Master of Fine Arts in Applied Arts Top Colleges, Syllabus, Jobs and Salary

M.F.A. in Applied Arts is a 2-year postgraduate course, the minimum eligibility for admission to which is the successful completion of graduation from a recognized university.

The course is essentially about the application of design and decoration to everyday objects and products to make them aesthetically pleasing.

The program is divided across 4 semesters, of 6 months each, and interested candidates can pursue it in India for an average annual fee ranging between INR 1 and 4 Lacs, varying across institutes.

Admission to the course is offered on the basis of the candidate’s performance in a relevant entrance examination and a subsequent round of counseling, and often, on the basis of obtained merit at the level of graduation.

Such postgraduates are hired in fields such as:

• Theatre
• Animation Companies
• Publishing Houses
• Tailoring Shops
• Fashion Houses
• Music Companies
• Advertising Companies
• Television Industry
• Comics
• Art Criticism, and such.

Successful postgraduates of the course in India are offered an average annual salary ranging between INR 2 and 10 Lacs, increasing with the candidate’s expertise and experience.

M.F.A. in Applied Arts: Course Highlights

Some of the major highlights regarding the course are tabulated below.

M.F.A. in Applied Arts: What is it About?

MFA in Applied Arts is a pursuit of:

• innovative and creative ideas and methodologies.
• development of design for decoration of everyday products and objects to make them aesthetically pleasing and captivating.
• an advanced learning in the artistic techniques that are used in Applied Arts.
• artistic elements in business materials, promotions, and designs.
• use of elements of art that can make businesses more profitable and products more effective.
• appropriate design skills needed for successfully operating in and contributing to the modern world of art.
• advanced research in the discipline through theoretical and practical components of study.

Candidates wishing for a more advanced level of understanding in the field and contributing to research work, can further opt for higher courses such as Ph. D., M. Phil., etc. in the subject.

M.F.A. in Applied Arts: Who should opt?

Aspiring candidates would ideally possess the following:

• interest in history & theory of art.
• aptitude for preserving Arts and Culture and enhancing it for present and coming generations.
• awareness of principles of motion, gesture, color theory, composition, acting, story structure and sound designs.
• creative mind and unique, out-of-the-box thinking.

Top Institutes offering M.F.A. in Applied Arts

Listed below are some of the top institutes in India that offer the course.

Eligibility for M.F.A. in Applied Arts

Candidates aspiring for admission to the course are required to fulfill the following minimum eligibility criteria.

• B.F.A (Bachelor of Fine Arts) or another such equivalent course in a relevant discipline.
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) at the level of graduation.
• Candidates in their final year of graduation can also apply for the course on provisional basis.

• Preferably, a relevant professional work experience, as most reputed institutes prefer candidates with work experience.

M.F.A. in Applied Arts: Admission Procedure

Some colleges also offer admission on the basis of obtained merit at the level of graduation. However, generally, in most of the colleges and institutes offering the course, admission is provided based on the candidate’s performance in a relevant entrance test, conducted at any of State and national levels, followed by a subsequent round of counselling.

The round of counselling involves two additional rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interview, wherein candidate’s general aptitude for the course is examined. A merit list is subsequently released issued by the institute allocating available seats to the qualifying candidates.

Some of the popular entrance tests conducted by top institutes of the country for admission to the course are listed as follows.

• Delhi University (DU) M.F.A. Entrance Test
• Jawaharlal Nehru University M.F.A. Entrance Test
• JMI (Jamia Milia Islamia) University M.F.A. Entrance Test
• KIIT M.F.A. Entrance Test
• Punjab University M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• Rajiv Gandhi University M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• Sardar Patel University M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• Shivaji University M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• Tamil Nadu Open University M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• University of Calcutta M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• University of Jammu M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• University of Lucknow M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• University of Mumbai M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• University of Mysore M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• University of Patna M.F.A. Entrance Exam
• University of Pune M.F.A. Entrance Test
• University of Rajasthan M.F.A. Entrance Test

M.F.A. in Applied Arts: Syllabus & Course Description

Tabulated below is a semester-wise breakup of the course’s curriculum.

M.F.A. in Applied Arts: Career Prospects

Applied Arts is about the rapidly increasing use of visual information and communications, with art being a crucial part of any company's operation.

Such postgraduates have lucrative career opportunities in fields such as:

• Animation
• Advertising Companies
• Clothing Industry
• Dance Studios
• Digital Media
• Fashion Houses
• Direction
• Publishing Houses
• Photography
• Product Design
• Print-making
• Lectureship in leading institutes and fine arts colleges.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to such postgraduates of the course are tabulated below along with the corresponding salaries and basic job responsibilities associated with each.

Aspirants seeking admission to 2-year Full-time MFA Program should meet the following criteria as specified by the institute.

Academic Requirement:

Candidate should have passed 4 years Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) (Applied Art or Painting or Graphic Art or Sculpture) with 50% marks in aggregate provided that the candidate must have passed that particular subject in BFA.