GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Graduate Council NEW Certificate, Concentration, Tack or Degree Program
Coordination/Approval Form
(Please complete this form and attach any related materials. Forward it as an email attachment to the Secretary of the Graduate Council. A printed copy of the form with signatures should be brought to the Graduate Council Meeting. If no coordination with other units is requires, simply indicate “None” on the form.
Title of Program/Certificate, etc: Master of Arts in Graphic Design
Level (Masters/Ph.D.): Masters
Please Indicate: ____XX__ Program ______Certificate ______Concentration
Description of certificate, concentration or degree program:
Please attach a description of the new certificate or concentration. Attach Course Inventory Forms for each new or modified course included in the program. For new degree programs, please attach the SCHEV Program Proposal submission.
SEE ATTACHED.
Please list the contact person for this new certificate, concentration, track or program for incoming students:
Professor Harold Linton, Chair, AVT
Professor Jandos Rothstein, AVT, Graphic Design
Approval from other units:
Please list those units outside of your own who may be affected by this new program. Each of these units must approve this change prior to its being submitted to the Graduate Council for approval.
Unit: / Head of Unit’s Signature: / Date:Unit: / Head of Unit’s Signature: / Date:
Unit: / Head of Unit’s Signature: / Date:
Unit: / Head of Unit’s Signature: / Date:
Submitted by: ______Email: ______
Graduate Council approval: ______Date: ______
Graduate Council representative: ______Date: ______
Provost Office representative: ______Date: ______
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Program Proposal Cover Sheet
1. InstitutionGeorge Mason University
/ 2. Program action (Check one):Spin-off proposal
New program proposal
3. Title of proposed program
Graphic Design / 4. CIP code
50.0401
5. Degree designation
MA / 6. Term and year of initiation
Fall 2010
7a. For a proposed spin-off, title and degree designation of existing degree program
7b. CIP code (existing program)
8. Term and year of first graduates
Spring 2012 / 9. Date approved by Board of Visitors
T/K
10. For community colleges:
date approved by local board
date approved by State Board for Community Colleges
11. If collaborative or joint program, identify collaborating institution(s) and attach letter(s) of intent/support from corresponding chief academic officers(s)
12. Location of program within institution (complete for every level, as appropriate).
School(s) or college(s) of / College of Visual and Performing Arts
Division(s) of / Department of Art and Visual Technology
Campus (or off-campus site) / Fairfax
Distance Delivery (web-based, satellite, etc.)
13. Name, title, telephone number, and e-mail address of person(s) other than the institution’s
chief academic officer who may be contacted by or may be expected to contact Council staff
regarding this program proposal.
Harold Linton, Chair, Department of Art
(703) 993-4615,
Jandos Rothstein, Coordinator, Graphic Design Concentration
703-798-9020,
Table of Contents
Description of the Proposed Program 1
Overview 1
Curriculum 1
Faculty 5
Assessment 5
Benchmarks of Success 7
Expansion of an Existing Program 8
Collaborative or Standalone Program 8
Justification for the Proposed Program 8
Response to Current Needs 8
Spin-off Proposal 11
Employment Demand 11
Student Demand 11
Duplication 14
Projected Resource Needs 14
Appendices 21
Appendix A – Sample Schedule A-1
Appendix B – Faculty Committed to the Program B-1
Appendix C – Sample Job Announcements C-1
Appendix D – Survey of Student Demand for Program D-Error! Bookmark not defined.
Appendix E – Contacts from Prospective Students E-2
Appendix F – Catalog Description of Program
ii
Description of the Proposed Program
Overview
George Mason University seeks approval to offer the M.A. in Graphic Design. The proposed program would be administered by the Department of Art and Visual Technology within the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The Department of Art and Visual Technology has been offering graduate degrees at the master’s level for more than a decade. With over 50 nationally and internationally recognized faculty members, and an enrolled headcount of over 550 students, it is the largest public university art program in the Virginia and Washington area. Adding a Graphic Design Masters program will strengthen Mason's natural growth into a leadership school of art for the region and for the state, becoming the only M.A. in Graphic Design offered in the Commonwealth, and the only graduate degree in graphic design offered in the Capital region.
