©Scott Fuller, Faculty

Each installment of In Focus: The MFA Review highlights a different MFA program for photographic artists, offering readers a concise overview of its identity, curriculum, faculty, student experience, financial support, and post-graduation outcomes. It also serves as a showcase of the creative work produced by faculty, students, and alumni. Rather than functioning as rankings or endorsements, these features are intended as practical starting points—tools to help prospective students compare programs, identify what matters most to them, and make more informed decisions about their graduate education. While certain details shared in these articles may change over time, my hope is that these program snapshots offer a clear sense of what each represents in the present moment.

Thank you to Howard Greenberg for completing this interview and compiling images/resources!

Institution name: Maine Media College

Degree Title: MFA in Media Arts

Location: Rockport, ME

Link to Program Page: https://www.mainemedia.edu/college/mfa/

Link to Application Page: https://www.mainemedia.edu/college/mfa/admissions/admissions-and-applicant-information-mfa/

Instagram: @mainemedia

©Scott Fuller, Faculty

Tell us a little about your program. How would you define its scope and purpose?

The low-residency MFA program at Maine Media College is designed for artists seeking a rigorous educational experience leading to the Master of Fine Arts in Media Arts. Students work in diverse media forms, including photography and filmmaking, as well as interdisciplinary and transmedia practices.

The College seeks motivated artists committed to producing original creative work with the guidance of experienced mentors and within a community dedicated to artistic growth through highly individualized practice and study. The 60-credit program is structured to be completed in three years.

Program objectives require students to:
• Create exemplary work under the guidance of mentors that demonstrates independent creative vision and a fluent understanding of art-making techniques and practices, culminating in the successful completion and public presentation of the MFA thesis project.
• Participate in critiques within the College community and pursue rigorous self-evaluation and growth through consistent, purposeful development and pursuit of coherent goals.
• Demonstrate, both orally and in writing, competence in interpretive analysis of creative work and in situating their practice within appropriate historical, cultural, and social contexts, culminating in the completion, presentation, and discussion of the MFA thesis paper.

©Scott Fuller, Faculty

What makes your program special?

Students earn the majority of their required credits through individually mentored projects completed off campus between on-site residencies. Two residencies (“MFA Retreats”) are held each year, in May and November, running from Monday evening through Saturday evening.

Students select their mentors for each project. While most choose to work with Core Faculty members, they may also work with qualified Continuing or Guest Faculty, or with instructors from the Maine Media Workshops program. Students may also propose mentors from outside these groups once they complete the College’s mentor-qualification process.

Together, students and mentors develop project proposals outlining the general scope, goals, objectives, and assessment criteria for each semester’s work. Students have great latitude in defining their projects and are not limited to particular media or genres; they may work freely across media to best fulfill their objectives. Projects may be evaluated as experimental, in process, or completed at semester’s end. Goals may be revised midterm by agreement between student and mentor, with corresponding proposal updates.

Students may also elect to substitute up to nine master-level courses offered through the Maine Media Workshops for mentored studio projects. These workshops, typically valued at one credit each, provide opportunities to explore specialized areas alongside other artists and instructors outside the MFA faculty, often expanding students’ professional networks.

©Elizabeth Greenberg, Faculty

What specialized facilities are available for student use (darkroom, lighting studio, print lab, etc.)?

Because the Maine Media MFA is a low-residency program, students produce most of their work off campus. However, enrolled MFA students may request access to the College’s facilities and equipment when on campus or in the area. Access is subject to availability and may be limited during Workshops or courses in session.

Maine Media’s facilities support a wide range of photographic, filmmaking, and media arts practices. The New Imaging Center (NIC) includes traditional darkrooms and digital labs equipped with Apple computers for digital imaging, printing, video editing, and sound editing. The Hamilton Darkroom Facilities provide dedicated spaces for silver gelatin printing and alternative photographic processes. Additional studios house equipment for book arts and historic photographic techniques.

