205
Graduate Programs
205.5
Art and Design
205.5 Art and Design
Department of Art and Design
3-98 Fine Arts Centre
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2C9
E-mail: artdes@ualberta.ca
205.5.1 General Information
The Department of Art and Design offers graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in the History of Art, Design and Visual Culture and a Master of Fine Arts and Master of Design degrees in a wide range of studio disciplines. The Department also offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Arts degree in history of art, design, and visual culture.
Programs leading to the MDes degree provide advanced studies in visual communication design or industrial design. Programs leading to the MFA degree are designed to provide advanced studies in painting, sculpture, printmaking, or drawing/intermedia.
Programs leading to the MA and PhD degrees in the history of art, design, and visual culture provide for advanced study and research.
Graduate students in studio are provided with adequate independent working spaces and with access to all the equipment necessary to develop their studies and explorations. A well-endowed University library and a departmental visual resources centre featuring access to digital images and over 300,000 slides provide reference material. Eighteen full-time members in the academic staff are available for supervision and discussion.
Inquiries should be addressed to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies, Department of Art and Design.
Entrance Requirements
The Department's minimum admission requirements for all master's programs are a general undergraduate degree with a grade point average of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate work (or graduate work) at the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution, and a minimum TOEFL score of 580 (paper-based) or 95 (internet-based, with at least 20 per section) or a minimum score of 65 on the Pearson Test of English where applicable (refer to §203.2.4). A student with a MA in the History of Art (or a related field) may be admitted as a candidate for the PhD degree.
Financial Assistance
Graduate teaching and research assistantships and a number of scholarships are available to qualified students.
205.5.2 The Degrees of MDes and MFA
Entrance Requirements
An applicant must normally hold a bachelor's degree in fine arts or design (or its equivalent) from a recognized institution. Candidates who, in the view of the Department, need to make up prerequisite courses will normally spend one additional year in preparation.
Applicants will be required to submit visual records or a portfolio of work and documentation of their previous experience to the Department by January 15 of the year of application.
Program Requirements
In the first year of the program students will normally be required to take 
18 approved. All candidates require credit in ART 630 or DES 630.
Candidates in fine arts programs require credit in two studio courses at the 600-level and one history of art, design, and visual culture courses chosen from 500-level courses with consent of the Department.
Candidates in design programs require credit in
DES 600, 601, 680 and 681; | |
DES 683 or 685 or one 500-level seminar in design history and/or visual culture, or a course chosen from selected courses offered by other departments |
Course work must be completed before commencement of the thesis. First term studio courses may not be repeated; however, second term studio courses may be repeated with consent of the Department.
After all other program requirements have been satisfactorily met, candidates must make a major presentation of their creative work. Such a presentation will be considered the equivalent of a master's thesis. The Department of Art and Design reserves the right to select and retain up to two works from the final thesis presentation.
There is no language requirement for the degrees.
The minimum period of residence is two four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.
Length of Program
Candidates will normally require two academic years to complete their program of studies.
205.5.3 The Degree of MA in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture
Entrance Requirements
An applicant must normally hold an Honors degree in the History of Art (or its equivalent) from a recognized institution.
Applicants with a bachelor's degree other than History of Art will be considered for admission provided that an adequate background in the History of Art, equivalent to an Honors degree in the discipline, can be demonstrated. Applicants are advised to have reading ability and course credits in a language other than English at a level satisfactory to the department. Applicants will be required to submit current samples of writing and documentation of previous education and work experience to the department by January 15, for admission in September, and by October 15, for admission in January of the year of application.
Program Requirements
Applicants who are accepted will normally require two academic years in residence to complete their program of studies. Exceptions to this regulation will require the consent of the Department and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.
Candidates who, in the view of the Department, need to make up prerequisite courses will normally have to make up the deficiencies prior to acceptance into the graduate program.
The graduate program consists of two phases:
Phase I (first year)
In the first year of the program students will normally be required to take:
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Students will be required to pass a translation test in a language other than English (normally French, German or Italian), or a language reading course or approved equivalent with a minimum grade of C+ before proceeding to thesis.
Phase II (second year)
Admission to Phase II is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of all the requirements in Phase I. Course work from Phase I may not be repeated.
Phase II consists of the preparation, presentation and defence of a master's thesis on a topic approved by the Department.
Length of Program
Applicants who are accepted will normally require two years to complete their program of studies. Candidates who, in the view of the Department, need to make up prerequisite courses will normally spend a longer period of time to complete their graduate program.
205.5.4 The Degree of PhD in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture
Entrance Requirements
An applicant must normally hold an MA degree in the History of Art (or its equivalent) from a recognized institution.
Applicants with a MA degree other than History of Art will be considered for admission provided that an adequate background in the History of Art, equivalent to an MA degree in the discipline, can be demonstrated. Applicants are advised to have reading ability and course credits in a language other than English at a level satisfactory to the department. Applicants will be required to submit current samples of writing and documentation of previous education and work experience to the department by January 15, for admission in September, and by October 15, for admission in January of the year of application.
Program Requirements
The program consists of 18 at the graduate-level: ART H 677 (3); one 3 500- or 600-level course in the area of focus; and 12 in approved graduate-level courses (which may include courses from other departments or Faculties, or an independent study course (museum apprenticeship). In addition competence in at least one applicable language other than English must be demonstrated. Coursework is selected by the student in consultation with the supervisor, the Graduate Advisor in HADVC, or the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in the Department of Art and Design.
Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the non-credit Pro-Seminar Series organized by the Department.
During their second year, doctoral students will prepare for and successfully complete a candidacy examination including a written component, which will be evaluated during the oral candidacy examination.
During their third and fourth years students will prepare and defend a dissertation during a final oral examination in accordance with regulations established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.
Length of Program
Students are normally expected to complete the PhD in four years of full-time study.
205.5.5 Graduate Courses
Graduate courses can be found in §231, Course Listings, under the following subject headings:
Art (ART)
Design (DES)
Art History (ART H)