Professional graphic designers earn the M.A. to enhance and extend their knowledge and practice of graphic design. The masters degree maximizes earning potential and professional status for working designers and enables the recipient to be competitive for teaching and administration positions at two year, and some four year colleges. The practice of graphic design is the primary expectation for M.A. students in the field, and the urban location of George Mason University is an important advantage for these students. Washington, the Virginia high-tech corridor, the presence of national media outlets, and the Alexandria cluster of associations make Northern Virginia one of the largest and most innovative design markets in the country. This is confirmed by recent census data.[1] The Virginia/Capital MMA is the fourth largest market for artists and designers—behind only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
The proposed M.A. in Graphic Design builds on Mason’s already strong B.F.A. curriculum, and consequently will initially require a minimal reallocation of faculty and other resources. Moreover, the proposed program will come online at a time of significant growth for the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the department of Art and Visual Technology. A new 80,000 square foot academic building for the visual arts is currently under construction, and Graphic Design, with 156 students is already the department’s largest major. However, it is anticipated that additional full time design professors will be hired to maintain quality at both the undergraduate and graduate level as enrollment and income justify.
Curriculum
Mason’s proposal for a M.A. in Graphic Design calls for 36 credits. This degree will combine the academic efforts of graphic design and other faculty members from the department of Art and Visual Technology.
Admission to the M.A. in Graphic Design — Application deadlines for all degrees are as published by the university. Applicants must have an earned B.A. or B.F.A. degree in Graphic Design from an accredited college or university, with a GPA of 3.50 in art courses; or a BA in another subject and a Post baccalaureate certificate in graphic design. Students must schedule an interview with Design Faculty prior to admission. The following materials must be submitted as part of the application process:
· Completed application form;
· A non-refundable application fee;
· GRE General test;
· Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates for residents;
· Appropriate international paperwork, as required by the University;
· Official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate program attended;
· Three letters of recommendation from faculty members, or those who can evaluate the applicant’s academic potential;
· A sample of academic writing about art or graphic design, such as a paper from an art or design history course; and
· A CD or DVD with 20 examples of design works in PDF, jpeg, or a format that will play in a standard web browser.
Financial assistance may be available to a M.A. in Graphic Design student. Such support may be in the form of teaching assistantships, graduate research assistantships, and/or externally funded scholarships.
Course Work — The proposed M.A. in Graphic Design builds on one of the most respected graduate art programs in the State. GMU was recently named one of the nation’s top 100 graduate schools of art by US News and World Report, a reputation that will be enhanced by a robust graduate program in graphic design. The requirements for this degree program include three categories of courses: advanced studies in the major (Graphic Design – 20 credits), the proposal/thesis (4 credits), advanced courses in image making (6 credits) and courses in history and theory (6 credits). Rigorous course work reflects expectations for the potential contributions that Mason students will offer to the field of Graphic Design. Courses will be offered on a rotational basis, allowing the Masters’ student to complete the classes in a timely manner. A sample schedule of a full-time student is presented in Appendix A.
As required by SACS 3.6.2, the MA in Graphic Design curricula includes knowledge of the discipline's literature as indicated in the following courses: History of Graphic Design and Design Seminar. Required readings will include content about the evolution and development of visual persuasion, marketing, branding, visual authorship, design ethics, and professional responsibility which form the theoretical underpinnings of graphic design.
Students will engage in research, and appropriate professional practice, in addition to training when they complete their directed study or advanced elective design course, and their capstone project that requires these graduate students to author a major personal or pro-bono design piece.
