Category — Admissions

Applications for the MFA priority deadline must be postmarked January 15th, 2010.

Late applications will be considered based on space available.

If applicants encounter any problems with MECA’s on-line system, please contact the Admissions staff at admissions@meca.edu or Rachel Katz in the MFA Office rkatz@meca.edu.

Maine College of Art’s MFA program is travelling to Portland, Oregon and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in December. We warmly invite you to an impromptu, informal evening soirée (in a hotel room!) with current & prospective students, alumni, former faculty, and friends…

The MARK SPENCER HOTEL

409 SW 11th Avenue, Portland

Monday, December 7th 8:00-10:00 p.m.
ROOM #305

BEST WESTERN Independence Park Inn
Ro0m #308


235 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia

Thursday, December 10th 8:00-10:00 p.m.
ROOM TBA.



RSVP for the room numbers… rduclos@meca.edu

Photo: Alisha Gould, MFA summer garden party 2009

MECA MFA will be attending the San Francisco Graduate Portfolio Reviews on Saturday Oct 17th. Drop by and see us!

Location: San Francisco Art Institute
Time: Saturday, Oct 17, 2009 noon-4 p.m.

MECA MFA will be attending the New York City Graduate Portfolio Reviews on Saturday Oct 3rd. Drop by and see us!

All First Priority applications for the MFA in Studio Arts should be mailed to the College by JANUARY 15th, 2010.  Full details are on our admissions page.

Maine College of Art has a new Director of Admissions. Please welcome Grace Hopkins-Lisle who joins us from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Grace and the team in the Admissions Office will be assisting the MFA in admitting the next class of 2012.

**Join us**
AUGUST 7th, 2009
2:00 to 8:00 pm

Aaron T. Stephan MFA ‘02 Vessels Absent 2008

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Maine College of Art
OSHER HALL
522 Congress Street

1:30-2:00 Check-in and light refreshments
2:00-2:30 Welcome and brief introduction to the MFA
2:30-3:45 Talks by current MFA students, alumni, and advisors
3:45-4:00 Question and Answer panel
4:00-5:00 Behind the scenes studio visits and tours
5:00-7:00 OPEN STUDIOS for First Friday general public
7:00 -8:00 Cocktail “mixer” for MFA students and alumni

All accepted graduate students at MECA who have filed their FAFSA forms are eligible for Merit Based Scholarships, MECA Grants, Endowed and Restricted Scholarships, Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, VA Benefits, and Work Study. The Financial Aid Office may be reached at 1-800-699-1509 for more information on any of these forms of support.

This year in the MFA the number of Merit-Based Presidential (6K) and Dean Scholarships (4K) given out has increased, as has the amount provided for MECA Grants. More internally-funded professional opportunities have been created for graduate students to help them cover the cost of their education and gain valuable work experience at the same time. Three new Teaching Assistantships and five new Research Assistantships, as well as an MFA Gallery Curator position have all been developed this year. New scholarship opportunities are being developed for 2010.

Student positions are applied for at the end of each summer through a competitive process that involves an application and, in the case of Teaching Assistants and MFA Mentors, a personal interview. Typically, student positions receive tuition remissions of $1,000 – $2,000 for approximately 140 hours of work over the winter and spring semesters. Students do not hold any positions during the summer semester at all. During the non-summer months, the MFA discourages students from working more than 20 hours a week – the workload is simply too much. Full-time teachers have completed the MFA while maintaining their jobs but this requires stamina and a high level of organization.

Our congratulations go out to all of the MFA students who have been recognized by the College for their excellent work and commitment to the MECA community. In 2009-2010 fifteen of our students hold Dean’s Scholarships, three students have been awarded the MFA President’s Award, two Cummings Scholarships and six restricted scholarships have been given out, as well as thirteen MFA Grants. The MFA employs its own students as teaching assistants, writing coaches, and studio mentors for the BFA program. We have also created positions for our students to work with us as web developers, outreach assistants, admission ambassadors, office assistants, technology coordinators, and archival assistants.

When submitting graduate applications, potential students are highly encouraged to prepare their FAFSA forms well in advance so that Financial Aid awards can be given out during the acceptance process. International students please note: the US Government requires additional forms to be completed for students living outside the USA. Please contact the admissions office at MECA should you have questions about these regulations.

Students who withdraw and receive Federal Financial Aid will be subject to return of Title IV funds and/or repayment of unearned aid as specified in 34 CFR 668.22. Maine College of Art uses the Return of Title IV Funds for Withdrawn Students on-line program designed by the US Department of Education to calculate the return and late disbursement of Title IV funds.