General Critiques
The student is expected to meet regularly with faculty each semester. In addition to meeting with her/his advisor, it is strongly recommended that the student meet with at least three other members of the studio faculty for individual studio visits/critiques per semester.
Graduate Critiques Each semester the studio faculty will critique all art studio graduate students’ artwork. Critiques will be scheduled over a two-day period. Each semester, the graduate student presents her/his work on one of the scheduled critique days. Though each graduate student is assigned to present work on only one of these critique days, all graduate students are expected to attend each of the critique days every semester whether they are presenting work on that critique day or not (note: final reviews are attended by faculty and the candidate only).
Currently, all studio faculty attend the critiques, and part-time faculty are invited to attend the critiques as well (their participation is not required). The Graduate Coordinator/s handles the scheduling of the critiques.
Graduate critiques are working critiques and occur for the benefit of the student and the work’s development. At the same time, the critique is the primary means of evaluating the graduate student’s progress by the studio faculty at large. Consequently, it is necessary that the student presents work that reflects the current semester’s efforts only. Work done prior to matriculation in the program is not accepted. The graduate student is expected to carefully consider how her/his work is presented and to show work that is indicative of rigorous studio involvement. The studio faculty meet after Graduate Critiques to assess the student’s progress.
As a reminder, it is strongly recommended that the student meet with her/his advisor each semester prior to critiques to discuss the work s/he will present in the graduate critique. In addition, the student should meet with at least three studio faculty for individual studio visits/critiques per semester.
Graduate Critiques General Guidelines (per semester)
Semester 1
Students are invited to present not only completed work, but also preparatory work and work in development. Work should demonstrate strength and direction.
Semester 2
Students are invited to present not only completed work, but also preparatory work, and work in development. Work should demonstrate strength and a clear and consistent direction.
Semester 3
Students should present completed work that demonstrates strength and a clear and consistent direction.
Semester 4
Students should present culminating work.
Progress Report
In the first and second semesters the student will receive a Progress Report after Graduate Critiques that is filled out by the Graduate Committee in consultation with the studio art faculty. The form is intended to give guidance to the student in pursuit of her/his studio practice. The form evaluates the student’s achievements in the following categories:
Critique Protocol
It is possible for a candidate to make arrangements to hold a semester’s review, advancement or final review at another off-campus exhibition site should the student make adequate preparations in advance with her/his advisor and the Graduate Coordinator/s.
If such advance planning (as above) is not made, the student must make arrangements to have the current work available for the on-campus critiques at the time and place they are scheduled. Studio critiques ordinarily occur in the studio spaces at the Art Sculpture Lab (ASL).
Similarly, though presentation of work in the ASL studio spaces is usually preferred, arrangements to view work in the graduate student’s assigned studio space may be possible. Discuss this with the advisor and the Graduate Coordinator/s.
Graduate critiques are mandatory. If one is missed, or, though attended, the graduate student did not present her/his work, or the work presented was judged inadequate with regards to minimum critique standards by the studio faculty in attendance, one semester is added to the program. (Note: assigned studio space will, however, not be granted beyond the two-year limit, though the student may submit a petition for such an extension). If two critiques are likewise missed or inadequately attended, the student is dropped from the program.
Graduate critiques are normally held no earlier than Week 8 and no later than Week 10 of every semester.
Graduate Seminar
Art studio graduate students are required to enroll in Art 222, Studio Critique Seminar, every semester until successfully completing the final review. (Note: only 6 units of Art 222 can be applied toward the 30-unit degree program.) The Graduate Seminar is the forum for graduate students to address the ongoing development of their studio practice and discuss its conceptual underpinnings via presentation, discussion and group critique.
Orientation
At the beginning of each fall semester, a graduate student orientation will be held to outline all graduate procedures and requirements. All graduate students must attend. The faculty is invited to attend.
Advising
On entry into the program, each new graduate student is assigned an advisor by the Graduate Coordinator/s. A student may also opt to change their advisor. The advisor may be contacted at regular office hours concerning any matter regarding the graduate program. In addition, a student should feel free to discuss her/his studio practice with any member of the Art Department faculty, as well as the Graduate Coordinator.
The student must arrange a meeting with her/his advisor in the first month of the semester in which s/he is admitted into the graduate program. In addition the student should meet regularly with her/his advisor (at least once each semester) and this meeting should be prior to graduate critiques.
Advisor and Advancement/ Final Review
The advisor determines, in discussion with the student, if the student is ready to go up for advancement. A Student cannot go up for advancement if s/he has not been advised to do so, or s/he has not met with her/his advisor. Likewise, a student cannot go up for final review without the approval of her/his advisor or if s/he has not met with her/his advisor.
GPA
Grade Point Average Requirement: A minimum GPA of 3.0 for all graded work presented for the degree and all post baccalaureate work completed at CSUS is required. Classified or conditionally classified students seeking a master’s degree are subject to probation if they fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. A minimum grade of C in the 30 units offered for the degree with a cumulative average of at least 3.0 must be accomplished.
http://www.csus.edu/gradstudies/Gpareq.htm
Seven-Year Time Limit
All work to be credited toward the M.A. degree must be completed within the seven years immediately prior to graduation. A Student advanced to candidacy who does not complete the degree within the seven-year time limit loses her/his candidacy and must reapply.
Continuous Enrollment
A classified graduate student normally retains rights to the catalog under which s/he was classified, providing s/he retains continuous enrollment as defined by the University. For more information, see the CSUS Catalog, Graduate Studies section “Continuous Enrollment.”
http://www.csus.edu/gradstudies/Contenrl.htm
After a student has enrolled in her/his first semester of Culminating Experience, (Art 500) there are two ways for her/him to maintain enrollment for a second through fourth semester of that work: