Cranbrook Academy of Art's Photography MFA: No Classes, No Grades, Just Inquiry

Cranbrook Academy of Art, the only standalone graduate school of art, architecture, and design in the US, offers a radically self-directed MFA in Photography. The program, led by Artist-in-Residence Chris Fraser, has no classes or grades, meeting twice weekly for seminar and critique. Students are encouraged to abandon good taste and precedent, pursuing hard questions with a mantra of 'no art, just inquiry.' The department admits up to seven students per year, with a total cohort of fourteen. Tuition is $53,210, with over 90% of admitted students receiving merit-based scholarships and up to 10 full-tuition fellowships available. Facilities include a digital lab, private darkrooms, and a central kitchen that serves as a communal hub. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary work, viewing photographic purity as a fiction. Alumni become working artists, often in higher education or arts administration, and maintain a strong network described as a 'cult.' The program requires participation in the Graduate Degree Exhibition and a Masters Statement. Fraser, a camera maker who creates room-sized camera obscuras, prioritizes mentoring over teaching, with visiting artists like Sheida Soleimani and Letha Wilson engaging in extended stays.