Staff, Artists. "The Value Of An MFA - Artists Network." Artists Network. N.p., 2018. Web. 2 Oct. 2018.
The article The Value of an MFA focuses mainly on the why the master of Fine arts degree is more important in the fashion design industry. The article is more important to my research which is trying to investigate and explain why the degree is so much important to fashion designers and other related designing fraternity globally. It further talks about how one can join the degree, the costs involved in undertaking the course, the pro and cons of the degree and the expected job market and returns associated with it. The writers of this article further talk about the market dynamics of the art and design industry and the available networks of rising through the ranks in the art and design fraternity and the benefits students will acquire from an MFA program at large. Basing on this article therefore, my work will have a clear niche of the market structures in the design and fashion industry.
Bhandari, Vandana. "Interview With Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee." Fashion Practice 3.2 (2011): 253-263. Web.
In this article, the writer talks to a professional fashion designer with a MFA degree. The article articulates the struggles behind pursuing a mastering degree in this field of study as tiresome and expensive. This article is crucial in my research as it will be used to show the expenditure put into place and the expected returns one will get after completion and if there is a ready job market or not. The designer highlights to young professionals the best institutions to pursue professional designing and talks about the proper channels to follow to get recognition hence having their own galleries to show case their work at different levels. There this article will be great benefit to my research as it will give me a strong foundation to argue from a professional point of view why it is important to pursue a degree in MFA or not.
Raustiala, Kal, and Christopher Sprigman. "The Piracy and Paradox: Innovation and Intellectual Property in Fashion Design." Va. L. Rev. 92 (2006): 1687.
The authors in this article Innovation and Intellectual Property in Fashion Design try to illustrate how design industry is just but fashion. Like books publishing, video game, music industries to mention a few, the fashion industry benefits and profits by coming up with creative content. This information will be of great help to my research paper which focuses on how to ensure originality in the fashion and design industry.
Shin, Kristina. "The Value Of Fashion Design At Universities." International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education 7.1 (2014): 1-1. Web.
This article is about the value of MFA degree. This will add much value to my paper as it will guide me to know how universities priorities the fashion and design course and how seriously they prepare their students to face the much competitive world
Frazier, Barbara J., and Wanda K. Cheek. "Fashion Industry Career Matrix: Encouraging Students To Explore Fashion-Related Careers." Clothing and Textiles Research Journal 23.4 (2005): 375-384. Web.
In this article, Encouraging Students to explore fashion related careers, the authors emphasizes more on how tutors should be encouraging students in scools to undertake courses in the fashion industry as that sector has so much opportunities to be tapped. From the joint research conducted in different universities, the authors found out that many schools do not have programs that encourage students to venture in the fashion industry as professionals. Therefore, this paper will vastly support my arguments that most institutions does not market the fashion design course accordingly.
Kim, Yu Kyung. "A Study Of Industry ·University ·Government Cooperation Education In Fashion Design - The Development Of A Fashion Design Program Based On Action Learning -." US Fashion Design & ART FORUM 18 (2014): 139. Web.
This article emphasizes more on how the government can cooperate with the education sector in order to promote the fashion and design industry by coming up with laws that encourages and promote the fashion industry. This will therefore greatly help my paper point out the major roles the government should play in ensuring the fashion industry flourishes hence creating more job to the youths.
A MFA Degree in Fashion Design: Value or Not?
A Masters of Fine Arts is a creative degree in fine arts. It is a graduate degree that typically needs two to three years of postgraduate study after a bachelor’s degree. However, the terms of study varies from country and universities. According to Staff, Degree in Fashion Design differs from the Master of Arts because while still an academic program, it centers on professional artistic practice in a particular field while courses leading to the MA usually centers on the scholarly and academic study of the field. In the US, an MFA is in general recognized as a terminal degree meaning that it is considered to be the highest degree in its field and is the qualification to major in the teaching disciplines (15). Fashion industry is an industry that is growing rapidly with scores of different career opportunities in various aspects of the fields. With many people working in this vast industry, there is an inevitable struggle for the top positions which are scarce in this field. This paper will therefore illustrate why an MFA degree in fashion design is necessary or not and its challenges.
