Regular admission 2010

GRADUATE DEGREES

The graduate degrees taken in the Academy of Fine Arts are the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA). The scope of the studies is measured in credits. One credit (cr) equates the workload of approximately 27 hours. The fulltime studies of one academic year correspond to in average 60 credits. The scope of the BFA degree is 3.5 years of fulltime studying. The MFA degree can be finished in two years.

In the teaching the command of the technical basic skills is integrated with conceptual and art theoretical thinking in ways that focus on the students' own artistic work and strengthen the source of their expression. The studies demand independent and persistent work.

APPICATION GUIDE 2010

REGULAR ADMISSION 2010 - Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts

The admission procedure changes as of spring 2009. Application periods are standardised as Finnish universities join a national application service as regards their regular admissions. Majority of the university programmes have joined the national application service.

Admitted students are accepted for studies leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees. (The degree programme is chosen after being admitted to the Academy, during the first year of studies.)

The regular admission procedure has two stages. Submitted portfolios are assessed and some of the applicants are invited to the admission course. The final selection of new students is made after the admission course.

ADMISSION CRITERIA

An applicant who demonstrates talent in fine arts and has an eligible educational background can be accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts to pursue the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and carry on to the Master of Fine Arts degree.

The following degrees make an applicant eligible to apply for the Academy: matriculation examination, polytechnic Bachelor's degree, a higher vocational qualification, a vocational upper secondary qualification, a vocational qualification awarded on the completion of education of at least three years in duration or a foreign education entitling the applicant to apply for equivalent university studies. The Academy can also decide to accept an applicant without a degree if the Academy deems the applicant to possess suitable cognitive and practical skills for the studies.

An applicant may be accepted to study for a degree at the Academy, if she/he demonstrates talent in fine arts in addition to having an eligible background education. The applicant's talent is assessed by her/his artworks and the work during the admission course.

The Rector appoints a professor as the head of the admission board of the Academy. The heads of departments and a representative of the student's union serve as members of the board. The duties of the admission board are to set up an admission jury; introduce a proposal for the student admission procedure and the regulations concerning it, and to function as an advisory and steering body in the process of student admission.

The duty of the admission jury is to make a selection of applicants for the admission course based on original artworks. The admission jury consists of the permanent teachers of the Academy and student members; members can also be called in from outside the Academy. The members of the jury change annually.

After the admission course, the members of the admission board, admission jury and other members of the professoriate make the final selection of students.

APPLICATION AND ARTWORKS

The Finnish Academy of Fine Arts' regular admission (BA + MFA) is arranged through the national application service.

1) You have to fill out and send an application form on the website www.yliopistohaku.fi. The application period opens on 1st March and closes on 16 April, 4.15 pm. Should you not be able to fill out the electronic form, you may order a paper application form from the Finnish National Board of Education, see contact information below.

2) The original artworks and a printed copy of the electronic application form must be delivered directly to the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. The dates for delivering are 21 - 23 April. ATT! Before you bring or send your artworks, please check the the exact delivery address in the Academy's website. Works must be in the given address latest Friday, 23rd April at 16.15.

Print the special form for presenting your artworks here form_for_works_10.pdf

You don't have to send your school diplomas with your works. Only if you are accepted in the admission course, degree and other diplomas will be requested.

If the artworks are delivered by airmail or a transport company, you must make sure that the works are delivered directly to the address given (home delivery).

Deliveries whose home delivery is not paid for will not be claimed by the Academy.

ARTWORKS

The works in the artworks must express the applicant's aspirations in fine arts. The artworks must include original works to allow the admission jury to get the best possible feeling of and insight into the works. You can submit up to five (5) works. The works can be drawings, paintings, sculptures, prints, and works of video, conceptual or media art. Do not send images of your works, send the original works.

Mark your name on every work!

Videos

All videos must bear the following information:

• name of author (Note! the cassette / disc must also be marked!)
• address
• date of completion
• participants and other relevant information
• duration: the video must be edited so that the total duration of all submitted videos does not exceed 10 minutes.

The following formats are accepted:

1. Mini DV. This format gives the best quality and is recommended. Make sure that the cassette is recorded using PAL (the European video standard) and that it has NOT been recorded at half speed. In other words, a normal Mini DV that can be screened using a standard digital video camera. Wind the take to the place where you wants the screening to begin. The tape may contain only work intended for the application procedure.

   This means that the Mini DV may not be in the following formats: NTSC (the American video standard), HDV or DV-CAM or DVCPRO.

2. DVD. Make sure that your DVD can be played on any standard DVD player.

   Put your name on the DVD.

   If you present your work on VCD, SVCD, XVCD or some other format, make sure that the work can be screened on a standard DVD player. Otherwise the work will not be screened.

   Do not send video files on a CD-ROM or data DVD. They will not be accepted. The soundtrack of the DVD will be presented in stereo format (2 channels).

3. VHS cassette. Make sure that the work is NOT recorded in half speed and that it is NOT in NTSC, Super VHS, (S-VHS) or some other format that cannot be played on a standard PAL VHS player. The soundtrack may be hi-fi or regular.

   Mark your name on the cassette.

If you work in sound, deliver the sound on a regular CD audio disk and make sure that it can be played back on a standard CD player. Do not submit sounds as sound files on a data CD-ROM (such as mp3, etc.). They will not be listened to.

Other CD-ROM works than videos

The works will be screened on a PC using a Windows XP operating system. The works must be saved in a format which allows them to be screened using Internet Explorer 8 with Macromedia Shockwave and Flash plug-ins. If the work cannot be accessed with the above-mentioned programme, it may not be evaluated.

Transparencies and laser printouts

The works must be original artwork. If you decide to present transparencies of large-scale installations or other three-dimensional work, the maximum number of transparencies is 10 (this does not affect the upper limit of not more than 5 works). Make sure you note the number of works and the number of transparencies on the form for artworks.

Each transparency must indicate the following information:

• name of author
• title of work
• the viewing direction clearly marked with an arrow.

Attachments sent by e-mail

cannot be processed; large attachments may crash the system. NOTE! If your work involves some special technical features that must be taken into account in its presentation (such as "turn the light on, push the button and listen", etc.) these must be clearly indicated.

Homepages

The Admissions Jury will not have the opportunity to look at the applicants' homepages.

Insuring the works

The Academy is not responsible for the works and will not insure them. The Academy is not liable for any possible damage to the works. If you want to insure your work, you must do it at your own expense.

Returning the artworks

If you are not invited for the admission course, you must collect the artworks and works at the Academy as soon as the names of the invitees are published. If you wish the Academy to mail the artworks back to you, you must state so in the form for your artworks. You are responsible for the postage (include a sufficient number of stamps in the original delivery of the artworks). If the works are delivered by mail to the Academy, you must be packed so that the original package can be reused for mailing the works back. Otherwise the Academy will charge you with the packaging costs.

The Academy cannot store the artworks. Any uncollected works or works without sufficient reply postage will be destroyed.

ADMISSION COURSE

The admission course takes 7 days, from 17th to 23rd May. There may be a small fee for the course organisation and additional materials. The attendants are given assignments, whose nature and content change yearly.

INFORMATION

More information on the student admissions and education at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts:

FINNISH ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

Kaikukatu 4
00530 Helsinki
tel. +358 9 680 33 20, from abroad +35896803320 (switchboard)
www.kuva.fi
e-mail: hakijapalvelut@kuva.fi

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The National applicant's service at the National Board of Education gives assistance in general questions relating to the online application and provides on request the paper joint application form during application period on weekdays from 9 am to 3 pm (exception: last day of the application period to 4.15pm).

Contact information to National applicant's service: