This manual has information that will help you with the completion of your graduate degree; 1) forming your personal graduate committee, 2) approval of your study plan, 3) maintaining your program, 4) the installation of your graduate show, and finally, 5) the compilation of your Permanent Record. Should you have any questions/comments/suggestions with regard to the contents of this booklet, please let us know your thoughts. It is our goal to improve each successive edition and your communications will help us upgrade and make this a meaningful publication. Your manual is divided into four parts: Section I- getting established in the program; Section II- maintaining the program; Section III- the graduate exhibition; and, Section IV- the Permanent Record. For detailed graduate information, refer to the Graduate Regulations section of the current university catalog.
Mike McGee, Graduate Coordinator
Jackie Reynolds, Graduate Secretary
Department of Art, Spring, 2008
Classification is conferred only after the study plan is approved by the office of graduate studies.
After successfully completing the Comprehensive Review, select a graduate committee consisting of a chairperson from your AREA OF CONCENTRATION, and a second member of the faculty; or, a committee-as-a-whole. The art department graduate coordinator is an ex-officio member of all graduate committees. The committee must be comprised of full-time faculty. The student through individual contact with area faculty and the department graduate secretary must make verification of the committee membership.
A study plan of all coursework leading to the M.A. or M.F.A. degree should be developed by the student and approved by the graduate committee. The study plan worksheet must bear the name and signatures, signifying approval, of the graduate committee and the graduate coordinator. The approved study plan worksheet should be given to the graduate secretary before the end of the first semester of graduate study.
The graduate secretary will process the Official Study Plan/Application for Classification and submit it to the Office of Graduate Studies for final approval.
Until you complete steps 1 and 2, you cannot be classified. FAILURE TO COMPLETE THESE STEPS IN A TIMELY MANNER MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF GRADUATE UNITS APPLICABLE TO THE DEGREE.
01. MA- total of 30 units; MFA- total of 60 units
02. No more than 6 independent units (499 or 599) total. This means in any combination of MA & MFA; or, MA or MFA individually.
03. Not less than one-half of the total units in graduate (500-level) courses.
04. Not more than 6 units for a project or thesis.
05. Seminar courses 500A and 500B are certified to satisfy the university graduate writing requirement; a C grade or better is needed to fulfill this requirement.
06. All courses in the concentration must be completed with a B grade of better.
07. A minimum grade-point average of 3.0 (B) in ALL courses (not only study plan courses) attempted to satisfy requirements for the masters degree.
08. No courses taken to satisfy prerequisite requirements may be used on study plan.
09. No correspondence, credit by examination or similar courses.
010. No courses with non-traditional grades (e.g., CR, S, P, etc).
011. Completion or satisfactory validation of all study plan courses within five years starting with the earliest course on the study plan. For MFA candidates entering with an MA, the five-year limit commences with the semester of the earliest MFA study plan course.
012. All transfer work must be equivalent to CSUF graduate work and acceptable by the institution where taken for credit toward a comparable degree.
013. All courses taken after the baccalaureate (or post baccalaureate credited granted) and not credited toward another degree.
014. A minimum of 21 units in residence for MA and a minimum of 30 units for the MFA. Transfer and extension units are not considered to be resident units.
015. A final evaluation in the form of an exhibition or thesis.
The concentrations of art history, ceramics, crafts, exhibition design, graphic design, printmaking, creative photography and sculpture observe the following procedures with respect to required graduate meetings. Graduate committee meetings for drawing/painting, graphic design and illustration are conducted differently as outlined at the end of this section.
A minimum of six meetings with your graduate committee must be held. No less than three meetings should be held during the final semester of study, while at least one meeting should be held during all other semesters of graduate work. Therefore, during a typical three-semester M.A. program, you and your committee should meet, at least, as follows:
-once during the first semester;
-twice during the second semester;
-three times during the third/final semester or any semester Art 597 is taken.
A minimum of two meetings per semester during the period of classified status is required. Once Art 597 is taken no fewer than three meetings will be held each semester until final semester of study.
You are responsible for arranging all meetings with your graduate committee. At the beginning of each semester, take a moment to plan/schedule the requisite number of meetings for the semester. Do this by checking with your committee members to ascertain days/times that are mutually convenient.
