Graduate Admissions

Interdisciplinary Arts & Media MFA

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Be Enrolled Part-Time?
Yes. You may attend as a part-time student with a minimum of 6 credits per semester; however, we recommend that you take 9 credits during the first semester to fulfill the Interdisciplinary Arts and Media discipline required courses.
When Do Classes Meet?
We offer the required Interdisciplinary Arts & Media courses in the evening to accommodate students who may be working or teaching during the day.  All other courses, such as history, theory/practice courses, and graduate studio electives are offered at various times.  Occasionally, we offer intensive and immersive courses on weekends.
How Is the Program Structured?
Our MFA program is a three-year program requiring 60 credits. You may transfer in 12 graduate credits at the discretion of the department.

YEAR ONE focuses on discipline-based work in media arts, and provides students with a foundation in both professional practices and art theory.  The first semester students are required to take two courses, Screen Media and Performance Media, as well as Art as Discourse, a theory course.  The spring semester students are required to take Art as Practice with electives from our history courses, theory/practice courses and graduate studio electives.

YEAR TWO is centered on interdisciplinary work through a series of thematic classes, both studio and history/theory, which will include students from across programs. Second-year students are also required to take Space and Place, an installation course, as well as Connected Studio Practice.  Electives with any studio practices course are composed of students from both MFA programs, which will help them to further develop their body of work within an interdisciplinary atmosphere.

YEAR THREE emphasizes the deepening of a student’s practice and body of work, leading to the creation and exhibition of a thesis project.  Students are required to take a year-long sequence, Thesis One and Thesis Two to prepare for the thesis exhibition.
What Kind of Background Does a Successful Applicant Typically Have?
We do consider applicants who have an undergraduate degree in a field other than visual art, however, we are looking for students who have an ongoing art practice in their area of interest and are interested in expanding that art practice. Your portfolio must include examples of your individual art practice that demonstrates your personal voice and vision.
Are There Any Program-Specific Scholarships Available?
The Rosenblum Award was established to support Columbia’s graduate students who are presenting at or attending professional conferences related to their fields of study. Awards are capped at $500, and preference will be given to students whose proposals have been accepted by conference organizers for presentation as part of the conference’s official schedule.
  • For a complete listing of College-wide scholarships, click here.
Who Are the Core Faculty?
For a listing, click here.
What Facilities Are Available to Your Students?
The Interdisciplinary Arts Department has numerous resources for students to make artwork with: two computer labs, three installation labs, the finest printing, binding and papermaking studios in the nation, electronics lab, laser cutter, sound lab, and a black-box venue for staging work, visiting lectures, events, exhibitions, screenings, photo shoots and performance. The department has its own equipment center where students check out an extensive array of items including laptops, video cameras, sound recorders, and projectors. Through gateway course experiences, students are offered usage of equipment, materials and space in all department media. The College itself also has facilities and resources available. Significantly, the internationally recognized Center for Book and Paper Arts (CBPA) is part of the department. Additionally, we provide studios for all of our MFA students.
Who Are Some Noteworthy Alumni?
  • Erin Rehberg is founder and Artistic Director of Core Project Chicago and the Associate Director of Kim Nofsinger’s Shelter Dance Repertoire. Her choreography has been featured at Beyond Boundaries, Dance Chicago, Breaking Bounds Dance Festival, Art Exposium, The American College Dance Festival and she was a 2010 recipient of a Chicago Cultural Center DanceBridge Residency. She is currently adjunct faculty of Dance and University Studies at Middle Tennessee State University.
  • Dan Schwarzlose's work in Cambodia is the latest chapter in a consistently fascinating artistic life. In 1998, he helped found the Elastic Arts Foundation, a Chicago-based musicians’ cooperative that produces live music, readings, art, theater, and multimedia events. While a student at Columbia, he worked with chef Homaro Cantu who runs the groundbreaking, surrealistic Chicago restaurant Moto. Schwarzlose toured with Cantu making videos of his amazing creations, and helped create and write the first season of Cantu’s new reality show, Future Food, which premiered in Spring 2010 on Planet Green.
  • Claudette Roper has more than two decades of expertise in corporate communications and media production and has worked on several groundbreaking television programs, including The Cosby Show and Donahue. In addition to teaching at her alma mater, the 2006 Albert P. Weisman Award recipient lectures and conducts workshops on culture, media and otherness. Her work as an interdisciplinary artist, educator and media maker focuses on issues related to justice, family/history, loss of innocence and oppression.

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