“The strength of the program lies in the breadth of interest and experience in a student body and faculty that ranges across an array of disciplines within the arts.”

Yaana Dancer (MFA Interdisciplinary Studies, 2000)

“The MFA program at the School for the Contemporary Arts provided me with a wonderful opportunity to venture into new areas of research and arts practice. As an interdisciplinary artist who had been practicing for fifteen years in the field, attending an academic institution was foreign to me. Yet, I found SFU to be welcoming, interested in my work, and encouraging of various areas of scholarship. New vistas have opened up for me in my art since receiving my degree. The experience has been both rewarding and self-determining.”

Laiwan Chung (MFA Interdisciplinary Studies, 1999)

“The interdisciplinary mandate of the MFA program at the School for the Contemporary Arts at SFU offers a unique context for artistic growth. At SFU, I found a supportive environment in which to gain new skills, take risks, and venture into new artistic territory.”

Carol Sawyer (MFA Interdisciplinary Studies, 1998)

“My experience in the MFA program at Simon Fraser University was enhanced by both the challenges of participating in interdisciplinary projects and by the theoretical background that provided a focus for my research. The support I received and interaction with the faculty was very positive. Overall, my time there was an exciting phase of awakening and growth.”

Linda Nessel (MFA Interdisciplinary Studies, 1998)
MFA

The School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at Simon Fraser University (SFU) offers a unique Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Interdisciplinary Studies. Designed to emphasize the close relationships between art forms, the MFA program is dedicated to fostering creativity through interdisciplinary explorations, studio training, and the integration of new technologies in the performing arts.

The program offers advanced professional training for artists in dance, film, music, theatre, and visual art. Admission is highly competitive. Successful applicants typically have an undergraduate degree (or equivalent), substantial training in at least one art discipline, evidence of an active art practice, and a clear interest in interdisciplinary experimentation and interrelationships between the arts. The program attracts students from around the world.

The MFA curriculum is flexible, with an emphasis on independent study. In consultation with a faculty advisor, each student designs a personal study plan to suit his or her individual artistic needs. This approach enables the student to take advantage of course offerings throughout the School, provides an excellent understanding of other artistic disciplines, and encourages collaboration with other artists. The faculty advisor also chairs the student’s supervisory committee, which evaluates the student’s progress throughout the MFA program.

To obtain a MFA degree, a student must complete a minimum of 35 credit hours of work, of which 10 credits are dedicated to a Graduating Project. This project consists of an artwork presentation accompanied by appropriate written documentation and an oral defense. The remaining 25 hours are made up of required interdisciplinary seminars and studios, directed study courses, and approved elective courses from outside the SCA in disciplines such as communications, computing science, kinesiology, and women’s studies.

Applicants must hold a BFA, BA, B.Mus, or B.Ed. in one or more of the art disciplines, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, have substantial training in one or more of the art disciplines (dance, film, music, theatre, and visual art), and have evidence of an active art practice.

Applicants should have an explicit interest in interdisciplinary experimentation.

Writing is integral to the MFA program. All applicants are expected to be able to write clearly about their work. The philosophy of the School emphasizes that the thinking and doing of art cannot be separated.

All applicants are required to submit a portfolio of original work, which may be in the form of tapes, scores, slides, films, videotapes, plays, and academic papers. Applicants may be asked to audition.

(Apply for graduate studies.)

Usually, graduate students undertake a first year project and a required second year Graduating Project. Depending on the student’s area of research, projects may take place at various university venues and galleries, as well as performance spaces around the city.