Regular Admission Policy

Admission to the Master of Fine Arts degree in Communication Design program is selective and designed to identify those applicants who have the ability and commitment to successfully complete the program. Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree (B.A., B.F.A., B.G.D. [Bachelor of Graphic Design] or equivalent) with a major in communication design (i.e., advertising art direction and design, digital media design, graphic design, or illustration) from an accredited university and satisfy specific admission criteria. A minimum of 36 undergraduate semester credit hours in communication design will be required.

Minimum admission (regular) criterion:

Component One: Scholastic testing/performance assessment.
An undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (4.0 scale) in the last 60 credit hours of work leading to the baccalaureate degree. The GRE performance testing is not required.

Component Two: Portfolio (professional and/or student).
A portfolio consisting of 20 works (minimally) in communication design. The portfolio will be submitted digitally (i.e., PDF or CD- ROM). The work should be accompanied by an annotated list indicating communicative message or project mission, media, and publishing information. Assessment factors: (1) Ideation/design/presentation, (2) Role and scope of work, and (3) Peer-review (state, regional, national, or international).

Component Three: Written communication. Assessment factors: (1) A letter of intent, (2) A statement (300-500 words) describing the applicant’s academic and professional goals, and (3) Professional profile or curriculum vitae.

Component Four: Recommendation from three persons capable of evaluating the applicant’s academic and professional ability and potential.

Do you hold a Master of Arts or a Master of Science in the discipline of communication design?

For students who hold a Master of Arts (M.A.) or a Master of Science (M.S.) in the discipline of communication design (i.e., advertising art direction, digital media design, graphic design, or illustration) from an accredited university with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better, course work— not to exceed 30 credit hours— may be applied to the M.F.A. upon the review and approval of the M.F.A. core faculty, the Program Director, the Department Chair, and the Graduate Dean.

Conditional Admission Policy

A student who has a GPA of less than 2.75 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work may apply for conditional admission consideration. Applications for conditional admission are reviewed by the MFA core faculty, Program Director, and Department Chair for recommendations regarding admission and additional requirements. The Dean of the Graduate College makes the final conditional admission decision. When the requirements for conditional admission have been met, the student is eligible for regular admission.