About Our MFA Program

School of Web Design & New Media

About Our MFA Program

School of Web Design & New Media Graduate Student Gallery

The objective of the Web Design & New Media graduate program is to transform graduate students in New Media into creative leaders and visionaries. Each graduate student enters the program through an archway of core skills master classes. Emphasis in concept building and communication skills continues throughout the program from the archway classes, through the practice of a wide variety of new digital tools and applications leading up to each student’s final thesis project.

The program promotes final thesis project ideas that aesthetically and innovatively propel technology with intent. The potential to improve the world we live in, and for the people who live in it, through technology, enlightens our graduate students with a new sense of responsibility. And as they later step outside the academic experience, the final thesis project encapsulates a demand in the industry.

MFA Program Learning Outcomes

School of Web Design & New Media Program

MFA graduates of the School of Web Design & New Media will meet the following student performance criteria:

1. MFA Thesis Project

   • Produce a final thesis project demonstrating strong critical thinking and design skills, clear delivery to a target audience, innovative access of information, and creative use of interactivity. Graduate students are required to present a mid-point proposal and complete a final presentation of the project to a review committee prior to being granted an MFA degree.

2. Aesthetics (Type, Design, + Sound)

   • Communicate story and message through an immersive and interactive experience.
   • Design innovative ways of accessing information.
   • Produce aesthetically pleasing graphic design, including balance, typography, color, screen legibility, and composition.
   • Ensure that the message of the project is delivered through clear sound and screen resolution.

3. Usability

   • Provide intuitive access of information for the user.
   • Develop the Information Architecture of an interactive product within given parameters in a way that addresses audience needs and facilitates user access.
   • Conduct requirement analysis. Clearly define marketing needs and what needs to be built.

4. Technical Skills

   • Construct and embed interactive components using HTML, Actionscript, Javascript, CSS, PHP, XML, and Motion Graphics.

5. Research + Critical Thinking

   • Conduct necessary research and demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills during project development and refinement.

6. Presentation Skills

   • Present ideas professionally and persuasively using visual, oral, and written communication skills.

7. Professional Readiness

   • Develop a professional portfolio, including resume and personal website.
   • Collaborate effectively with others.

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

1. Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
2. Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
3. Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
4. Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
5. Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
6. Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
7. Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

For application and portfolio requirements, please contact Graduate Admissions at 800-544-2787 or info@academyart.edu.

^ back to top