Any Columbia MFA/visual arts grads out there?

[LMNOP3]

Hi, I’m considering the visual arts mfa at Columbia, trying to get a sense of what the in person workload actually looks like week to week. Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's currently in the program or has graduated from it.

I get that most of the work is self directed, studio time which I can do on my time and at home for my specific discipline. What I’m trying to figure out is the actual fixed stuff, class time, meetings with professors, group crits, visiting artist lectures, exhibition install and that kind of thing.

if I lived somewhere way cheaper than NYC and commuted in, is that doable? If I’m 1.5 hrs away but only actually in the city 3 days a week and the rest is self directed work, that seems fine. If it's more  showing up every day, then a 1.5 hour commute is not going to work and I'll have to be much closer (and is the 5 day a week schedule, 9-5 every day or it’s two hour commitment at 10a every day.) I have a family so it's a real balancing act. Also, do you have control so you can stack most of your commitments into a 3 day week in the city?

Then the other thing, is the whole after hours cohort thing real? going out and exploring the nyc art scene with classmates, studio visits, all that. does that actually happen or is it more talked about than lived? Being older and having a family I am definitely a lot more focused on my work than partying, but getting out there and in front of faces is a real importance, so is this happening or again self directed and only on the gallery days, like Thursdays?

A lot to unpack, thank you in advance for any feedback. 

Broken out for brevity:

• Are the fixed in-person commitments (class time, faculty meetings, group crits, visiting artist lectures, exhibition installs) limited to specific days, or spread across the week?
• Is a 3-day/week in-person schedule realistic, allowing for a 1.5-hour commute?
• Is attendance actually required 5 days/week?
• If it's 5 days/week, is each day a full 9-5 commitment, or a short block (e.g., ~2 hours around 10am)?
• Is there control over your schedule to stack most commitments into a condensed 3-day week?
• Is the informal cohort culture (studio visits, gallery-going, exploring the NYC art scene with classmates) actually active, or more talked about than lived?
• If it is active, does it happen mainly on specific days (e.g., Thursdays), or is it spread out and self-directed?

[luasfischer]

Stacking commitments into a 3-day commute is doable since core seminars and crits usually cluster mid-week.

However, because required classes meet once weekly, faculty tend to be strict about missing any sessions. Balancing family with a long commute leaves little room for error, so using https://attendcalc.com/ can help you track required days and avoid falling below department thresholds during train delays.

Just expect your schedule to temporarily expand to 5 days during open studios and exhibition installs.

As for cohort culture, Thursday gallery nights are active, but older students easily balance family by selectively choosing daytime studio visits instead.

Edited August 3 by luasfischer

[LMNOP3]

Thank you, this was very helpful!