Program of Study: M.A. in Graphic Design
Studies in Imagemaking 6 total credits
AVT522 Graduate Drawing, AVT 523 Graduate Drawing,
AVT 632 Graduate Painting, AVT 633 Graduate Painting
AVT 634 Graduate Painting, AVT 642 Graduate Printmaking,
AVT 643 Graduate Printmaking, AVT 652 Graduate Photography
AVT 654 Adv. Graduate Photography
Studies in the Major: Graphic Design 20-21 total credits
AVT 617 Adv. Typography, AVT 614 Brand Identity,
AVT 619 Adv Web Design; AVT 612 Thesis Research
AVT 596 Independent Study, AVT 599 Special Topics
Studies in Design Theory and History 6 total credits
AVT 613 Graphic Design History
AVT 611 Graduate Seminars in Design
Capstone Project 4 total credits
AVT 794 Graphic Design Project/
The final steps for completion of the M.A. in Graphic Design is a substantial final project that calls upon all the skills of a working designer. The project will be undertaken under the supervision of a single member of the design faculty and will be approved by a committee of the whole full-time graphic design faculty.
Project Proposal – A written proposal will be produced as under the supervision of the thesis advisor in the semester previous to the one in which the final project is undertaken. Two members of the GD faculty must approve the proposal: the thesis advisor and the instructor of graduate seminar the semester the proposal is written. If the instructor is the advisor, then any other fulltime member of the GD faculty can approve the project:
· Advise in topic selection, including appropriateness and overall academic value;
· Guide the student in the proposal writing/creation process;
· Ensure that the student complies with the university’s Human Subjects procedures if surveys, interviews, or similar methods are to be used.
Project — Due to the professional nature of the M.A. degree, students will finish their course of study with a capstone project that consists of a self-expressive work using the media of graphic design communication. The final project will be a wholly original design work that may include imagery, text, typographical organization and design created by the student. The final should, in form, be a mature work in one or more subspecialties of graphic design practice. The advisor will:
· Provide guidance and evaluation during the creation stages;
· Meet with the student during the registration semesters;
· Review and critique document drafts in a timely manner;
· Offer substantive and clear recommendations for revisions;
· Make qualitative judgments about the candidate’s designed and written work;
· Approve the final version of the piece(s) prior to the full committee approval.
The masters candidate is responsible for making all required changes promptly, submitting original and required copies, and providing printed and digital copies of the final version for the advisor’s and GMU’s records.
Faculty
The Art and Visual Technology faculty at George Mason University currently has 22 full-time members. This includes nationally and internationally prominent educators, scholars, artists, and designers. Three full-time and 5 adjunct faculty will teach in the Graphic Design MA program. (Brief biographies are included in Appendix B.)
The Art faculty includes individuals who are full-time tenured and tenure-track, term and adjunct to the department. Of the graphic design faculty, two of the three full-time faculty members hold MFA’s (terminal degree in design or a related field), with the third earning an MFA from the University of Baltimore in May 2009. The full-time faculty includes individuals with national and international prominence in the profession who will provide significant leadership and value to masters’ students.
Part-time faculty members are also vital components of the instructional resources for this proposed program. Their instructional impact is particularly important in applied Art as well as in specialized professional and research courses. The part-time design faculty includes educators who are fully engaged in ranging specialties of the profession, with expertise, in branding, web design, corporate design, advertising design, broadcast design, product design, book design, and design business management. They are thought leaders of the profession—at the national and the international level.
Assessment
The proposed M.A. in Graphic Design has developed the following learning outcomes. Graduates of the program will have appropriate:
· Depth of insight into the style of Graphic Design from major eras;
· Breadth of knowledge of design practice;
· Knowledge of principal developments in Graphic Design;
· Fluency with analog and digital design creation tools.
Mason students graduating with an M.A. in Graphic Design will be able to:
· Perform competently at the highest levels of design practice;
· Demonstrate ability/skill in analyzing design problems (briefs) and designed artifacts;
· Communicate orally and in writing about Graphic Design theory, practice, and business;
· Demonstrate the ability to create original and innovative design solutions;
· Produce a final that demonstrates the ability to contribute to the field of Graphic Design as a working practitioner.
As with all academic programs at George Mason University, assessment of student learning in the proposed M.A. in Graphic Design program will take place at the levels of the student, the course, and the program.