Course Structure

Understanding the Course Structure at New Masters Academy

At New Masters Academy (NMA), we've designed our educational content to be flexible, thorough, and aligned with academic standards and artists' unique needs at every level. Here's an overview of our course structure, from individual lessons to comprehensive learning tracks.

Chapters

Chapters are the core building blocks of our courses, consisting primarily of video content. Each chapter lasts between 30 minutes to an hour and focuses on delivering concise, impactful learning experiences on specific topics.

Video Lessons

Video Lessons encompass a broader topic and are composed of multiple chapters. These lessons vary in duration:

Formatted Courses: 1 to 4 hours.

Unformatted Courses: Up to 10+ hours

Some formatted courses can last longer when they include extensive, in-depth subject exploration.

Assignments

Within video lessons, you’ll find assignments under the assignments tab. These assignments are crucial for students seeking interactive feedback. They need to be completed and submitted for approval by the NMA Feedback Team, which uses NMA Rubrics for grading. These rubrics are detailed frameworks designed to ensure fair, consistent, and educational feedback on student submissions. It’s important to note that not all lessons include assignments, especially older courses that are pending updates from the NMA Education Team.

Courses

Our courses are analogous to in-person art classes but are designed to deliver more extensive content than a typical 10-13-week university course. They are structured into weeks, with each video lesson representing a week's worth of education. Formatted courses typically range from 6 to 12 weeks. Some unformatted courses can extend significantly longer, with the most comprehensive courses offering over 100 hours of video content.

Formatted vs. Unformatted Courses

• Formatted Courses: These courses are meticulously developed and restructured by the NMA Education Team to uphold a high standard of learning progression and include comprehensive educational resources. Each course is equipped with well-defined video chapters, assignments PDFs, reference images, materials lists, and concise video bumpers. These elements collectively ensure a seamless and enriched learning experience.
• Unformatted Courses: Developed prior to the establishment of the NMA Education Team, these courses are still robust educational resources. However, they may lack the structured formatting of more recent courses, missing elements such as assignment PDFs, reference images for visual learning support, materials PDFs with detailed lists, clearly segmented video chapters, and video bumpers that introduce learning content.

Modules

Modules are collections of courses that focus on a singular artistic skill or theme. They provide anywhere from one to two years of weekly content. Completing a module unlocks new modules, allowing for progressive skill development.

Tracks

Tracks are comprehensive education pathways specializing in specific art fields or professions. They include multiple modules and span 3 to 6 academic years. Completing a track awards certificates and provides a thorough grounding in the chosen field.

Learning Tracks Overview

NMA currently offers 11 learning tracks, each composed of sequential modules. These tracks are flexible; students can progress at a pace that suits their schedule and needs. Every student begins with the core module, "Drawing Foundations," which is essential for all subsequent learning.

Illustration Track Example

A typical track progression for illustration might look like this:

Drawing Foundations>Figure Drawing I>Portrait Drawing>Painting Foundations>Illustration I>Illustration II

Choice Points

During your journey through our modules, you may encounter choice points (noted as A, B, C, etc.) that allow you to tailor your learning experience based on personal taste or specific career goals. Future modules may require making a specific choice at these points, which will always be clearly indicated.

Flexibility and Choice

Remember, following a track is entirely optional. We maintain a comprehensive course catalog for those who prefer a more open-ended approach to learning.