College of Visual and Performing Arts

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The College of Visual and Performing Arts is a dynamic arts college offering a Master of Art Education (MAE) degree and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree.

Master of Art Education

The MAE degree offers traditional and innovative opportunities for the professional art teacher in curriculum design, educational issues and reflective practices. The MAE program is supervised by the Director of the MAE Program and has its own application process, program structure and degree requirements toward the Post Baccalaureate Initial Licensure, Professional Licensure and graduation. The Post Baccalaureate Initial Licensure and Professional Licensure course work provides multiple experiences in visual arts education by integrating individual studio practice, scholarly research and ongoing participation in the K-12 classroom environment.

Master of Fine Arts

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth offers the Master of Fine Arts degree programs: Artisanry, Fine Arts and Visual Design. These programs reflect the evolving global arts culture and thus are distinct while also increasingly inter-related.  They share similar admission policies, program structures and degree requirements. The CVPA Coordinator for Graduate Studies & Research and the Graduate Program Directors oversee all MFA degree programs and graduate student progress toward the degree. The Master of Fine Arts is generally regarded as the highest degree offered in the visual arts, and qualifies the graduate for professional work in the disciplines available through our curriculum. The College of Visual and Performing Arts supports the philosophy that significant achievement in the visual arts is the product of inspired conception, critical dialogue, individualized attention to students, rigorous reflection and maturing skill. The MFA curriculum challenges students to pursue the most eloquent and evocative expression of their ideas through creative innovation, supported by our internationally-known faculty and our state of the art facilities. 

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