MFA IN GRAPHIC DESIGN
2023-2024 | Curriculum | 3-year program
MFA candidates with the visual/verbal aptitude to enter the field but who hold undergraduate degrees in majors such as architecture, biology, computer science, history, journalism, literature and so forth need a foundational year of study to gain the requisite skills in typography, color, theory, image and design application to move on to a thesis investigation in the subsequent two years. After successful completion of the intensive first year, three-year track students merge studies with two-year track candidates, taking one more typography course but otherwise sharing the same increasingly open curriculum.
MFA FIRST YEAR | ||||||||
FALL | WINTERSESSION | SPRING | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Graduate Form I [a] | 3 | GD Studies or Open Electives [b] | 3 | Graduate Type Design [a] | 3 | |||
Graduate Seminar I [c] | 3 | Graduate Form II [a] | 3 | |||||
Graduate Typography Studio I [a] | 3 | Graduate Type II [a] | 3 | |||||
History of Graphic Design [a] | 3 | GD Studies or Open Electives [b] | 3 | |||||
GD Studies or Open Electives [b] | 3 | |||||||
TOTAL credits | 15 | TOTAL credits | 3 | TOTAL credits | 15 | |||
MFA SECOND YEAR | ||||||||
FALL | WINTERSESSION | SPRING | ||||||
Graduate Studio I [f] | 6 | GD Studies or Open Elective [a] or Graduate Seminar | 3 | Graduate Seminar II [c] | 3 | |||
Graduate Type III [a] | 3 | Graduate Studio II [f] | 6 | |||||
GD Studies or Open Electives [b] | 6 | GD Studies or Open Electives [a] | 6 | |||||
TOTAL credits | 15 | TOTAL credits | 3 | TOTAL credits | 15 | |||
MFA THIRD YEAR | ||||||||
FALL | WINTERSESSION | SPRING | ||||||
Graduate Thesis I [e] | 6 | Graduate Thesis Open Research [d] | 3 | Graduate Thesis II [d] | 9 | |||
GD Studies or Open Electives [b] or Graduate Seminar [d] | 6 or 9 | GD Studies or Open Electives [b] or Graduate Seminar [d] | 6 | |||||
TOTAL credits | 12 /15 | TOTAL credits | 3 | TOTAL credits | 15 | |||
Total Credits: 96 | ||||||||
Notes:
[a] Students in the 3-year MFA in Graphic Design must complete the following Core Courses (21 credits):
GRAPH-318G Graduate Type Design
GRAPH-332G Graduate Typography I
GRAPH-342G Graduate Typography II
GRAPH-352G Graduate Typography III
GRAPH-319G Graduate Form I
GRAPH-320G Graduate Form II
GRAPH-3225 History of Graphic Design
[b] Graphic Design Studies (any course or independent study in graphic design) and Open Electives (any course in the major or non-major): credits and subjects based on individual needs: 36 credits total.
[c] Graduate Seminar I and II (GRAPH-321G, 322G): 6 credits total.
[d] Graduate Education Seminar (in Graduate Education: see listings for that subject): 3 credits minimum.
[e] Graduate Thesis I and II, and Grad Thesis Open Research (GRAPH-327G, 328G, W321): 18 credits total.
[f] Graduate Studio I and II (GRAPH-323G, 324G): 12 credits total.
Students entering the Graduate program in the Department of Graphic Design must participate in its required Academic Laptop Program, purchasing hardware, software, upgrades and insurance. Although participation is required, graduate students may request to be waived from the requirement. Laptop program waiver requests are considered on a case by case basis.