Approximately a week before your scheduled meeting place a meeting reminder form (available from Jackie) in each members mailbox. On the day of your meeting, pick up your student folder from Jackie and take to meeting. Each committee meeting is to be documented by you with a summary form indicating what was discussed, suggestion/recommendations, objectives to be addressed in subsequent meetings, etc.
It is suggested that meetings not be scheduled during the first and last weeks of classes when faculty are unusually busy with beginning or finishing the semester business.
The drawing/painting, and illustration area faculty and graduates meet as a committee-as-a-whole at least once each semester. Additional meetings are arranged through the respective committee chairs.
The study plan constitutes a written contract between you and the university. Any change must be approved and entered so the study plan is accurate and up-to-date when you are ready for graduation.
Failure to submit a formal change in your study plan may jeopardize your graduation.
01. Change of Courses: Occasionally it is necessary for you to make changes in your study plan because of course cancellations, schedule conflicts, work commitments, etc. In such cases, fill out a Request for Change in Study Plan form, available from the graduate secretary, to validate the change. You, your committee and the graduate coordinator must sign the form BEFORE any change takes place. Regarding a course already on the study plan, once a grade has been assigned, that course cannot be deleted from the study plan.
02. CHANGE IN COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP a change in members or chair of your committee also constitutes a study plan change.
03. Change of name, address and/or phone number/s inform the graduate secretary and the Office of Admissions and Records of any name, address and/or phone number changes.
04. PERSONAL FILE The art department maintains a file on each student; however, file contents have been lost or misplaced. Students are advised to keep a file of grade reports, transcripts, fee receipts, correspondence and any other papers pertaining to your graduate studies. A personal home file is readily accessible and the documents therein could resolve problems, should any arise, in a more timely manner.
You must maintain continuous enrollment throughout your course of study (except summers). If you do not enroll in a regular university class, you must enroll in Graduate Studies 700 and pay minimum fees. Under certain circumstances, a one-semester leave of absence may be granted. Leave of absence request forms may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies, MH-129. If you need to initiate one of these options, see the graduate secretary for more details.
You must complete all your requirements for the master's degree within a 5-year period. This time limit commences with the semester of the earliest course used on your study plan.
01. After completing 30 units and not more than 45 units of your M.F.A. study plan, you must pass Advancement to Candidacy Review by your graduate committee. This review is primarily an evaluation of your creative work and progress in the program.
02.At the completion of 30 units on your study plan, confer with your graduate committee about applying for Advancement to Candidacy.
03. If your Advancement to Candidacy is denied, the graduate committee will inform you of further requirements and/or stipulations needed to attain advancement to candidacy status. Your committee may stop you from taking courses applicable to your study plan until such time that you are advanced. Students who matriculate with a M.A. degree are exempt from this step.
Restore gallery for next graduate show
Many different exhibitions are mounted in the graduate galleries during the course of a school year. Students who use the galleries are collectively responsible for maintaining them. The following gallery policy has been developed to give individual exhibitors some latitude, but at the same time minimize maintenance costs and restoration time for all participants.
After you receive approval from your committee, reserve a graduate gallery for your Master's exhibition through Jackie.
Refer to the east, exit, and west plans for the dimensions of the galleries. Measurements are approximate, if you have special size limitations you should double check the measurements.
You have from noon Friday to the time of your reception to hang your show. Cleanup and restoration begins on the last day of your show (Thursday, 4 p.m.). The gallery must be restored by noon Friday for the next exhibitor.
You are responsible, in consultation with your committee, for designing and installing your graduate exhibition. Assorted tools, lighting fixtures, ladder and a table for your opening reception are stored in a closet in VA-160. The graduate gallery keychain has all the necessary keys for access to the closet and cabinet. It is important to return all borrowed items immediately after use.
Installation Workshop: Approximately two times a semester the department gallery technician gives workshops for graduate students with upcoming shows. He will discuss tools, paint selection, lighting, materials, etc. for mounting an exhibition in a graduate gallery. If you are interested in attending a workshop contact Jackie for dates and times. You must provide all paint, pedestals, display cases, special lighting, signage and other supplies. Please do not paint over light plugs, fuse boxes, thermostat covers, etc. Report anything in disrepair or broken to Jackie.
