Need some advice for an MFA in Photography

[Josh Haftel]

I'd like to get my MFA in photography primarily to teach college-level photography at some point (either immediately after school or some time down the road, not sure just yet).

 

I've heard from lots of people that if my only goal is to teach, getting a degree anywhere would be fine (instead of an expensive one like from Yale, SVA, RISD, etc.). I'm curious about what folks here think about that. I mean, if I wanted to teach at one of those high-end schools didn't have a degree from an equivalent uni, would that be a problem? I understand that portfolio is what matters, but then I feel that if that were really true, why would someone need an MFA to teach at all if they've got a stellar portfolio? As I've never gone up for a teaching position, I'm not sure what the thought process for the hiring committee is.

 

My wife and I are currently homeless (we're on a one year travel as a way to disconnect from the silicon valley way of things) so location isn't important. I've got a lot of experience in the photography industry and feel that I'd be able to teach at the undergrad level, so finding a place that would allow for that would be awesome (I saw that SJSU had this as an option, for example). My wife and I are currently debt-free and I'd love to stay that way (took a while paying off her two masters degrees) so I am pretty price sensitive (could also be because neither one of have a job currently ).

 

At the same time, if there are good opportunities for scholarships, I know I'd really love to go to a top-tier school--I just have no idea what the scholarship options are.

 

Would really love thoughts and feedback on which schools to consider, best approaches to set myself up education-wise for getting a teaching job later on, etc.

 

Thanks!

[Portra400120]

In order to teach in a college and/or university you need to have an MFA--just not a good portfolio.

 

There are some schools that offer scholarships. UCLA does offer scholarships and Yale practices need-blind admissions. From my understanding, if you can demonstrate financial need, they will help a student go through their program without debt for tuition. At RISD all MFA photography students receive $10,000 off a year and one student gets half off tuition. I'm not sure how much money SVA gives to students, but I got the feeling they do not offer a significant amount of scholarship money.

 

Applications are due in the next few days. I assume you are applying next year?

 

[Josh Haftel]

Thanks for the reply!

 

Yeah, I'm thinking about applying next year. I guess the best thing to do then is to apply and see what I'm offered from the different schools.

 

Thanks again

[evd]

Avoid SVA, as they don't offer Teaching Assistantships (to my knowledge).

 

A lot of other schools (especially ones with a large amounts of undergrad art students) make it fairly easy to find opportunities to teach. RIT is a great example.

[poopfever]

Like seemingly all academic positions, it's very hard to move up from the school you attended to the school you teach at, at least without having first a great deal of professional success. It will be very hard to get a job out of grad school at a desirable school without a degree from a MORE desirable university OR a kick-ass exhibition record (or both). If you're a hot shit artist, you can actually get by without an MFA, though that's very rare. 

 

If you're trying to teach at community college or regional school, it probably doesn't matter that much.

 

I have an MFA from a top program, and I was lucky to get a job at a respectable (though not stellar) art university. And it's spotty contract work. But, if I can build my exhibition record consistently, I think I'll be fine.

 

Also, there are good schools that are very well-funded: USC, Northwestern, Stanford. Also, UC Irvine and UCLA are amazing programs, and, if you're lucky enough to be a California resident, or have the wherewithal to establish residency, they're very affordable.

[tofutuesday]

I whole heartedly agree with what everyone else has written. There is something to be said for getting your MFA from a top tier school when trying to teach (unless as poopfever said) you are a well established and recognized photographer. There are many programs that offer substantial funding, in state tuition tends to be cheaper, and state schools are cheaper than private schools. SVA is expensive and when I visited the school was informed that they offer very little funding which was just the final nail in the coffin because I didn't feel that inclined to even apply there.

 

There are also schools such as Mills College in the East Bay, which if you get in you only have to pay for the first year (to my knowledge). Do some research, call the schools and you'll be able to figure this all out. Good luck!

[thisandthat]

I have no idea if an mfa from a name school gets you a further job - looking at various staff websites suggests it isnt so massively important as one might think.

[seeingeyeduck]

I don't think you can count on an MFA to get you a job. I did art in undergrad and watched the MFA grads either get adjunct part time positions or continue to work day jobs. The two I can think of who did eventually get professorships did so many years out of school and frankly had stellar records before they even went to grad school. You can assume that pretty much every where you go, people who have teaching jobs in art will hang on for dear life until they move or retire.

Have a plan that isn't just "get my MFA and then land a teaching job!" That said, I think there is something to be said for teaching at a CC. It's not as competitive and you still get to be a mentor.

[Endre Friedmann]

There're plenty of poorly-paid, temporary teaching jobs in higher education.  An MFA will help you get one.  The more interesting question, I believe, is using the MFA to get a better paid, permanent teaching job with middle class wages.  The growth in recent years of low-residency (summer) MFA programs, the growth in doctoral programs in the visual arts, bears investigation.

 

FWIW, most college-level courses nationwide are taught by instructors who are not paid middle class wages for their teaching/research/publication/service.  A willingness to spend a year homeless while traveling the country is -- in a perverse way -- excellent preparation for a career adjuncting, excellent preparation for an impoverished old age.