potter'smom Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hello, My daughter is entering her Senior Year in HS and is planning to major in Ceramics. We live in upstate NY and she would like to stay within 5 hours of home. She does not want to be in a very rural area like Alfred. We have toured New Paltz, Nazareth, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse, and plan to visit Skidmore within the next 2 weeks and may also tour University of Hartford. Any other suggestions? This is all new to me, so any suggestions would be helpful! Also, what specific ?'s should she be asking, and what is the difference between the BA and BFA when it comes time for applying to MFA programs? She seems more interested in a BFA. Thanks in advance for your suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 A BFA is usually regarded as a professional training degree, where the graduate would be prepared to go out into the working world after completion. A BA is more Liberal Arts oriented without the intense focus. BFAs have become 5 year degrees in many places. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meisie Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hello, My daughter is entering her Senior Year in HS and is planning to major in Ceramics. We live in upstate NY and she would like to stay within 5 hours of home. She does not want to be in a very rural area like Alfred. We have toured New Paltz, Nazareth, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse, and plan to visit Skidmore within the next 2 weeks and may also tour University of Hartford. Any other suggestions? This is all new to me, so any suggestions would be helpful! Also, what specific ?'s should she be asking, and what is the difference between the BA and BFA when it comes time for applying to MFA programs? She seems more interested in a BFA. Thanks in advance for your suggestions! My Ceramics instructor studied at Mass College of Art, which has a wonderful program. Not to mention Boston is lots of fun and a fairly safe, small but cultural city with an awesome art museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potter'smom Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 A BFA is usually regarded as a professional training degree, where the graduate would be prepared to go out into the working world after completion. A BA is more Liberal Arts oriented without the intense focus. BFAs have become 5 year degrees in many places. Marcia Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potter'smom Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potter'smom Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hello, My daughter is entering her Senior Year in HS and is planning to major in Ceramics. We live in upstate NY and she would like to stay within 5 hours of home. She does not want to be in a very rural area like Alfred. We have toured New Paltz, Nazareth, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse, and plan to visit Skidmore within the next 2 weeks and may also tour University of Hartford. Any other suggestions? This is all new to me, so any suggestions would be helpful! Also, what specific ?'s should she be asking, and what is the difference between the BA and BFA when it comes time for applying to MFA programs? She seems more interested in a BFA. Thanks in advance for your suggestions! My Ceramics instructor studied at Mass College of Art, which has a wonderful program. Not to mention Boston is lots of fun and a fairly safe, small but cultural city with an awesome art museum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potter'smom Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thank you! Does anyone know anything about the schools I mentioned above? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hello, My daughter is entering her Senior Year in HS and is planning to major in Ceramics. We live in upstate NY and she would like to stay within 5 hours of home. She does not want to be in a very rural area like Alfred. We have toured New Paltz, Nazareth, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse, and plan to visit Skidmore within the next 2 weeks and may also tour University of Hartford. Any other suggestions? This is all new to me, so any suggestions would be helpful! Also, what specific ?'s should she be asking, and what is the difference between the BA and BFA when it comes time for applying to MFA programs? She seems more interested in a BFA. Thanks in advance for your suggestions! Another side to the coin, just as a thought even though it might cause a storm. She could do an MA with an ED degree that would allow her to teach in public schools as a fall back. Some folks have done that, and found themselves well suited, others hate it. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thank you! Does anyone know anything about the schools I mentioned above? Back when I was in college Alfred was considered one of the best ceramic programs in the country and you were pretty hot stuff if you got accepted into their master's degree program. You can schedule a tour through the facility and get a better idea about the teaching program they offer. Having been through the send your kid off to college years I would keep her close by for the first two years and get her basics in. After that she will be a little more mature and have a better idea in which direction she might head in ceramics or an entirely different direction. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pent19 Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 My first instict when reading the title of this post was Alfred. I studied at SUNY Oswego under Richard Zakin (who recently retired but is still around the college). I recieved my BFA in painting and ceramics. I immediately went for my Masters in Art Education at SUNY Oswego as well and was forunate enough to find and job right away and will begin my 6th year of teaching this fall. I would not be able to have my own ceramic studio at my house without my art education degree and job. I have found a balance that allows me to teach and share what I love doing with others, and using my off time to create and work in my studio. When it comes to her degree she should go with a BFA, a BA is designed for someone who may double major. As far as schools go I would look at the professors in the ceramics department, how long they have been there, what their work is like, any books they have written and where they show their work etc. If the ceramics dept has a high turnover the program may not be what your daughter is looking for. While I worked under Richard Zakin (a master in the electric firing world) I am clueless about raku and gas firing because he didn't offer those options in his program. However, my knowledge of electric firing has got me to where I am today. I would have your daughter spend the next few months meeting with the professors of the art departments, especially the ceramics department. It is important that she feels she can work with the professors and have them mentor her. If she attends a 'well-known' school and gets the cold shoulder from her ceramics professor for 4 years she really isn't getting as much from that program that she could. However, she may find that a smaller school will give her the guidance and mentoring she needs for future in ceramics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spring Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Also, what specific ?'s should she be asking, and what is the difference between the BA and BFA when it comes time for applying to MFA programs? I have a teacher who recieved her bachelors in English and was accepted into the MFA program in caeramics at MSU and another teacher I had never got a bachelors but has a masters (that was way back in the day, but she studied under Paul Soldner). Just sayin' theres more than one way to skin a cat but BFA is probably the easiest. Spring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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