Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design

As a graphic design student, you'll learn a rich array of graphic design tools and work closely with faculty to broaden your understanding of the design field. You will utilize design thinking to work in both self-initiated and client-associated environments. You'll be prepared to work at the best agencies and studios in careers such as art director, app designer or branding designer, or even teach at the college or university level. You'll learn from distinguished and professionally active graphic design faculty who represent the full spectrum of the industry, and you'll graduate ready to be successful in this competitive job market.
As a graduate graphic design student, you will have opportunities to participate in assistantships, dedicated studio and work stations and leadership within the art community at USD. You will take upper level courses in typography, digital and print studio, package design, design methods, graphic design concepts and theories, master's portfolio, master's thesis and independent study coursework, which allows you to customize your program of study to match your career goals and art interests.

Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit (in English or with translation). Transcripts must be complete (e.g., if currently enrolled, work-in-progress coursework must be included, foreign transcripts must include a grading scale, and for countries that issue, copy of degree certificate/diploma i.e., India, Nepal, etc.). The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
An undergraduate degree in Art or other related discipline from an institutionally accredited institution with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institutionallyaccredited American college or university or from an accredited institution in the following English-speaking countries: United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada (Excluding Quebec), Australia, and New Zealandare not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score.For all other applicants, a minimum score of 71 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), 8 on the TOEFL Essentials, 6.0 on the IELTS Academic, 53 on the PTE, or 105 on Duolingo is required for graduate admission.
Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose in which the applicant expresses interests, intentions, and expectations for wanting to attend graduate school generally, and more specifically, in the MFA program at the University of South Dakota.