Graphic Design (MFA)

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Graphic Design is a terminal, studio-focused graduate program centered on advanced visual communication, critical inquiry, and independent research. Designed for designers seeking to deepen their conceptual rigor and expand their formal and technical range, the program emphasizes experimentation, authorship, and the development of a distinct design voice. Through intensive studio practice, students engage typography, visual systems, interaction design, motion, and emerging media while interrogating the cultural, social, and political dimensions of design. he MFA experience is rooted in critique, dialogue, and research-driven making. Students participate in graduate seminars exploring design history, theory, and contemporary discourse, alongside advanced studios that challenge them to synthesize concept, form, and context.

Core Studio Courses

Graduate Typography I & II
Advanced typographic systems, hierarchy, grids, expressive typography, variable fonts, and publication design.

Visual Systems & Identity Design
Brand systems, logo development, standards manuals, scalable identity across platforms.

Interaction & Interface Design
UX/UI principles, prototyping, user research, usability testing, and digital product systems.

Information & Data Visualization
Designing complex information clearly—maps, infographics, data-driven storytelling.

Advanced Graphic Form & Methodology
Experimental form-making, concept development, visual rhetoric, and critical making.

Motion Graphics / Time-Based Media
Kinetic typography, motion systems, digital animation for branding and storytelling.

Design Theory & Critical Studies

History of Graphic Design
From early print culture to modernist movements and contemporary global design.

Design Theory & Criticism
Semiotics, visual culture, media theory, authorship, ethics, and cultural impact.

Research Methods in Design
Qualitative/quantitative research, user research, practice-based research, thesis preparation.

Critical Writing for Designers
Developing written articulation of concepts, process, and research.

Professional Practice

Professional Practice & Entrepreneurship
Contracts, intellectual property, client relations, pricing, freelancing, studio management.

Portfolio Development
Advanced portfolio refinement for industry or academic paths.

Internship / Teaching Practicum (optional requirement)
Industry placement or graduate teaching assistantship.

Electives (Choose Several)

Experimental Typography
Editorial & Publication Design
Social Impact Design
Environmental / Wayfinding Design
Coding for Designers (HTML/CSS/Creative Coding)
Generative & Computational Design
Design for Emerging Technologies (AR/VR)
Packaging Systems
Design for Games / Interactive Media

Culminating Requirements

Graduate Thesis Studio I & II
Independent, research-driven design investigation culminating in a public exhibition or defense.

Thesis Paper / Written Component
Scholarly or practice-based written research supporting the thesis project.

Final Exhibition
Presentation of body of work to faculty panel and/or public audience.