MFA: Interdisciplinary Studies

Program Information

MFA students work closely with faculty members. Our faculty consists of nationally and internationally recognized dancers and choreographers; filmmakers, videomakers, and screenwriters; composers; directors, actors, and a dramaturge; visual artists; and historians and theorists.

MFA students normally pursue a five-semester program of original research and studio work, culminating in a graduate artistic project supported by an essay and documentation. The program is full-time, normally takes two years, and requires students to be in the Vancouver area.

Please see the MFA Handbook for detailed information about the MFA program.

Program Requirements

MFA candidates complete a minimum of 35 units, including 25 of course work, and a project which is the equivalent of 10 units. Normally, this project is an art presentation accompanied by appropriate documentation with an oral defence.

And one of:

MFA Application Process

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in visual culture, art history, cinema studies, performance studies, cultural studies, communications, literary studies, or other degrees focusing on the arts. Applications with Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees that include substantial scholarly studies will also qualify.

All applicants who submit complete applications will be notified of their status by the end of March. Candidates accepted into the MFA program will begin their courses in September.

Please be sure that your mailing and e-mail addresses are current, as you will be notified of application results by e-mail and by letter.

Applications are now open. Apply online here.

February 1: Last Day to START application
February 7: Last Day to SUBMIT application
February 9: Last Day to Upload Supporting Documents

The only hardcopy documents we need to receive are your official sealed transcripts, please submit everything else online.

A COMPLETE APPLICATION REQUIRES:

1. On-line Application for Graduate Studies.

ALL CANDIDATES MUST COMPLETE AN  ON-LINE APPLICATION

If you have not submitted the online application, you will not be considered for the program. All graduate program applications are processed through the Dean of Graduate Studies office. In order to use the online application system, you will need to pay an application fee of $90 CAN (students with Canadian transcripts) or $125 CAN (students with international transcripts) by credit card (MasterCard or Visa). The online application includes a checklist of the documents that you will need to submit to us to support your application. This checklist will be updated online as we receive your documents. Please refer to the online checklist to ensure that all documents are received. NOTE: Due to the number of applications, it is not possible for us to monitor every applicant's checklist closely.

2. Official sealed Transcripts of all post-secondary education. Sealed transcripts should be sent directly to the address below by the academic institution. Non-English language transcripts must include an official English translation.

SCA Graduate Program Assistant
SFU School for the Contemporary Arts
Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
149 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 1H4

3. A Curriculum Vitae.

4. An Artist's Statement indicating your background and the nature of your creative practice, including primary discipline and any interdisciplinary interest. Your goals in pursuing a Master's degree at Simon Fraser would also be of interest to the committee.

5. Three short scenarios (150-200 words each) of Artistic Projects you might undertake during graduate study. These will not necessarily evolve into your major project, but should indicate the creative directions you wish to pursue and your conceptual clarity.

6. A Portfolio of your work, including a list which prioritizes the viewing/listening order of materials. You may upload video, audio, images, or PDF documents (less than 10 Mb each). Unfortunately, we are unable to accept physical media (DVDs, CDs, etc.). For works that involve a creation and production team, please make your role (Director, Choreographer, etc.) clear.

7. A sample of Academic Writing. Acceptable samples include senior undergraduate essays or other academic writing, published articles, and grant applications.

8. Three (3) Letters of Reference from (preferably) academic or professional sources. Letters can be uploaded online directly by each reference. He or she will receive login information and instructions for uploading his or her letter once you have named him or her as a reference.

We do not have a template for reference letters; your referees can use their preferred format.

9. International students: English is the language of instruction and communication at SFU. The School for Contemporary Arts requires English proficiency as outlined on the Dean of Graduate Studies website. Please note that we must receive test results directly from the testing agency. Copies of documents sent directly by students will not be accepted.

CONTACTS

Dr. Arne Eigenfeld: arne_e@sfu.ca
Graduate Program Secretary: mfagrad@sfu.ca

LINKS

Graduate General Regulations
MFA Handbook
vSCA Academic Calendar
Community Research Ethics Policy
CMA Journal

FACULTY

Sabine Bitter
Allyson Clay
Henry Daniel
Peter Dickinson
Arne Eigenfeldt
Judith Garay
Kyla Gardiner
Martin Gotfrit
Patricia Gruben
Steven Hill
Rob Kitsos
DD Kugler
Claudette Lauzon
Cole Lewis
Laura U. Marks
Denise Oleksijczuk
Christopher Pavsek
Elspeth Pratt
Eldritch Priest
Judy Radul
Simone Rapisarda
Sabrina Schroeder
Owen Underhill
Ker Wells
Jin-me Yoon

Current MFA Students

SCA Alumni

CONTACT US