Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design (STEM)

at Academy of Art University USA

The BFA program provides students with a comprehensive education in the principles of modern web design and new media. Taught by a faculty that works in the San Francisco Bay Area creative industry, our students are provided a unique opportunity to learn from teachers immersed in the field. The curriculum focuses on visual design, user experience, design strategies, web design, and motion graphics.

Graduate programs in the School of Fashion refine and focus your individual artistic vision with degree options in Design, Knitwear Design, Textile Design, Costume Design, Footwear & Accessory Design, Fashion Product Development, Fashion Merchandising & Management, and Fashion Marketing & Brand Management. Studio courses hone your knowledge of industry standards, combining design excellence with the mastery of the latest digital tools. Graduate candidates are guided through Directed Study which culminates in the production of a final collection, portfolio, or project.

The MFA in Illustration provides the skills to develop portfolios with samples in Children’s Book, Editorial, Licensing, Package Illustration, Concept Art, Book Covers, Preliminary Art, Advertising, or Institutional Art portfolios. Both representational and stylistic approaches for print and or web are taught. Students graduate with a portfolio created in a personal style and medium of choice that is market appropriate.

The MA in Graphic Design & Digital Media emphasizes professional and career development with advanced study of the field and encourages students to extend their design skills into content creation, authorship, entrepreneurialism, and social innovation.

The BFA degree builds on the core curriculum of fundamental principles by emphasizing the aesthetic and conceptual skills necessary for a professional portfolio. After completing the core curriculum, students choose to focus on commercial or editorial, fine art, or documentary courses. Upon graduation, students will be required to demonstrate an individual style and a unique approach to their chosen area of study.

The School of Landscape Architecture BFA program focuses on the development of flexible design processes for landscape and urban design, an understanding of ecological systems, sustainable practices and use of materials, site planning, and advanced drafting and rendering techniques. By graduation, each student will have a portfolio that reflects his or her unique creative vision within this rapidly expanding and evolving profession.

The Master of Arts Program in Fashion Journalism equips students with subject-area expertise to help communicate the rising complexity of the global fashion industry. M.A. students develop both: a deep understanding of social media for journalism and a strong fashion industry grounding that enables them to ask more informed questions, to situate fashion news and business of fashion events into a larger context, and to evaluate fashion collections with a critical, well-informed eye. Students learn to produce cross-platform stories that are nuanced and sophisticated for social, digital, mobile and print media. The M.A. program is fueled by a deep intellectual understanding of fashion, ethics, and the ability to professionally utilize social media - skills that are required of the leading fashion journalists of tomorrow.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) program in Interior Architecture & Design is a thirty-six (36) unit program that will provide students with a dynamic learning environment and a curriculum to prepare them for professional practice. The curriculum covers all aspects of design, including programming, design analysis, understanding human social and spatial interaction, space planning, use of color and materials, preparation of construction documents and specifications, site observation, professional business practices, current methods of interior construction, building systems and components, codes and regulations, fixtures, furnishings and equipment.

The MFA Game Development program allows students to further their careers by synthesizing traditional art and design fundamentals with today’s groundbreaking technologies. Students level up their skill through hands-on prototyping of game mechanics and art creation, followed by creating a thesis project and an industry-quality portfolio.

Drawing on your life experiences, coupled with the artistic and technical skills you gain, you’ll be prepared for a career as an art director, copywriter, or creative strategist. A mastery of advanced advertising principles and concepts are brought to life by working independently and collaboratively on your unique portfolio.