DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Candidates for the MFA Book Arts degree must earn a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit, including at least 6 hours in the history of the book and 3 hours in a historical/theoretical course appropriate to the goals of the individual student; at least 36 hours in the book arts studio; and a minimum of 12 hours of electives within or outside the book arts program. All coursework must be completed with a grade average of “B” or better. All students must spend at least four semesters in residence.
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Typical course rotation can be found here.
Required Courses
36 hours
BA 520 Elements of Letterpress
BA 521 The Printed Book
BA 530 Elements of Bookbinding
BA 531 Case Binding and Edition Work
BA 541 Techniques of Hand Papermaking
LS 653 Descriptive Bibliography
LS 655 Book Artifact Materiality Text
BA 592 Graduate Seminar (6 hours)
BA 599 Creative Thesis Project (9 hours) [Creative Thesis Project Proposal Guidelines]
Areas of Emphasis
12 hours in an area of emphasis
Printing and Publishing
BA 522 Advanced Letterpress (3 to 9 hours)
BA 523 Artist Book & Fine Press Publ. (3 to 9 hours)
BA 524 Artist Books
BA 593 Workshops in Book Arts (Special topics)
Bookbinding
BA 532 Leather Bound Books (3 to 9 hours)
BA 533 Advanced Bookbinding (3 to 9 hours)
BA 534 Boxmaking
BA 593 Workshops in Book Arts (Special topics)
Whole Book
BA 522 Advanced Letterpress (3 to 9 hours)
BA 523 Artist Book & Fine Press Publ. (3 to 9 hours)
BA 524 Artist Books
BA 532 Leather Bound Books (3 to 9 hours)
BA 533 Advanced Bookbinding (3 to 9 hours)
BA 534 Boxmaking
BA 542 Contemporary Hand Papermaking
BA 593 Workshops in Book Arts (Special topics)
Electives
12 hours of electives within or outside the book arts program including 3 hours in a historical/theoretical course appropriate to the goals of the individual student
BA 522 Advanced Letterpress (3 to 9 hours)
BA 523 Artist Book & Fine Press Publ. (3 to 9 hours)
BA 524 Artist Books
BA 532 Leather Bound Books (3 to 9 hours)
BA 533 Advanced Bookbinding (3 to 9 hours)
BA 534 Boxmaking
BA 542 Contemporary Hand Papermaking
BA 593 Workshops in Book Arts (Special topics)
BA 594 Practicum Teaching Book Arts
BA 595 Independent Project
BA 596 Dir Research Book Arts
BA 597 Internship
BA 599 Creative Thesis Project (1 to 3 hours)
LS 555 Intro Archival Studies
LS 654 Print Culture and Society.
CIS 656 Electronic/Contemporary Pub
Students may also take elective courses at the 500 or 600 level from any department in the university if approved by their advisor.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Letterpress Printing
BA 520 Elements of Printing (3 hours)
This course is devoted to the fundamentals of letterpress. Students will develop fine craft skills in a studio environment. Through hands on assignments, students will be introduced to hand setting type, press operation, and image making techniques. They will learn fundamental terminology, gain an understanding of the interaction of type, ink, and paper, and develop familiarity with the equipment. The emphasis is on fine printing and relief image making.
BA 521 Letterpress and the Printed Book (3 hours)
Prerequisite: BA 520
Students in this course will build on their skills on the press through the production of two assignments, culminating in the design and production of a book project. This course is focused on typographic design, the intersection of text and image, and press work. Readings and discussions in this course will focus on typography and the hierarchy of information in the book format.
BA 522 Advanced Projects in Letterpress (1-6 hours)
Prerequisites: BA 520 and BA 521
This course is devoted to book production. Students in this course will produce and refine a series of mockups before embarking on the production of an ambitious book project. Readings, discussions, and visits to special collections will help direct the course. Individual projects will be a catalyst for the refinement of skills on the press, including the production and use of polymer plates, setting type, press operation, and maintenance. A minimum of 3 credit hours is required when taken for the first time. After the initial 3 credits the course can be taken for variable credit and will contain unique content not covered in the initial 3 credit hours.
BA 523 Artist Book and Fine Pres Publishing (1-6 hours)
Prerequisites: BA 520, BA 521, BA 522.
Students in the course will design and produce an ambitious, letterpress-printed book project. Students will refine their skills on the press as well as develop tactics for disseminating their work. A book produced in this course can be a stepping stone towards a career in book arts. Discussion and critique are foundational to this course. Class time will be spent on troubleshooting project issues, creating budgets for book projects, and developing an online presence for the marketing of books. A minimum of 3 credit hours is required when taken for the first time. After the initial 3 credits the course can be taken for variable credit and will contain unique content not covered in the initial 3 credit hours.
Bookbinding
BA 530 Elements of Bookbinding (3 hours)
Drawing upon both the historic and contemporary Western bookbinding traditions, this course is an initiation into fundamental binding forms, techniques, materials, and design. Through the construction of a series of cloth and paper structures, students will gain an understanding of the properties inherent to the materials and how they work in the context of bookbinding. In addition to the development of good hand skills and proper use of materials, aesthetic and design issues concerning book construction will be addressed.
BA 531 Fundamentals of Case Bookbinding and Edition Work (3 hours)
Prerequisite: BA 530
An introduction to the materials and techniques of case bookbinding. Students will continue to refine the fundamental binding skills acquired in BA 530, while being introduced to more advanced materials techniques. Case bookbinding and custom built enclosures will be constructed using paper, cloth, and leather. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of these skills necessary for completing both one-of-a-kind and edition work.