Students may also access a comprehensive selection of professional equipment and software, including Canon and Sony camera systems, Zeiss lenses, Epson printers, ARRI lighting systems, professional cinema cameras, grip and lighting gear, and the full Adobe Creative Suite. These resources provide students with hands-on experience using industry-standard tools across both still and moving image production.

©Elizabeth Greenberg, Faculty

Is your program strictly photography-focused, or does it encourage/allow interdisciplinary work?

We encourage students to develop authentic and sustainable art practices. While most applicants submit lens-based portfolios (photography, film, video, etc.), students are supported in using and combining other media forms as their work evolves. In addition to lens-based practices, students have worked in alternative and historic processes, collage and assemblage, design, performance, sound art, land art, sculpture, painting, drawing, and numerous hybrid approaches.

©Elizabeth Greenberg, Faculty

Do you specialize in a particular area (documentary, experimental, environmental work)? Can students shift focus as their interests change?

We do not specialize in any particular area. The program supports artistic integrity regardless of content or medium. Students are free to shift focus as their creative interests develop.

©Denise Laurinaitis, Alum

How structured is the curriculum? Are there required courses, or is it more self-directed?

The curriculum is highly individualized and self-directed. Most credits are earned through mentored projects developed collaboratively by students and mentors. However, four three-credit academic projects are required:

1. A theory/critical analysis course
2. A hybrid course/mentored project in art process
3. A mentored project in contextualization
4. A mentored project culminating in the written thesis

In addition, students must complete three one-week, one-credit Intensives in a variety of media-arts-related subjects, offered before or after each Retreat. Alternatively, Intensives may be taken online. Each Intensive instructor sets their own schedule and content.

©Denise Laurinaitis, Alum

Does the program incorporate video work or emerging media such as AI, VR/AR, or 3D/360 imaging?

Yes. The program supports the individual interests of students, some of whom are exploring AI and other emerging technologies as tools for image-making.

©Denise Laurinaitis, Alum

Does the program offer career development support such as portfolio reviews, workshop/conference attendance, or networking opportunities?

Yes. The MFA program offers an Intensive in Professional Development that covers administrative, legal, and ethical practices for maintaining a professional art career. For those pursuing teaching, the course also addresses syllabus design and lesson planning. Students who participate in Maine Media Workshops benefit from expanded networking opportunities with instructors and peers. On occasion, the school also hosts MFA alumni gatherings that include portfolio reviews.

©Liz Tinder, Alum

What are key graduation requirements (exhibition, thesis paper, portfolio, etc.)?

The Master of Fine Arts degree at Maine Media College requires the successful completion of a nine-credit final thesis project comprising four components:
• A studio component
• A written thesis
• An oral presentation delivered at the candidate’s final Retreat
• A public exhibition or screening of the studio work

All elements must be approved by the MFA Committee and relevant faculty before the degree is granted.

©Liz Tinder, Alum

Who are your current faculty members? What are their areas of creative interest?

Core Faculty: Charles Altschul, Wayne Beach, Charlotte Dixon, Scott Fuller, Elizabeth Greenberg, Howard Greenberg, and Cig Harvey. Their areas of interest are wide-ranging. Faculty bios are available here.

Are faculty members primarily full-time or adjunct?

Core Faculty attend all Retreats, mentor student projects, teach Intensives, and, as a committee, oversee the program’s pedagogy. Guest Faculty attend Retreats by invitation and may also serve as mentors. Continuing Faculty, who have participated as Guest Faculty across multiple Retreats, also mentor projects on an ongoing basis.

©Liz Tinder, Alum

How involved are faculty in mentoring students beyond coursework?

The Maine Media MFA is a mentor-focused program. Faculty engagement extends well beyond coursework, emphasizing sustained one-on-one guidance throughout each student’s progression.

How often do guest artists, curators, or critics visit for lectures and critiques?

