DS MFA Credits and Courses

Credits (51 credits required)

• 24 credits at UW-Madison
• Prior coursework (approved by advisor and/or committee)
• 30 credits must be graduate level with G50% attribute
• 3.0 GPA

Interdisciplinary Human Ecology (InterHE) Course (2 credits required)

• InterHE 792: Theories and Perspectives in Human Ecology (1 credit required for MFA, 2 credits required for MS and PhD)
• InterHE 801: Professional Development Seminar (1 credit optional)

Material Culture, History & Criticism (minimum of 6 credits required)

• Courses may include, but are not limited to:
  • AFROAMER 801: Historiography, Theory and Methods in Visual Culture
  • AFROAMER 802: Visual Cultures: Topics in Visual Cultures
  • ART HISTORY 603: Curatorial Studies Colloquium
  • DS 355: History of Fashion, 1400-Present
  • DS 764: Dimensions of Material Culture
  • DS 501: Special Topics
    • History: Object Based Learning
  • DS 421: History of Architecture & Interiors I: Antiquity through 18th Century
  • DS 422: History of Architecture & Interiors II: 19th and 20th Centuries
  • DS 430: History of Textiles

• DS 920: Seminar in Design Studies (section 002: Seminar in Design History)

• Or other courses in the following departments focusing on material culture, history and/or criticism:
  • African Cultural Studies
  • Afro-American Studies
  • American Indian Studies
  • Art History
  • Asian Languages & Cultures
  • Design Studies
  • Gender & Women’s Studies
  • History
• Or other courses in other departments focusing material culture, history and/or criticism as determined by the faculty advisor

Design Studies Seminar (minimum of 3 credits required)

• Students must take at least 1 credit of DS 920 per year for all three years for a total of 3 credits
• DS 920: Seminar in Design Studies-MFA Studio Colloquium, 1 credit

Non-studio Elective Coursework (minimum of 3 credits required)

• An opportunity to take a course related to your research but outside of the arts
• Any course in another department numbered 300 and above; must be outside of the School of Human Ecology

Art Colloquium (minimum of 1 credit each semester recommended)

• Students may take at least 1 credit of ART 508 each semester for all three years for a total of 6 credits
• ART 508: Colloquium in Art

General Studio Work (minimum of 9 credits required)

• Develop a strong foundation in studio-based inquiry and applied scholarship
• Any studio course numbered 300 or above from any of the following departments:
  • Art
  • Communication Arts
  • Creative Writing
  • Design Studies
  • Dance
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Music
  • Theater
• Or other studio (applied scholarship) courses as determined by the faculty advisor

Focused Area Studio Work (minimum of 15 credits)

• At least 15 credits of DS 990 Research and Thesis
  • At least 8 of the credits must be with the students faculty advisor; 1-3 credits with the faculty advisor each semester is recommended
  • Remaining credits may be with the faculty advisor and/or recommended to be with faculty members on the students MFA committee