3-Year MFA vs. 2-Year MFA vs. Post-Bacc

[freegirl]

I'm wondering if anyone is making a similar decision / has gone through this process already?

I have a liberal arts undergrad degree, so I applied mainly to 3-year MFAs/Post-Bacc programs for graphic design. Even though I have done a lot in art and have taken continuing ed classes in graphic design, programs that would give me more practice in design fundamentals appealed to me. I was accepted for the Post-Baccs at MICA and SAIC (which would most likely lead to the MFA there), the 3-year MFA at CCA, and 2-year MFA at Pratt.

First of all, I was wondering what people's impressions of MICA vs. SAIC vs. Pratt vs. CCA are? I did a lot of research and visited all except CCA, and liked each program but didn't get a strong sense of what makes each of them different.

Second, I'm trying to decide which track makes most sense. I really liked MICA's program and liked that it would give me some options after one year, but especially since I was accepted for MFA programs, I don't know if I want to go through the application process again if I decide I want to do the MFA. And if I was accepted at Pratt, which I could complete in 2 years, would doing a 3rd year at SAIC or CCA be totally superfluous?

If anyone has insight or feedback or is making a similar decision, I would love to hear from you!

[mfahopeful]

How long has it been since you got your undergrad degree? I also come from a liberal arts background (a weird double major that combined studio art/humanities/foreign language), but have worked a few years professionally as a graphic designer. I'm going to VCU in the fall for their two-year MFA. I think it comes down to your timeline and finances. If you're fresh out of undergrad and not worried about the finances, the post-bacc programs might not be a bad way to go. You could get a really great foundation, but then have more options to apply again to 2-year programs, including the school where you're doing the post-bacc and others. You'd also possibly be a little more clear about what you want in an MFA program—more focus on theory, discourse and experimental approaches, or a focus on more traditional approaches; rigid curriculum or loose framework for independent exploration. 

I've heard good things about the MICA post-bacc—I interviewed there for the two-year program and was given a tour by a current student who had done the post-bacc before moving into the MFA. He also had a liberal arts undergrad degree. He had nothing but good things to say about both programs. It does seem like the post-bacc students are kept separate from the MFA students to a certain degree, kind of living in between the undergrad and grad students, which I guess makes sense. The facilities are amazing there, as I'm sure you saw. Another benefit to the MICA program is that it seems well connected to the east coast design scene. Ellen Lupton is a co-director of the MFA program, and she keeps the students involved in the latest discourse, frequently involving them in publication and curatorial projects. I didn't look much into the programs at SAIC, Pratt, and CCA, so I wouldn't be able to make much comparison there.

The upside to a three-year program like CCA (or RISD or Yale or a provisional year at VCU) is that there would be continuity between your foundation year and the final two years. You would already have your community of other students and professors at the end of your first year, and you would move seamlessly into the MFA. The downside to the post-baccs at MICA and SAIC is there's no guarantee that you'd be admitted into their MFA programs if you wanted to stay, as far as I understand. So it's almost like you'd be putting effort and money into that foundational year without the security that you could continue on in the MFA. I would certainly hope you would have a leg up at that point, though.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[freegirl]

Thanks for your response @mfahopeful! I'm about 6 years out of school now, but I don't have a whole lot of commitments and also thankfully finances aren't (too much of) an issue. I actually just went back to MICA and was very impressed with the post-bacc program, and certainly they have great resources. It also seems that after finishing the one year you're in a good position either to enter the MFA there (or elsewhere) or go straight to work.

Congrats on VCU!

[ashleighxcult]

On April 5, 2016 at 8:12 PM, freegirl said:

Thanks for your response @mfahopeful! I'm about 6 years out of school now, but I don't have a whole lot of commitments and also thankfully finances aren't (too much of) an issue. I actually just went back to MICA and was very impressed with the post-bacc program, and certainly they have great resources. It also seems that after finishing the one year you're in a good position either to enter the MFA there (or elsewhere) or go straight to work.

Congrats on VCU!

I will be attending MICA's Low-Res MFA program this summer, and I have to say that I love the faculty, facilities and program structures there.  It was a big reason that MICA was the only school I even wanted to apply to.  That being said, despite the faculty, facilities, etc. (which are all awesome) I don't know that I would attend a post-bacc program unless I didn't get into any MFA programs, only because you're paying the same tuition as MFA students without actually being in-progress towards a MFA. That's a lot of money to put into a one-year non-degree program.  The exception for me would be if you REALLY wanted that extra year at that specific school, and you have a good chance of acceptance to a MFA program after you complete the post-bacc.