Overview

The Design MFA program offered at University of Southern California is a five-term 56-unit studio-based program that is designed to support the development of a personal contemporary practice that is both unique and sustainable. Students work closely with USC Roski's internationally acclaimed design faculty, as well as an expanded community of leading professional designers, artists, historians, critics, curators and culture makers who participate in regular Visiting Designer/Designer-in-Residence Forums. The scope of the program will provide graduate design students with a critical examination of the issues, theories, and ideas that are relevant to contemporary design and a studio practice in design.

Program objectives:

Increase your ability to analyze graphic design (along with architecture, fashion, art and other cultural production) including describing them with appropriate vocabulary, examining their formal elements, and engaging in research to understand their contexts (both contemporary and historical);
Expand the knowledge about the creative process, as exemplified by the study of specific works in design history, with a focus on understanding various creative methodologies. These methodologies become apparent in the historical projects, yet they can be applied in any contemporary, creative pursuit.
Deepen the understanding of how political, cultural, and social conditions effect the practice of all aspects of design. Students will have the opportunity to see how various practitioners in the field create work that speaks to specific audiences using innovative graphic forms (through both images, typography, technology and media).
Enrich the discernment of design by understanding the theoretical, historical, and aesthetic decisions behind a range of work.
Increase the understanding of the field of design (including with architecture, fashion, art and other cultural production) in order to enhance your ability to create work and establish a practice that is engaged with the world at large.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Building Design project
Costume Design
Intermediate Production Design
Program Design and Evaluation

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-15 00:00:00

Language

English

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

56 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Los Angeles, United States

Disciplines

Design View 455 other Masters in Design in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

A complete USC Graduate Application
Three (3) letters of recommendation
Official transcripts (also referred to as "academic records") from ALL post-secondary schools attended

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Out-of-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

73260 USD / year

≈ 73260 USD / year

Living costs

Los Angeles

United States

1520 - 2570 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

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Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Design.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Program objectives:

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Los Angeles

Financing

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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