Thesis

MFA Illustration Written Thesis

As a partial fulfillment of the MFA degree, a paper is to be submitted in defense of a Body of Work. The paper should be at minimum 5-6 pages in length.
This paper should deal primarily with the Body of Work; its’ inspiration, development  and proposed marketing plan.
You may include your professional and academic background before entering the MFA Illustration Program. You may also wish to include your reasons for entering the program and explain how the program supported your progress in the creation of the Body of Work—keep this part brief.
For references and citations refer to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers-Sixth Edition, written by Joseph Gibaldi.

Check here for details about SU’s requirements in writing your thesis.

If English is not your first language, you must use the Writing Center at SU for assistance. This is a free consulting service; they will help you to write clearly and communicate well. (Even if English is your first language, if you are uncertain about your writing ability, they will help you.)

The paper should cover the following points:

  1. The title and subject of the Body of Work.
  2. The inspiration for choosing this direction for a Body of Work.
  3. Describe your creative process in the development of the work.
  4. Describe your artistic influences and how they affected the look of the work.
    ( Include an image of each artist you name as an influence.)
    You may put more than one image on a page.
  5. Describe the literary, cultural, social, psychological, or other influences on the work.
  6. Has your initial vision of the Body of Work changed during the creative process. If so, how?
  7. How do you plan to market this Body of Work?

The paper should also include the images created for the Thesis Exhibition. Use one page for each image. (This is in addition to the 5-6 written pages). Include the title, medium, size, and year created for each image.

In the fall semester, you will focus on your exhibition artwork. However, you will keep your written thesis in mind, and develop your outline and proposal for the written thesis.