Curriculum
The graduate curriculum provides an intensive, integrated plan of study combining theory, research, writing and studio practice. For students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in design, the graduate program can be completed in two years. For students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in a field other than design, the graduate program can be completed in three years. These students complete a foundational year of graduate studies in visual communication before starting the graduate program in design thinking and leadership. The graduate program requires full-time study to earn 15 credit hours of course work per semester. Graduate studies in design thinking and design leadership culminate in the degree Master of Fine Arts in Visual Communication from Indiana University.
Overview
First Year |
During the first year in the program, students develop and apply advanced level knowledge, methods and skills for design as a collaborative, creative problem solving process. The focus is on designing solutions for real people in real world situations. In the first quarter, students learn how to perform design research with an emphasis on methods for understanding users in real-world contexts. In the second quarter, students learn how to analyze design research with an emphasis on methods for identifying patterns & framing insights. In the third quarter, students learn how to synthesize research insights with an emphasis on methods for generating innovative ideas and conceiving plans. In the fourth quarter, students learn how to optimize and implement their innovations with particular emphasis on methods for prototyping solutions and evaluating proposals through user testing. |
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Second year |
During the second year in the program, students further develop and apply their skills for design leadership by facilitating cross disciplinary, collaborative design projects. Students focus the majority of time on developing and implementing independent thesis projects. |
Curriculum
Graduate Foundation Courses |
Students applying for the MFA degree program in Visual Communication who do not have previous design education or professional design experience may be required to complete Foundational Graduate studies in design before entering the MFA degree program. Foundational Graduate courses in design are offered for graduate credit but do not apply to the MFA degree requirements. One or two semesters of Foundational Graduate studies may be required before full admission into the MFA program in Visual Communication. Decisions regarding admission into the Foundational Pre-Graduate program are made on an individual basis. |
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HER-A 501 Elements and Principles of Visual Communication Design | Graduate Foundation. Studio course. Exploring varied means of graphic representation utilizing formal elements and principles of visual communication design. Identifying, contrasting and analyzing techniques for the invention of two-dimensional form with the purpose of communicating information, concepts, emotions. |
HER-A 502 Design Methodology for Visual Communication Design | Graduate Foundation. Studio course. Defining communication problems; evaluating analytical, synthetic, intuitive approaches to problem solving; creating visual concepts to represent complex messages; developing critical thinking. |
HER-A 503 Elements of Typography | Graduate Foundation. Studio course. Typography as a medium of visual communication. Focusing on the formal properties of letterforms within the roman alphabet and the relationship between visual and verbal forms of language. Terminology, typographic history, and technical issues. |
HER-A 504 Message Hierarchy and Typography | Graduate Foundation. Studio course. Exploring communication design potentials using text type and typographic technology. Focusing on congruency between visual and verbal hierarchies, formats for informational organization problems, and technical details of typographic specification and layout. |
HER-A 505 Elements of Image Making | Graduate Foundation. Studio course. Imagery as strategy for visual communication and symbolic representation. Focusing on production and critical examination of visual forms and formats as indexes of representation. Basic visual semiotics. Using a learner-centered method to examine and find meaning in visual representations. |
HER-A 506 Visual Narratives and Image Making | Graduate Foundation. Studio course. Imagery as strategy for visual communication and symbolic representation. Focusing on production and critical examination of visual narratives within specific cultural contexts. Examining the roles of message makers, media, audiences and contexts in the production and interpretation of meaning. |
HER-A 507 A History of Visual Communication Design: Audiences and Contexts, 1880 to present | Graduate Foundation. Lecture course. Examining the cultural, social, political, economic and technological forces that shape visual communication design solutions. Focusing on the audiences and contexts to which designers must respond. A Western European and American perspective on the period from 1880 to the present. |
