Callahan (MFA 2025).

How linked is the alumni community, and do graduates keep concerned with this system?

Notre Dame has energetic arts alumni and departmental alumni engagement (lectures, visiting artists, gallery occasions); many alumni keep concerned via talks, exhibitions, and mentorship alternatives.