Restoration: After your exhibition, you must spackle holes, paint walls not just the spackled areas the designated "standard white," clean the floor, and do anything required to restore the gallery to a neutral condition. Restoring the gallery is very important to the next person showing.
Gallery policy is that the person setting up the show should have a clean and neutral gallery to work with, including standard white walls. If you decide to change the color, it is your responsibility to restore the gallery to its original state immediately after your show.
Standard White Paint: A standard white paint is specified in both graduate galleries. As noted, if you choose to change the color of the gallery walls for your show, you must repaint the gallery standard white immediately after your show is over. The standard white paint is:
Dunn-Edwards
Velvet Flat Wall Finish
W401-836 "Swiss Coffee"
Deovel
This paint is available from all Dunn-Edwards stores. The store nearest CSUF is located at 1575 N. Placentia Avenue, near Yorba Linda Blvd., Placentia. Be sure to ask for the CSUF jP discount.
The rule of thumb for one-coat paint coverage states that each gallon covers about 400 square feet. Painting over dark colors, of course, requires more paint than over light colors.
Exhibition Display Boards: There is a large display area in the foyer of the main gallery. The East, West and Exit galleries are each allotted a 19 1/2" x 26" board for exhibition announcements. Check with Jackie for display policy.
Contact Jackie if you need to confer with the preceding or succeeding exhibitor or a concurrent exhibitor to coordinate receptions, select paint colors, special set-ups, etc.
Keys to the graduate galleries may be picked up after 12:00 noon on the Friday before the scheduled exhibition date and must be returned the following Friday by noon. Instructions for operating the burglar alarm will be given when keys are picked up.
Recommended:
Graduate gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, noon to 4 p.m. or longer, with an opening scheduled according to your preference-weekend or weekday. Thorough cleanup after your reception is expected.
It is your responsibility to open, close, and maintain the graduate gallery for the duration of your exhibition, which must be open during the times specified above. You or your designee may hold more open hours if you wish. Please be conscientious about maintaining your posted hours, remember, you not only represent yourself, but the art department as well.
Gallery Insurance: Insurance is not provided. However, the West gallery is equipped with a burglar alarm connected to the campus police office and there may be a motion detector for the East gallery.
A price list for your pieces may be posted in the gallery or left with Jackie.
University policy states that to serve alcoholic beverages at your opening reception you must: a) request permission from the Vice President for Academic Affairs; b) hire a licensed bartender or have someone, other than yourself, assume responsibility for ensuring that alcoholic beverages are not dispensed to underage or intoxicated persons. If you have someone else be the responsible person, that person must sign the form, or, c) contract with Titan Shops, Inc., for a bonded bartender to be the responsible person, as well as to dispense drinks.
If you feel it is important to offer alcoholic beverages at your reception, it is suggested that you initiate the permission request procedure at least a month before your opening. A bartender may not be available on short notice, if you choose this option; also, to allow enough time for the "paper work" to reach all the required offices on campus. The Vice President for Academic Affairs must approve your request to serve alcoholic beverages. Your request is channeled through the graduate coordinator and the Dean of SOTA. Finally, a copy of the notice is sent to the campus police. Pick up the form from Jackie.
You must install a statement of intention or philosophy, including the printed names and signatures of your committee, on a gallery wall prior to the opening of your exhibition. The signatures constitute final approval of your show. Complete a rough draft in time to revise/edit, if necessary (i.e. at least a month before your show).
The wall statement should not be more than one typewritten, double-spaced page. The following information must be included on your wall statement: your name; title of show, if any; and the printed names of your committee members with their signatures and date of signing.
The design and printing of your announcement is your responsibility. The school does not provide this service.
However, the department will mail 75 announcements at no cost to the student. The announcements must be addressed and bear the return address of the Art Department:
Department of Art
California State University, Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
92834-6850
The return address may be pre-printed, or you may use an address stamp available from Jackie. It is recommended that you mail your announcements at least two weeks before your opening reception. Check with the United States Postal Service for current regulations on sizes. At this time, the regulations state that announcements cannot be less than 3 1/2" high, 5" long.
