Dr. Bob Wood, Program Director
John Bragg Mass Communication Building, 208
(615) 898-2532

Glenda Vandygrift, Graduate Analyst

Graduate Faculty

Department's Homepage

Graduate Catalog

The Department of Recording Industry offers the Master of Fine Arts in Recording Arts and Technologies (MRAT).* In addition to MRAT courses, the department offers two other courses at the graduate level. These courses (RIM) are primarily intended as a cognate or electives for M.B.A. or other graduate students.

Requirements for the Master of Fine Arts

The purpose of the Master of Fine Arts program is to prepare practitioners in the field of audio recording and production for advanced work in an integrated electronic media environment. Preparation for advanced professional practice requires that students specialize in one area and develop a common understanding of the theoretical concepts behind other disciplines such as video production, digital animation, music, and computer science. The program offers a strong technical component utilizing the latest advancements in software and hardware. The degree plan also offers preparation for graduates to teach at the postsecondary level in the field of audio recording and production.

The M.F.A. degree is a 60-hour, six semester program as outlined below including 30 hours of required courses, 12 hours of guided electives, 9 hours of work in a cognate area (courses in a single department outside of the program), plus 9 hours of work on a final project. It is expected that students attend full time taking 9 to 12 hours per semester.

Guided elective may be chosen from Recording Arts and Technologies courses and approved courses from other areas such as art, computer science, English, education, industrial technology, mass communication, music, psychology, sociology, or speech and theatre. At least 6 hours of guided electives must be graduate-level courses from the Department of Recording Industry. The cognate requires 9 hours of courses from a single department. No more than 12 hours of guided electives and cognate area courses may be from the same department. A maximum of 6 hours of 5000-level courses may be counted toward the degree.

*NOTE: This graduate program is NOT designed for students who have graduated from the MTSU Department of Recording Industry with a concentration in Production and Technology. Graduates of the MTSU program are encouraged to seek employment in the industry or to pursue a graduate program that offers experiences different from their undergraduate program.

Admission Requirements

All students desiring to enroll for the M.F.A. program in Recording Arts and Technologies must make application to the Office of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. Minimum requirements for admission are:

• possession of a bachelor's degree
• a brief essay explaining the applicant's career goals, related work experience, and how this degree will help attain the stated career goals
• undergraduate preparation or significant professional experience appropriate to the graduate curriculum and a minimum overall grade point average of 3.00 on all courses attempted, excluding repeated courses
• a satisfactory score on the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) that is not more than five years old. Scores for unconditional admission should meet or exceed 460 verbal and 560 quantitative.
• a portfolio of works representative of the candidate's creative achievements in the areas of audio recording, composition, video, film, multimedia, Web design, or areas strongly related to the degree curriculum. NOTE: The portfolio has no specific guidelines because applicants are expected to have developed varying types of creative skills. It is extremely important to document your contribution to each item you submit. For example, if you submit an audio recording, state if you were composer, performer, engineer, producer, or several of these things.
• two letters of recommendation for graduate study, one from the student's undergraduate major advisor if the student is a recent graduate.

Conditional Admission

An applicant who meets all requirements for admission to the M.F.A. program except the grade point average of 3.00 on all undergraduate work attempted may be granted conditional admission status if the applicant has a 3.00 average on all upper-division undergraduate work. An applicant who meets all requirements for admission to the M.F.A. program except the minimum GRE scores may also be granted conditional status. Conditional students must maintain at least a 3.00 GPA for the first 12 semester hours of graduate work or one year after first matriculation (whichever occurs earlier) in order to achieve regular status and continue in the program. Students may also be admitted under conditional status if the admissions review committee recommends that work be done at the undergraduate level to make up deficiencies. Conditional status will be removed when deficiencies are satisfactorily completed.

Year 1

Fall Semester
MRAT 6010 Recordings in Cultural Context, 3 hours
MRAT 6030 MIDI and DIgital Audio Seminar, 3 hours
MRAT 6070 Visual Aesthetics and Technology I, 3 hours
PSY 5380 Group Dynamics, 3 hours

Spring Semester
MRAT 6050 Multitrack Recording Seminar, 3 hours
MRAT 6090 VIsual Aesthetics and Technology II, 3 hours
MRAT 6110 Production Seminar I, 3 hours
Guided Elective, 3 hours

Year 2

Fall Semester
MRAT 6130 Production Seminar II, 3 hours
Cognate, 3 hours
Guided Elective, 3 hours

Spring Semester
Portfolio Jury
Cognate, 3 hours
MRAT 6150 Legal Rights of the Creative Individual, 3 hours
Guided Elective, 3 hours

Year 3

Fall Semester
MRAT 6210 Production Seminar III, 3 hours
MRAT 6650 Final Project, 3 hours
Guided Elective, 3 hours
Comprehensive Examination

Spring Semester
MRAT 6650 Final Project, 6 hours
Cognate, 3 hours