Studying a Masters degree in Fine Arts creates a niche for an individual. As mentioned earlier, the top position in the fashion industry has only few places for a few. Thus, to climb the ladder in the design industry, a graduate or a higher degree will ease the huddles (Raustiala, Kal, & Christopher 1687). According to the Interview with Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee article, creating a niche for yourself is usually not easy and getting a proper degree like the MFA will definitely enable you achieve this hard task. Moreover, the course creates a wider job opportunity. The complete curriculum of the entire MFA degree introduces a student to a vast pool of knowledge and technique to apply while in the field. This therefore broadens ones resume and makes him or her be suitable for a lot of jobs in the market.
Another important factor of the MFA degree in the fashion industry is that it equips one with knowledge to analyze the market coherently (Shin 1). This attribute helps the designers to have great forecast of the fashion industry so as to be able to come up with designs that will last long in the market. When it come to competition, it is imperative to give yourself a boost by advancing your educational background. In the job market today people with more educational background tends to secure most jobs.
Undertaking a degree in MFA requires much sacrifices; monetary and time. Most state institutions offer financial aid like assistantships, work-study opportunities or scholarships to students to undertake this degree course. Some universities even allow their students to take paid internships. These measures help the students meet the high cost the course comes with (Bhandari 253). But not all institutions can afford to offer what the public institutions can offer because they most of the time admit more students while funding are usually tight hence rendering poor qualities of teaching hence devaluing the MFA course as worthless and expensive. The raise in tuition fees has largely crippled the fashion and design industry because many designers tend to learn on the job than going to school to acquire the required professional expertise.
The market in fashion and design is very rough and discouraging for new graduates. They need at least two years experience of serious tutelage from experts so as to grow. Additionally, the market is not for everyone as it operates with the winner takes it all mantra. Fortunately for an artist, one can work within a community, work as a volunteer to an organization, build a small business to generate income to support one’s art work or become a teacher (Frazier and Cheek 377).
According to the article “University Government Cooperation in Education in Fashion and design”, the fashion industry is dynamic today as even those who have no degree in that field still sour higher than those who have even the Masters degree in Arts. This factor shows that even though it’s good to specialize in a certain field in the fashion industry, it’s not guaranteed that one will end up with a well paying job. Today individuals are self taught and they rely on their innovativeness to stay ahead of the game which now is being flooded by professionals who have the book skills with no hands on skill which matters most in the market (Kim 139).
To market and encourage students to dive more into fashion and design industry, the government together with the higher education fraternity should come up with a way to standardize the fees charged and make sure that both the private and the public university students gets assistance from the government in paying the fees required. Also the universities and the government should collaborate in ensuring that those who advance their education get deserving employments rather than just ending up being professors in junior high schools after spending so much time and resources in upgrading their education (Kim 139). Overall, pursuing an MFA Degree in Fashion Design is a viable idea. An MFA Degree in Fashion Design not only expands the graduate’s knowledge to engage in entrepreneurship but also enhances the chances for formal employment.
Works cited
Bhandari, Vandana. "Interview With Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee." Fashion Practice 3.2 (2011): 253-263. Web.
Frazier, Barbara J., and Wanda K. Cheek. "Fashion Industry Career Matrix: Encouraging Students To Explore Fashion-Related Careers." Clothing and Textiles Research Journal 23.4 (2005): 375-384. Web.
Kim, Yu Kyung. "A Study Of Industry ·University ·Government Cooperation Education In Fashion Design - The Develpoment Of A Fashion Design Program Based On Action Learning -." US Fashion Design & ART FORUM
18 (2014): 139. Web.
Raustiala, Kal, and Christopher Sprigman. "The Piracy and Paradox: Innovation and Intellectual Property in Fashion Design." Va. L. Rev. 92 (2006): 1687.
Shin, Kristina. "The Value Of Fashion Design At Universities." International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education 7.1 (2014): 1-1. Web.
Staff, Artists. "The Value Of An MFA - Artists Network." Artists Network. N.p., 2018. Web. 2 Oct. 2018.