At minimum, your announcement should contain the following:
Your name
M.A. or M.F.A.Exhibition Show
title (if any)
Dates of Exhibition, INCLUDING YEAR
Concentration
West, East or Exit Gallery
Gallery Hours
Date & Time of Reception
Address of School
Also recommended is a map of the campus in relation to freeways and showing the location of the gallery and parking.
Adequate lead-time cannot be over-stressed in the designing and printing of your announcements. You will be dependent on many people and a variety of graphic services. Unforeseen problems or mistakes can compound and delay a timely mailing.
For reference, announcements of former masters' shows can be viewed in the Graduate Secretary's office.
The following books, located in Cal State Fullerton's library, may be of assistance in the design and implementation of your announcement and wall statement:
Notes on Graphic Design and Visual Communication
Gregg Berryman
Designing with Type or Phototypesetting
James Craig
Lettering for Reproduction
David Gates
Production for the Graphic Designer
James Craig
Advertising Agency and Studio Skills
Tom Cardamone
Communications Arts
Magazine and annuals
File an Application for Graduation (grad check) in the Office of Admissions and Records before the beginning of the semester in which you plan to graduate. Refer to the semester class schedule for the exact deadline. A graduation and diploma fee is required when filing the application. This procedure places your name on the candidates list for graduation. Your name must appear on the candidates list in order for you to graduate.
You must submit a formal record of the project to the art department office by the last week of classes, not finals week, of the semester in which you plan to graduate. If the Permanent Record is not completed and in the department office by that time you will not graduate. Check the semester class schedule for the exact date of the last week of classes. The Permanent Record must include the following in this order:
1. TITLE PAGE: See example. You must obtain signatures of your graduate committee on the title page before submitting the Permanent Record to the graduate coordinator. Upon submission, the graduate coordinator will sign the Title Page-provided everything is included and in proper form-not as an evaluation of the Permanent Record, but as a confirmation of its submission. Signatures of all graduate committee members and the graduate coordinator are required before the degree will be awarded.
2. THE ART 500A PAPER: a research paper related to you concentration and artistic interests. See example title page.
3. THE ART 500B PAPER: an essay on your philosophy, intention, purpose, goals and concepts. See example title page.
4. A copy of the PRINTED ANNOUNCEMENT for the exhibit, neatly mounted.
5. A copy of the signed WALL STATEMENT from the exhibition.
6. IMAGES: a minimum of twenty high quality images is required for your Permanent Record. Please print a sheet that includes thumbnails properly labeled to accompany a CD/DVD for inclusion in your Permanent Record.
All images must be of high quality and adequately represent your work. Images must be of each work submitted for the project, not just the work in your exhibition. Images of work do not have to be taken in the gallery. Detail images are encouraged where appropriate. All images must be individually labeled listing: l) artist; 2) title; 3) date; 4) medium; 5) size in inches (height always precedes width); and if applicable, 6) detail of (title), if appropriate.
All of the above 6 items must be contained and submitted in a hard cover, three-ring black binder that is just thick enough to hold all of the material, a 1/2" thick binder will suffice in most cases. Please see the graduate secretary for examples of past Permanent Records. All of your office records are destroyed after 7 years. Your Permanent Record will be the only remaining documentation of your time here as a graduate student.
In addition to the minimum 20 images for your Permanent Record you must also submit 5 images of your work for the department's permanent image collection. Select images of (5) pieces that you feel best represent you and your work as a graduate student. Label, as you did for your Permanent Record, and give the (5) images on a CD/DVD to Jackie Reynolds when you submit your Permanent Record.
Your graduate committee is responsible for the academic content and English usage in theses and for the correct use of forms of documentation and bibliography. You should consult with your graduate committee concerning the approved style manual for the art department.
The Office of Graduate Studies publishes a "Thesis Manual" to assist the student in preparing a thesis. Included in the manual is general information on all-university policies and procedures, format guidelines, sample pages, checklist, and a thesis approval form. It is the student's responsibility to make certain that all requirements are met. Theses from the library or departmental offices should NOT be used as examples of correct form.
Final version of your art history thesis must be submitted for committee approval at least six weeks prior to the last day of classes. The deadline for submission to the university thesis reader is two weeks prior to the last day of classes.
After approval, you must bind two official copies of your thesis – one for the library and one for the art office. Your graduate committee may require additional copies.
