Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar welcomed 73 new full-time Master of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts students to the Education City campus.
This fall semester, VCUQatar is welcoming the second group of students into the new BA programme in art history. This is the first non-studio degree offered by the branch campus and is intended to support the development of cultural infrastructure in Qatar. The incoming BFA and BA classes of 2017 represent a truly diverse student body with 41 Qatari students and 28 students from Bangladesh, Canada, Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Russia, Turkey and the United States. Fifty-nine percent of the incoming freshmen are Qatari.
Admission to VCUQatar is based on a comprehensive assessment of the applicants’ academic achievements to date, their artistic talent, creativity and originality as evidenced by the work they present in their individual portfolios (BFA and MFA), letters of recommendation, writing skills and English language proficiency.
VCUQatar Dean Allyson Vanstone welcomed the incoming class during their orientation. “Being accepted to this prestigious university is the first step in your academic journey,” began Vanstone in her welcome address to the students. “The expansion in Qatar’s cultural and professional infrastructures makes this a significant time to enter the fields of art and design. Artists and designers help society innovate and generate sustainable solutions. You are this region’s next generation of artists and designers. Welcome to VCUQatar!”
VCUQatar also welcomed the fifth class of the MFA in design studies, the first graduate programme in design in the Gulf region.
“This international group of students comes from different creative backgrounds with varied research interests”, said Pornprapha Phatanateacha, associate director of the MFA programme. The incoming class brings the student population at VCUQatar to 279: 265 undergraduate (Foundation, Fashion, Graphic and Interior Design, Painting and Printmaking and Art History) and 14 graduate (Design Studies) students, representing 42 nationalities. VCUQatar also has two junior Interior Design students in Richmond on an exchange programme and four students from VCUarts in Richmond (two Art History, one Painting and Printmaking and one Fashion Design) studying at the VCUQatar campus for the semester.The Peninsula
