Overview

Do you believe that the world can be re-designed to be more equitable and just? Maryland Institute College of Art’s Social Design degree, the first degree-bearing program of its kind, will help you:

Increase your social literacy — You’ll develop a deeper understanding of the issues of equity, power, race, and privilege that exist at the heart of the social problems we aim to address.

Deepen your design literacy — You’ll learn to establish ethical frameworks, as well as human-centered design methods, to build empathy with and engage people in your work.

Expand your professional pathways — You’ll join a network of alumni who are pioneering and innovative leaders in public, nonprofit, entrepreneurial, and academic fields.

Is Social Design right for me?

Ideal candidates for the M.A. in Social Design come from diverse backgrounds and share a belief that design must play a role in advancing equity and social justice. If you are curious about interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches to civic engagement and social change, the program is a fit for you.

They value diversity in academic background. Social Design students have undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in a wide variety of design disciplines, and also in areas like anthropology, economics, fine arts, environmental studies, public health, and communications. We welcome students from any undergraduate major.

Professionally, the students range from those early in their careers to those working as physicians, industrial designers, data scientists, artists, writers, and teachers. The current cohort includes a service dog trainer and a DJ.

Some of the students come to the program with an interest in bringing a social design perspective to their existing area of expertise (such as law, journalism, medicine, and entrepreneurship). Others come to the program seeking to move into a design-centric field.

Students from the DC - Maryland - Virginia area typically represent half of the cohort, with the other half joining from across the United States and internationally.

In short, no matter your major or professional background, the M.A. in Social Design could be a great fit for you!

Programme Structure

Courses included:

Social Design Studio

Social Design Seminar: Human-Centered Design Intensive

Social Design Seminar: Social Literacy

Social Design Seminar: Design Literacy

Practice-based Studio

Social Design Studio

Social Design Seminar

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-19 00:00:00

Language

English

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Credits

30 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Baltimore, United States

Disciplines

Design Graphic Design View 95 other Masters in Graphic 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

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IELTS

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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

Graduate Admission Application Form: completed and submitted online.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume.

Applicants should submit a written statement discussing their artwork and outlining their interest in graduate study. The statement should also specifically discuss experiences that led them to want to be part of MICA's M.A. in Social Design program. Please limit to 500 words.

Two (2) Letters of Reference.

Proof of Degree or Equivalent.

A portfolio of visual work is required from all applicants to the M.A. in Social Design.

$75 Application Fee.

International candidates whose primary language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken English.

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

56500 USD / year

≈ 56500 USD / year
Out-of-State

56500 USD / year

≈ 56500 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

56500 USD / year

≈ 56500 USD / year

Living costs

Baltimore

United States

1240 - 2100 USD / month

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

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.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Social 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

Is Social Design right for me?

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

Baltimore

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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