File an Application for Graduation (grad check) in the Office of Admissions and Records before the beginning of the semester in which you plan to graduate. Refer to the semester class schedule for the exact deadline. A graduation and diploma fee is required when filing the application. This procedure places your name on the candidates list for graduation.
Your name must appear on the candidates list in order for you to graduate.
You must submit a formal record of the project to the art department office by the last week of classes, not finals week, of the semester in which you plan to graduate. If the Permanent Record is not completed and in the department office by that time you will not graduate. Check the semester class schedule for the exact date of the last week of classes. The Permanent Record must include the following in this order:
1. TITLE PAGE: See example. You must obtain signatures of your graduate committee on the title page before submitting the Permanent Record to the graduate coordinator. Upon submission, the graduate coordinator will sign the Title Page-provided everything is included and in proper form-not as an evaluation of the Permanent Record, but as a confirmation of its submission. Signatures of all graduate committee members and the graduate coordinator are required before the degree will be awarded.
2. THE ART 500A PAPER: a research paper related to you concentration and artistic interests. See example title page.
In the event you received transfer credit for the 500A paper or its equivalent, a summary of the paper or a copy of the entire paper is required, consult with your graduate committee. See three example title pages, ex. 1, ex. 2, ex. 3.
3. THE ART 500B PAPER: an essay on your philosophy, intention, purpose, goals and concepts. See example title page. As with the Art 500A paper or its equivalent, if you received transfer credit for the Art 500B paper, a summary or a copy of the entire paper is required. Consult with your graduate committee. See three example title pages, ex. 1, ex. 2, ex. 3.
4. A copy of the PRINTED ANNOUNCEMENT for the exhibit, neatly mounted.
5. A copy of the signed WALL STATEMENT from the M.F.A. exhibition.
6. IMAGES: a minimum of twenty high quality images is required for your Permanent Record. Please print a sheet that includes thumbnails properly labeled to accompany a CD/DVD for inclusion in your Permanent Record.
All images must be of high quality and adequately represent your work. Images must be of each work submitted for the project, not just the work in your exhibition. Images of work do not have to be taken in the gallery. Detail images are encouraged where appropriate. All images must be individually labeled listing: l) artist; 2) title; 3) date; 4) medium; 5) size in inches (height always precedes width); and if applicable, 6) detail of (title), if appropriate.
All of the above 6 items must be contained and submitted in a hard cover, three-ring black binder that is just thick enough to hold all of the material, a 1/2" thick binder will suffice in most cases. Please see the graduate secretary for examples of past Permanent Records. All of your office records are destroyed after 7 years. Your Permanent Record will be the only remaining documentation of your time here as a graduate student.
In addition to the minimum 20 slides for your Permanent Record you must also submit 5 slides of your work for the department's permanent slide collection. Select slides of (5) pieces that you feel best represents you and your work as a graduate student. Label, as you did for your Permanent Record, and give the (5) slides to Jackie Reynolds when you submit your Permanent Record.
For the purposes of your Permanent Record, the department's image collection and your future career in the arts, it is recommended that you take good quality photographs and images of your work throughout your graduate program. An up-to-date photographic record of your artwork is a valuable resource. Photographs are a major and important factor in assessing your work for such things as grant/scholarship applications, professional employment, acceptance into competitive and invitational exhibitions, possible inclusion in publications, visual aids for teaching, exhibitions catalogs, gallery solicitations, image collections and exchanges, etc.
Once you have a piece set-up for photographing, take about 5-7 images of the same arrangement. One image may be included in your Permanent Record and the remaining images can be organized into specialized portfolios for purposes listed above.
The least expensive way to photographically record your work is to do it yourself. If you do not have the knowledge or the inclination to gain that knowledge; or do not have the requisite equipment then trading work with a classmate skilled in photography is a possibility. Professional photographers are your last resort in terms of expense, although they will sometimes trade their services for artwork. Professionals usually charge per hour so it behooves you to have enough work on hand to get maximum value out of your allotted time.
How to Photograph Works of Art
by Sheldan Collins
TR657, C65, 1986
Mr. Collins is a former staff photographer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His book is in our library and should be reviewed for general information regardless of how you intend to chronicle your work.
