Since its founding in 1965, the program has had a clear and singular focus – engaging a select group of highly talented painters through an intensive process of discovering and giving expressive form to their individual voices. The program’s emphasis in primarily focused on preparation for careers as seriously exhibiting artists and college/university faculty.
Hoffberger School of Painting aims to assist students in finding their uniqueness and manifesting their discoveries in art. Hoffberger is primarily a graduate school of painting, the art of creating a world on a two-dimensional surface. Through frequent critiques, discussions, and dialogues with the director, the artist-in-residence, and visiting artists, as well as trips to major art centers, students find their way toward more individual forms of expression.
A high level of competence and commitment is expected of Hoffberger students. Students are provided with individual studios. The emphasis of the program is on intensive independent work. A total of 60 credits is required for the MFA; of these, 48 must be in studio coursework and 12 in liberal arts seminars. A selection of liberal arts seminars especially designed for graduate students are offered each semester, but graduate students may take undergraduate liberal arts class with the permission of the instructor.
In addition to weekly visits from the director, students benefit from working with visiting artists and critics. Twice each semester, students meet with a visiting artist who gives a slide talk and makes individual studio visits for discussion and critique. Students also have access two days a month to an artist-in-residence.
MICA News
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Best Graduate Schools Ranking
U.S. News & World Report Ranks MICA's Master of Fine Arts Programs Among Top Four in Nation
Maryland Institute College of Art's (MICA) Master of Fine Arts programs were ranked among the top four in the nation, with those of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Yale University, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago, by U.S. News & World Report, in its “Best Graduate Schools” edition released on March 26, 2008. This ranking was based “solely on the results of a peer assessment survey of art school deans [asked to] rate the academic quality of programs,” at 220 colleges and universities, according to the magazine.
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