BA 532 Leather Bound Books (1-6 hours)
Prerequisites: BA 530, BA 531.
An introduction to the materials and techniques of leather bookbinding along with the principles of conservation treatments as they relate to the processes of rebinding. Students will study the methods of production of animal skins for book making, the qualities of these skins, and their identification. Instruction in the use of leather-working tools, advanced case binding techniques, and in-board binding construction will be introduced. A strong emphasis will be placed on paper mending, forwarding techniques and leather preparation. A minimum of 3 credit hours is required when taken for the first time. After the initial 3 credits the course can be taken for variable credit and will contain unique content not covered in the initial 3 credit hours.
BA 533 Advanced Specializations in Bookbinding (1-6 hours)
Prerequisites: BA 530, BA 531
This course is devoted to advanced techniques in hand bookbinding. Students will refine their binding skills while exploring methods for fine and design work. Readings and discussions will focus on sound binding practices, and the examination of both historic and contemporary book construction and design. An advanced final project will allow students to demonstrate their mastery of the materials and techniques presented in the binding I-IV course sequence. After the initial 3 credits the course can be taken for variable credit and will contain unique content not covered in the initial 3 credit hours.
BA 534 Boxmaking (3 hours)
Prerequisite: BA 530
An exploration of traditional and experimental forms of boxes and other protective enclosures for books. Boxes serve both aesthetic and functional purposes: they house, protect, and present their contents. Students will learn box making techniques such as measuring, fitting, covering, and casing; these will be considered also in connection with more complex components like partitioning and layering. We will discuss aesthetics in the context of overall design as well as selection of materials and structures appropriate for specific applications.
Hand Papermaking
BA 541 Hand Papermaking (1-3 hours)
Provides hands-on experience in the fundamentals of making traditional Western-style handmade papers using a variety of fibers. The objective is to produce reference samples of various kinds of sheets, as well as edition sheets of papers for book or art-making purposes. After the initial 3 credits the course can be taken for variable credit and will contain unique content not covered in the initial 3 credit hours.
BA 542 Contemporary Topics in Hand Papermaking (1-6 hours)
This course will focus on creative processes unique to hand papermaking that stemmed from developments and innovations in the field since the 1950s. Through lectures, readings, and projects, students will gain an understanding of paper as an activated entity that can stand alone or be integrated with other media in meaningful ways. Students will refine and expand on Western sheet formation skills through hands-on experience with processes such as pigmenting, pulp painting, and blowout. After the initial 3 credits the course can be taken for variable credit and will contain unique content not covered in the initial 3 credit hours.
History of the Book
CIS 655 Book Artifact Materiality and Text (3 hours)
Examines the book as a physical artifact, as the material embodiment of text. Topics include the transitions between hand production and mechanical production, methods of bookmaking, printers and publishers, the alphabetic code, paratext, letterforms and typography, paper, page formats and layouts, illustrations, bindings, and other semiotic systems and bibliographic signifiers, as well as the purpose of the book with special emphasis on the relationships between meaning and physical form and the complex conventions of the book.
CIS 653 Descriptive Bibliography (3 hours)
Examines the intellectual objectives served by descriptive bibliographies and introduces the methods and problems of bibliographical description of printed books of the hand- and machine-press periods. Emphasis is on the examination and historical analysis of books as physical objects. Primarily for students interested in the history of books, special collections, rare book cataloging, and humanities reference work.
CIS 656 Electronic and Contemporary Publishing (3 hours)
Focuses on both scholarly and commercial networked digital publishing within the context of the information cycle and information chain from the vantages of contemporary publishing and communication. The course is concerned with the numerous and varied problems/opportunities of electronic publishing and the accompanying paradigm shifts.
LS 654 Print Culture and Society (3 hours)
Examines the book as a cultural artifact and explores the impact of print culture on communication and knowledge/information production in Europe and the United States. Topics include orality and literacy, reading, authorship, copyright, markets and distribution, and the future of books in a digital age.
Additional Courses
BA 592 Graduate Seminar (3 hours)
Through brainstorming, discussion, and writing, students in this course will develop the concept of and proposal for their Creative Thesis Project for the MFA Book Arts degree. This course will also guide students through the development of CVs, artist statements, workshop proposals, and a digital portfolio. A significant portion of the course will involve speaking to individuals practicing in the field and developing strategies for the business side of working as an artist. This course may be repeated for a maximum of six credit hours.
BA 593 Workshops in the Book Arts (1-3 hours)
Workshops covering all subjects in the book arts, held both on and off campus. The course may be repeated.
BA 594 Practicum in Teaching in the Book Arts (1-3 hours).
Prerequisite: Second-year standing
Practical experience teaching introductory courses in printing, binding, and other appropriate book arts.
BA 595 Independent Project (1-6 hours)
Provides an opportunity for the student to pursue independently a project in the book arts.
BA 596 Directed Research in the Book Arts (1-6 hours)
Provides an opportunity for an intensive investigation of both historical and technical studies of a book arts craft.
BA 597 Internship (1-6 hours)
Prerequisites: Second-year standing and advisor permission.
A direct learning experience in a studio of a professional book artist.
BA 599 Creative Thesis Project (1-9 hours)
The capping experience of the MFA in the book arts program is the creative project, thesis, and exhibition. Working with a faculty advisor, the candidate develops a project that demonstrates a deep understanding of the craft and the aesthetic, historic, and critical contexts of the book; to establish technical expertise; and to work independently.