Two or three Guest Faculty attend each Retreat. These visiting participants include artists, curators, editors, art historians, and critics. Their presence broadens the critical dialogue and exposes students to a diverse range of professional practices and perspectives.

©Jon Tobiasz, Alum

How many students are admitted each year, and how many are photography-focused?

Approximately 14–20 students are admitted annually, the majority of whom submit photography portfolios with their applications.

What is the approximate cohort size, and how does this affect critiques, collaboration, and networking?

Program administrators maintain a total cohort of roughly 40 students. During Retreats, critiques are conducted in three rotating groups, ensuring that each student’s work is reviewed by all faculty members. Because students live and work across the globe, collaboration tends to be informal rather than structured. Students periodically convene online to discuss their work and progress. Two student representatives serve as liaisons between the student body and program administration during the semesters.

©Jon Tobiasz, Alum

What kind of work are current students creating?

Current students are actively engaged in a wide range of art forms and practices. In addition to photography and filmmaking, students are exploring time-based media, painting, sculpture, installation, book arts, wearable and functional art. As noted above, graduate thesis projects have encompassed alternative and historic photographic processes, collage and assemblage, design, performance, sound art, land art, sculpture, printmaking, painting, and drawing, as well as numerous hybrid and intermedia projects combining multiple media forms.

©Jon Tobiasz, Alum

What is the total cost of the program (and duration), and what funding options are available?

Total tuition and fees for the three-year program are $67,165, which includes room, board, and other fees associated with Retreat and Intensive participation. This figure does not include the cost of equipment, art materials, or transportation and shipping.

Maine Media College MFA students are eligible to apply for Title IV federal student loans, and a limited number of scholarships are available.
Financial Aid information: https://www.mainemedia.edu/college/financial-aid/
Scholarships: https://www.mainemedia.edu/scholarships/

©Travis Lovell, Alum

Are there teaching assistantships, and what percentage of tuition do they cover?

There are no teaching assistantships. However, students are welcome to apply for a variety of teaching, technical, and support positions during the Maine Media Workshops summer season.

Are additional grants or resources available to support student projects?

Yes. The Sue Michlovitz MFA Exhibition Grant is available to students entering their final semester at Maine Media College. Generously provided by MFA alumna Sue Michlovitz, the grant enables recipients to allocate funds toward the realization of their thesis exhibition.

©Travis Lovell, Alum

What types of careers do alumni pursue, and how does the program support students after graduation?

Surveys of program graduates indicate that the rigorous requirements of the Maine Media College MFA are adaptable to a wide range of individual artistic goals. Alumni have developed diverse professional practices that allow them to integrate their creative work with their personal priorities and lifestyles.

While some graduates are self-employed as photographers, filmmakers, or intermedia and transmedia artists, others work as administrators in the non-profit arts sector or in management positions within the arts industry.

Among graduates working in photography, virtually all have exhibited in commercial galleries, university galleries, and museums. Those working in film and intermedia forms often own production companies or work as independent filmmakers who regularly submit their films to festivals. Filmmaking graduates are also employed as industry professionals, primarily as cinematographers and editors.

Many graduates teach at the college level, while others hold teaching positions in high schools or community programs.

While graduates of other Maine Media programs have earned top industry recognition—including Academy and Emmy Awards—MFA alumni have also received significant professional honors for their creative work in film and photography.

©Travis Lovell, Alum

How connected is the alumni network, and do graduates stay involved with the program?

Maine Media facilitates an active, alumni-operated network through which graduates share news of their achievements, as well as exhibition and professional opportunities.

Many MFA alumni remain involved with the school by continuing to take workshops, teaching in the Workshops program, or serving as mentors within the MFA program itself. The Maine Media Workshops also provide ongoing opportunities for alumni to connect and collaborate with working professionals across a wide range of creative fields.

©Tyson Monson, Alum

©Tyson Monson, Alum

©Tyson Monson, Alum