Master of Fine Arts Syllabus & Subjects 2024

Master of Fine Arts, MFA, is a 2 years postgraduate course that imparts skills as well as knowledge of performing and visual arts. The MFA Syllabus is divided into 4 semesters. The course covers many aesthetic art forms and provides prime MFA subjects including Visual Communication, Applied Arts, Art History, Ceramics, Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking among others. In a nutshell, Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate-level college degree that students can earn by studying and practicing visual arts, performing arts, design, or creative writing. 

Some core subjects in an MFA syllabus include:

• History: History of Indian art, history of Indian architecture, history of European art, history of Oriental art, history of Indian painting and sculpture
• Art: Aesthetics and principles of art appreciation, mechanism of artistic perception, principles and sources of art
• Other: Sociology, fashion design, graphic designing, and interior design 

Other subjects that may be included in an MFA syllabus are:

• Aesthetic and art prediction
• Creative painting or portrait
• History of modern Indian art
• Advertising
• Visualization
• Illustration
• Photography 

MFA course syllabus includes core and elective subjects. The syllabus and MFA course subjects may vary depending on the educational institute selected by the candidates. Aspirants interested in pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree should be aware that the programme does not include a mandatory internship, but rather consists of extensive research and study work over the course of two years. Continue reading to learn everything about the MFA syllabus and subjects.

The two-year Master of Fine Arts, or MFA, programme in postgraduate studies fosters the development of advanced artistic abilities and encourages creative inquiry. It covers a wide range of specialisations, such as acting, filmmaking, painting, sculpture, photography, design, and visual communication. MFA programmes impart knowledge and abilities in performing and visual arts. Theory, art history, and hands-on studio work are usually combined in this programme. A Master of Fine Arts degree has excellent career prospects in commercial art, theatre, television, animation, exhibition design, and many other fields.

Some of the most important details about the MFA course is tabulated below to help candidates in selecting their course of study. 

Also Read: Top 10 Arts Colleges in Delhi University

The Master of Fine Arts course syllabus is different for various specializations offered under the degree. Some of the most sought after MFA specializations are MFA in Painting, Photography, Visual Communication, Textile Design, Applied Arts, Dancing, Pottery and Ceramics, Sculpture, Filmmaking, Creative Writing, Acting, Art History etc. The stream and semester wise syllabus for various Master of Fine Arts specializations are provided below:

Master of Fine Arts Painting Syllabus

Check out the syllabus for MFA Painting below:

MFA Applied Arts Course Syllabus

Captured below is the syllabus for MFA Applied Arts

MFA Sculpture Syllabus

Captured below is the MFA Sculpture Syllabus:

MFA Photography Syllabus

Here is the MFA Photography Syllabus:

The year-wise Master of Fine Arts syllabus has two parts - a set of elective courses that focuses at introducing job-specific knowledge and skills and a compulsory set of Master of Fine subjects covering all basic areas in arts and literature. Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course is the one meant for the specialization in the field of Art forms research and fieldwork. The semester wise MFA subjects that candidates generally encounter during the course are as follows:

MFA First Year Syllabus

The first year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course syllabus is captured below:

MFA Second Year Syllabus

Here is the second year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course subjects:

MFA is a popular PG level course offered at numerous prestigious institutions. Some of the popular MFA course subjects provided by most of the colleges are as follows:

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Optional Subjects

Candidates are offered several MFA Optional Subjects based on the course opted by them. They can select any desired MFA subject based on their respective interests. Check out a few MFA optional subjects offered at educational institutions below:

As mentioned above, MFA has various specializations. Given below are the best MFA specializations:

Also Read:  Master of Fine Arts: Career Scope, Jobs, Salaries

Both theoretical and practical techniques are adopted to impart knowledge in MFA courses. Provided below are a few MFA lab courses that aspirants encounter in their respective specializations:

The MFA course is not only offered through a full-time or regular mode but also through online/ distance education from popular educational institutes like IGNOU, Annamalai University etc. An overview of the syllabus for Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Distance courses is captured below: 

Also Read: Top 10 Distance Education University in India

Most of the colleges accept popular Master of Fine Arts (MFA) entrance exams like CUET PG, LPUNEST etc. to shortlist the deserving candidates. Provided below is the MFA course syllabus for popular entrance exams:

Also Read: Top 10 Arts Colleges in Delhi University

The topics taught in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course syllabus are enough but, to get in-depth understanding and knowledge of subjects, there are certain books that candidates can pick up to enhance their skills and comprehension abilities. Provided below are a few books important for MFA:

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course delivery methods comprises lectures, dissertations, seminars, workshops, exhibitions and practical work. At the end of every semester of most of the MFA courses, students are required to submit a research project. An aspirant pursuing Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is assessed or judged based on their performance in theory exams, practical exams and  internal assessments. In the final evaluation the following factors are taken into account:

• Class assignments
• End-semester exams
• Internships 
• Research project/ Dissertation
• Exhibition/ Practicals and Viva Voce