Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Expression

Program Overview

This 2-year M.F.A. program combines coursework in photography, film, and audio production with advanced training in storytelling. Students with an M.A. in humanities, social science, or journalism will engage in interdisciplinary coursework, fieldwork, and a thesis project to create compelling narratives about the South and beyond. Faculty from the Southern Documentary Project and Southern Foodways Alliance provide instruction and mentorship.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Program Content:
Interdisciplinary coursework with advanced training in photography, film, and audio production to create compelling and nuanced stories of a complicated region and world.
• Program Structure:
2-year program requiring students to already have an M.A. degree in the fields of humanities, social science, or journalism.
• Course Schedule:
30 credit hours of coursework, including 21 credit hours of courses and 9 credit hours of thesis credit.

Individual Modules:

• S St 601:
Graduate Seminar
• S St 533:
Fieldwork & Oral History
• S St 610:
M.F.A. Seminar
• S St 633:
M.F.A. Fieldwork
• At least one of the following:
• S St 534:
Documentary Photography
• S St 537:
Documenting the South in Film
• S St 538:
Advanced Documentary Film
• At least 3 credit hours of:
• S St 699:
M.F.A. Critique
• Faculty:
Faculty and staff at the Southern Documentary Project and the Southern Foodways Alliance play a major role in instructing and mentoring students in the M.F.A. program.