Regulations for the Degree of Master Of Fine Art

• 1. Any person who has been admitted to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art, who has satisfied the conditions prescribed by this section, and who has satisfied the examiners as required, may supplicate for the Degree of Master of Fine Art.

• 2. The Education Committee shall have power to make and vary such regulations as may be necessary for carrying out the duties laid upon it and upon the Registrar by this section.

• 3. A Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art who is not a graduate of the University may wear the same gown as that worn by Students for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

§2. Admission of Candidates

• 1. A candidate seeking admission as a Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art shall apply to the Committee for the Ruskin School of Art. Candidates for admission shall be required to provide such information as the Committee may determine from time to time by regulation. Applicants shall in addition be required to undertake such other tests and meet such conditions as, subject to the approval of the Education Committee, the Committee may determine by regulation.

• 2. A student registered for any other higher degree or diploma in the University may apply for transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art. The Committee shall have power to make such transfer, provided that it is satisfied that the student is well-qualified and well-fitted to undertake the course of study for which application is made, and that the application has the support of the candidate's society. A candidate who transfers status in this way shall be reckoned as having held the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art from the time of admission to his or her previous status, unless the Committee shall determine otherwise.

§3. Supervision of Students

• 1. Every candidate on admission as a Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art shall be placed by the Committee for the Ruskin School of Fine Art under the supervision of a member of the University or other competent person selected by the Committee, and the Committee shall have power for sufficient reason to change the supervisor of any student or to arrange for joint supervision by more than one supervisor, if it deems necessary.

• 2. It shall be the duty of the supervisor of a student entered upon a course of study to direct and superintend the work of the student, to meet the student regularly, and to undertake such duties as shall be from time to time set out in the relevant Policy and Guidance issued by the Education Committee.

• 3. The supervisor shall submit a report on the progress of a student to the Committee three times a year, and at any other time when the Committee so requests or the supervisor deems expedient. The supervisor shall communicate the contents of the report to the student on each occasion that a report is made, so that the student is aware of the supervisor's assessment of his or her work during the period in question. In addition, the supervisor shall inform the Committee at once if he or she is of the opinion that the student is unlikely to reach the standard required for the Degree of Master of Fine Art.

• 4. It shall be the duty of every Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art to undertake such guided work and to attend such seminars and lectures as his or her supervisor requests; to attend such meetings with his or her supervisor as the supervisor reasonably arranges; and to fulfil any other requirements of the relevant Policy and Guidance issued by the Education Committee.

§4. Residence and other Requirements

• 1. No full-time Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art shall be granted leave to supplicate unless, after admission, he or she has kept statutory residence and pursued his or her course of study at Oxford for at least forty weeks. No part-time Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art shall be granted leave to supplicate unless, after admission, he or she has pursued his or her course of study at Oxford for at least six terms on a part-time basis, including attendance for university-based work for a minimum of 30 days annually, ten days per term.

• 2. No full-time Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art shall retain that status for more than two years in all. No part-time students shall retain that status for more than four years in all.

• 3. A Student for the Degree of Master of Fine Art shall cease to hold that status if:

  • (a) he or she shall have been refused permission to supplicate for the Degree of Master of Fine Art;

  • (b) the Committee for the Ruskin School of Fine Art shall, in accordance with provisions set down by regulation by the Education Committee, and after consultation with the student's society and supervisor, have deprived the student of such status;

  • (c) he or she shall have been transferred under the relevant provisions to another status; or

  • (d) he or she shall not have entered for the relevant examination within the time specified under this sub-section.

§5. Examination of Students

• 1. The examination for the Degree of Master of Fine Art shall be under the supervision of the Committee for the Ruskin School of Fine Art. The subjects of each examination shall be determined by regulation by the Committee, which shall have power to arrange lectures and courses of instruction for the examination.

• 2. No candidate shall be permitted to take an examination under the preceding clause unless he or she has been admitted as a candidate for the examination in question by the Committee and has satisfied any other conditions prescribed in the regulations for that course.

• 3. Unless otherwise provided in this sub-section, the number and distribution of examiners shall be as set out in the relevant regulation.

• 4. A candidate who has failed to satisfy the examiners in the examination may enter again on one, but not more than one, subsequent occasion for that part of the examination which he or she failed.

• 1. The examination shall include both practical and written work.

• 2. Every candidate for the examination must follow a programme of study in the practice of art, which will include the development of individually determined projects of artwork, presented for discussion in a series of group seminars.

• 3. Every candidate for the examination must follow a programme of seminars for the discussion of contemporary art and cultural theory.

• 4. Syllabus

  • (a) Every candidate must, after consultation with his or hertheir supervisor, submit an extended text of at least 4,000 words, and not more than 6,000 words, in support of their studio work. This may be an account of the methodology used in the studio project, an exposition of its theoretical framework, or an essay on another topic of direct relevance to the practice. Full-timeThe candidatescompleted essay should be uploaded as a PDF to the University approved online assessment platform. Candidates must submit the extended text digitally not later than noon of Monday of Week 9 in Hilary Term. Part time candidates must submit it not later than noon of Monday of Week 9 in Hilary Term of their 2nd year. 

  • (b) Every candidate must submit aan digitalexhibition or other presentation as appropriate of artworks made during the course. The digital presentation should include both completed artworks and examples of work in progress, and the original work can be in any medium, including 2D, 3D installation, performance, moving image, writing and sound. TheFull digitaltime presentationcandidates must submit this by noon of Wednesday of the Week 7 in Trinity term. 

  • (c) Every candidate must digitally submit full documentation of their studio project work. Candidates must submit this as a document of not more than 30 pages, to include images. It should be accompanied byincorporate a text of not more than 2,500000 words to annotate and explicate the workvisual documentation and itsmay documentationbe accompanied by up to 20 minutes of moving image. Full-timeThe candidatescompleted mustessay submitshould be uploaded as a PDF to the digitalUniversity presentationapproved ofonline artworksassessment notplatform later thanby noon of Wednesday of Week 7 in Trinity term. Part time candidates must submit it not later than noon of Wednesday of Week 7 in Trinity term of their second year. The submitted work will be examined holistically, with 20% of marks allocated to the extended written text and 80% of the marks allocated to the digital presentation of artworks.

• 5. A candidate who fails the examination may re-sit at the end of the following Michaelmas Term.

• 6. The examiners may award a merit for work of particularly high quality in the whole examination or a distinction for excellence in the whole examination. Candidates who have initially failed any element of assessment shall not normally be eligible for the award of merit or distinction.