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Curriculum: MASTER of the Arts

Admission Requirements 
Applicants to the MFA in Design must hold undergraduate degrees in design or related fields such as art, art history, architecture, or industrial design with suitable course preparation and demonstrated excellence in design related to the fields offered MFA in Design program.  Students must demonstrate breadth in foundation areas such as two-and-three-dimensional composition, drawing, media, computer graphics, design and art history, and related social sciences.  They must also demonstrate proficiency in the area of study they wish to pursue. Undergraduate studies should include 48 units of upper division design or topics related to the emphasis areas of design taught in this program.  A portfolio of undergraduate or professional work in design (or related topics) must be submitted with application for consideration.  Some flexibility in the stated requirements is essential to incorporate candidates with broad experiential backgrounds. In addition, official academic transcripts as well as three letters of recommendation must be submitted.

Students who are deficient in background academic preparation but are otherwise well-qualified may be admitted but will be required to complete appropriate undergraduate courses at UCD to provide the necessary background for success with graduate studies in Design.  These courses must be completed prior to or within the first year of enrollment in the Design MFA program.

Deadline: December 15

 

Course Requirements

Unit requirements:
The MFA in Design is a two-year program with a 72-unit requirement of acceptable graduate, upper division, and professional courses.

Required and recommended course of study:
The MFA in Design will be composed of a required set of four required “core courses” and electives taken within the Design Program or campus disciplines related to the students study plan.  Each graduate may elect to serve as a Teaching Assistant at least once in their program.  They will be expected to take the Teaching Assistant Training Practicum prior to service as TAs.

Thesis:
An exhibition of the student’s creative work and written documentation of the project will replace the thesis.  This exhibition will be the culmination of the graduate program and will demonstrate proficiency in the design discipline focus.

Special preparation for careers in teaching:
Students will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty on course design, preparation, and delivery if that is an expressed goal of the student.  All students are required to take Design 224 at least once.  This course will introduce students to issues of course design and delivery, interaction with students, and grading criteria.  All students who serve as teaching assistants will be required to take the Teaching Assistant Practicum 396 offered by the Teaching Resource Center.  However, there are no courses in the MFA in Design curriculum focused solely on instructional practices.

 

Degree Requirements
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