MFA and BFA Programs of Study

[Stefan]

I just looked at the USNews report on the top art schools for Master programs and was surprised by some of the ones listed (and by the ones not listed).

But I am wondering if anyone here might be able to tell me whether I should be going by these listings since I am going for a BFA rather than a MFA...

Is it safe to assume that a school with an awesome MFA program is automatically at the top in its BFA also?
I have no access to a list of the BFA rankings... so this is all I have to go by.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
-Stefan

[sassybird]

I didn't look for ranking when I went to college. I went to South West Texas State U, which was close to where I lived. Now they have an awesome BFA program.

[bethg]

I will be attending University of Washington. While it does have a large art department with many degrees to chose from, the real reason it is my #1 choice is because of it's location...close to home.

[dbclemons]

Originally posted by Stefan
...Is it safe to assume that a school with an awesome MFA program is automatically at the top in its BFA also?...

Not necessarily, but it would be a good starting place, I guess. Some schools get higher rankings for their Masters programs due to the specialized benefits that apply only to that program (as I recall - it's been a while for me.) I'd recommend checking that out for the schools that look good to you, and see if the facilities and instructors are the same for BFA.

My best personal advise would be to evaluate them on what they offer in areas that interest you. Strong sculpture or painting facilites, professional artists as instructors, artists-in-residence, etc.

-David

[Chirps]

I'm taking my BFA in Canada, so my research is probably of little use to you. However, as a point of interest, some universities (in London, and Australia) for example, now offer a PHD.

[Stefan]

where at in Canada?
I have considered looking into some of the schools there
Especially in Quebec City... I really enjoyed that city and it was very rich in the arts. Lost of galleries and whatnot.

If you know of some of the better schools in Canada I would love to hear of them.

[Chirps]

three that I would recommend looking into (depending of course on your major) would be:
Emily Carr Institute of art and design; www.eciad.bc.ca; in BC
ACAD in Calgary; www.acad.ab.ca
and Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB

Quebec was not a province I considered as my french is very poor!! c'est la vie!!

[Stefan]

cool thank you for the links
I will look into them right now

[Atrsy]

Visit the schools and make up your own mind from what you see. I went to a small state college and I got a wonderful education (art ed.) but after I was a teacher I needed to take 24 more credits for permanent certification. For this, I went to Penn State because it was close to my home.

I can honestly tell you that my education at the small state school (Kutztown) was far superior to my classes at PSU. I thought Penn State was all hype and I was really disappointed in the quality of both the teachers and the classes.

After I was out of college, we had guests one night who's son and DIL were both graduates of Pratt School of Art and these people were so amazed at all I could do that they brought the young couple to visit us the next day to see all my artwork. This couple were both art teachers and they were asking me about some of the most basic art techniques. They didn't even know how to construct a cardboard weaving loom which I was teaching my third graders.

Each school may offer different things and it depends on what you are really looking for as to which school is best for you. You must go for a visit, talk to the professors and students and make the decision for yourself. I know that I am so glad I didn't go to Penn State for my bachelors degree.

Atrsy