MFA in Graphic Design

Ideal for self-motivated students with an academic background in visual art and culture, media arts, design, or communications and/or professional experience in the field of graphic design. Graduates develop skills in form, content, and craft, and emerge with a body of design work to guide them in the next stage in their careers.

Application Info
Upcoming Application Deadline:

Winter 2025 Semester – October 1, 2024 (final deadline Nov. 1)
 
Summer 2025 Semester – April 1 (final deadline May 1)

Applications for Winter 2025 are now open! APPLY NOW.

Residency Dates

  • Winter: January 3 – 11, 2025
    Valencia, California

  • Summer: June 24 – July 2, 2025
    Valencia, California

Each semester begins with a nine-day residency packed with events to encourage students, faculty and visiting designers to collaborate and learn from each other. Students are paired with faculty advisors to develop a customized study plan to direct and inspire their Masters in Graphic Design.

Connect with Admissions!

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INFORMATION SESSIONS

Join us to learn more about our low residency MFA programs and the application process. In this session we will discuss:

  • Overview of VCFA programs
  • What does low residency look like at VCFA?
  • What is expected in a typical semester?
  • What is residency?
  • Learn more about our faculty mentorship model
  • First steps for preparing your application
  • Financing your MFA overview
  • Q&A

Visit the event page to learn more and RSVP.

Questions? Please email [email protected].

MFA in Graphic Design at VCFA

These two- and three- year programs at VCFA helps students develop skills in form, content, and craft. This flexible and low-residency MFA option will guide students’ creative work while offering minimal disruption to their professional life and personal schedule.

Low-Residency Explained

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Semester Work

James Chae
Faculty Co-Chair, MFA in Graphic Design
Silas Munro
Faculty Co-Chair, MFA in Graphic Design
Natalia Ilyin
Faculty, MFA in Graphic Design
Tasheka Arceneaux-Sutton
Faculty, MFA in Graphic Design
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Program Faculty
Award-winning global designers, educators, critics, writers, and consultants, the MFA in Graphic Design faculty is a distinguished team of engaged professional designers.
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Visiting Designers
Each residency features a new group of distinguished visiting faculty and artists–learn more about them here.
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Ellen Lupton
Guest Designer
Steven Heller
Guest Designer
Julia Born
Visiting Designer
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Lex Poolos, 2020 MFA in Graphic Design
Lex Poolos has had an impactful career as a designer since discovering their passion for art as an undergrad. After finding their way to design...
Rosemary Rae, 2018 MFA in Graphic Design
Rosemary Rae has been selected among the first round of participants in Kolaj Institute's Poetry & Collage Residency for 2022. According to Kolaj's...
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Alumnx Stories
Our students and alumnx inspire us every day with their exhibitions, publications, screenings, performances, and teaching, bringing the magic of VCFA out into the world.
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Notable Alumnx Profiles
Lex Poolos, ‘20
Lex Poolos has had an impactful career as a designer since discovering their passion for art as an undergrad. After finding their way to design and VCFA, not only has Lex become a graphic designer for the City of Charlotte, NC, they are the founder of Queer City Hangouts, an inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community of Charlotte.

"The biggest benefit for me was having faculty and peers all over the nation (and world) to give a literal global view."
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Dannell MacIlwraith, ‘16
In 2022, he received a Bronze Award for Experimental Poster Design in the UDA Annual Int'l Design Competition for the piece "Panic Pile."
Shruthi Manjula Balakrishna, ‘19
In late 2022, Shruthi was a speaker at the Brand New Conference 2022—a two-day corporate and brand identity event by UnderConsideration with some of today’s most active and influential practitioners worldwide.
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“At VCFA we explore the possibilities of new design life. In a sense, it is an educational form of protest.”

– Michelle Mohammad | 2013 MFA in Graphic Design

MFA in Graphic Design FAQs

No. Low-residency at VCFA means that students spend time on campus every semester for a residency week and then spend the rest of the time working with a faculty advisor to create work they envision. Faculty advisors in the Graphic Design program serve as both guides and mentors, offering students resources, texts, and theory to help deepen their design skills and interests. Students submit digital or printed “packets” each month to demonstrate their ongoing progress. There are no online classes or assignments in the traditional sense of an online education structure.

Learn more about our low-residency model.
No, many of our students do not have an undergraduate degree in design but have held positions as designers or design faculty for quite some time. The admissions committee strongly considers professional experience, and much of our student body is made up of seasoned designers and professors who are interested in earning an MFA to strengthen their existing practice and professional career.

To learn more about the process, contact Admissions at [email protected].
Yes, you would be a great candidate for our three-year track! In the three-year program track, students spend the first year developing their design foundation skills, learning new software, and working with typography. It is a great way to use your existing creative skills and apply them towards a career as a designer.

To learn more about the process, contact Admissions at [email protected].
Students who enroll in the two-year program have a solid foundation of design fundamentals. They are comfortable working with typography, are proficient with Adobe design software, and have an understanding of design history and theory. They have a strong portfolio of design work and are ready to take their practice to the next level. Three-year-track students need an extra year to learn or brush up on these skills. They have a strong portfolio of creative work that may include some design but may also include creative projects in other mediums.

To learn more about the process, contact Admissions at [email protected].