Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art to be Offered

Northeastern University today announced the creation of two joint degree programs with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA). Beginning in fall 2007, Northeastern and SMFA will offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Art.

“Our new joint degree programs with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will offer students the unique opportunity to be part of an academic community committed to excellence while also having access to instructors at one of the finest art schools in the world,” said Northeastern President, Joseph Aoun. “This will be the first of many partnerships we establish with the great cultural institutions on the Avenue of the Arts, throughout the city, and beyond.” The blending of classroom and studio experience embedded in this program is indicative of Northeastern’s long-standing commitment to experiential education.

“This partnership brings together the resources of three of the great educational and cultural institutions on the Avenue of the Arts,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “We look forward to sharing the world-renowned collection of art at the MFA and the expertise of SMFA faculty with the artists and museum curators, conservators, and administrators of the future.”

Deborah H. Dluhy, Dean of the School and Deputy Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, said, “We are excited by the opportunities this new partnership offers and look forward to our collaboration with Northeastern University. We anticipate a mutually enriching exchange.”

Both programs will consider applications for admission in Fall 2007 from Northeastern’s current application pool. Admissions counselors at Northeastern will identify appropriate students and inform them of the programs and acceptance will be contingent upon staff from Northeastern and SMFA reviewing the artistic and academic potential of each applicant. Degrees will be conferred by the University.

About Northeastern:

Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university’s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu.

About the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston:

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is recognized for the quality and scope of its encyclopedic collection, which includes an estimated 450,000 objects. The Museum’s collection is made up of: Art of the Americas; Art of Europe; Contemporary Art; Art of Asia, Oceania and Africa; Art of the Ancient World; Prints, Drawings and Photographs; Textile and Fashion Arts; and Musical Instruments. For more information, please visit www.mfa.org.

About the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston:

Founded in 1876 and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA), is one of the largest and oldest museum schools in the country. A division of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the School offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in partnership with Northeastern and Tufts universities. SMFA also offers an all-studio four-year Diploma and one-year Fifth Year and Post-Baccalaureate certificates. Through Continuing Education, evening and weekend courses and art-making programs for adults and teenagers also are available. For more information, please visit www.smfa.edu.