Full Sail Announces Master of Fine Arts in Media Design
The new MFA program is geared toward the advanced study of branding and design strategy
Full Sail University is introducing a Media Design Master of Fine Arts Degree Program that will explore the world of creative design and the role that it plays in delivering a company’s message. The new online degree program starts in February 2009 and will provide students with an in-depth look at creative branding and the strategic planning process that goes behind design.
For course descriptions and more information on the degree, click here.
As more and more companies depend on design and branding strategies for success, creative professionals who can conceive and implement sophisticated ideas across multiple forms of visual media – including print, web, and television – are in high demand. The MDMFA program is designed to help those individuals channel their vision to bridge the gap between the boardroom and the design studio.
“The theory behind the MDMFA degree is about being able to see ‘the bigger picture’ and to create media in support of a company’s brand, as opposed to media being created just for media’s sake,” says Program Director Bill Galbreath. “It’s beyond just designing a logo; in this program, we think about things like demographics and add the elements of business, marketing, and research to the design process.”
In addition to being Full Sail’s first MFA degree, the Media Design program is also unique in that it offers the same real world education that the school has become known for – online. Focusing on concepts such as brand development, design strategies and motivations, client needs, design research, and ethics of design, the program’s curriculum immerses students in a professional workflow that mirrors that of the industry, where they’ll create a variety of deliverables for many different platforms and media. Along the way, students will become equipped with the branding and strategy tools needed to handle those key projects.
The program culminates with the Design Solution, a Thesis/Final Project comprised of all of the skills and knowledge students accumulate throughout the program’s coursework. Addressing a complex media design challenge (and a proposed solution), students will develop a Design Document, style guide, and campaign that make the case for their idea. The Design Document will also serve as a working template which they can use as they pitch ideas and concepts to future employers throughout the course of their careers.
“A lot of designers just start by picking up the pencil or the mouse and they start going,” Galbreath says. “This degree program shows that along with that visual aspect, there needs to be a lot of research and strategic planning that occurs before that even happens. It’s about having control – do you want to be told what to do and who you work for, or do you want to decide what you’re working on and who you work with? Being able to have that vision is a really exciting experience.”
For course descriptions and more information on the degree, click here.
As more and more companies depend on design and branding strategies for success, creative professionals who can conceive and implement sophisticated ideas across multiple forms of visual media – including print, web, and television – are in high demand. The MDMFA program is designed to help those individuals channel their vision to bridge the gap between the boardroom and the design studio.
“The theory behind the MDMFA degree is about being able to see ‘the bigger picture’ and to create media in support of a company’s brand, as opposed to media being created just for media’s sake,” says Program Director Bill Galbreath. “It’s beyond just designing a logo; in this program, we think about things like demographics and add the elements of business, marketing, and research to the design process.”
In addition to being Full Sail’s first MFA degree, the Media Design program is also unique in that it offers the same real world education that the school has become known for – online. Focusing on concepts such as brand development, design strategies and motivations, client needs, design research, and ethics of design, the program’s curriculum immerses students in a professional workflow that mirrors that of the industry, where they’ll create a variety of deliverables for many different platforms and media. Along the way, students will become equipped with the branding and strategy tools needed to handle those key projects.
The program culminates with the Design Solution, a Thesis/Final Project comprised of all of the skills and knowledge students accumulate throughout the program’s coursework. Addressing a complex media design challenge (and a proposed solution), students will develop a Design Document, style guide, and campaign that make the case for their idea. The Design Document will also serve as a working template which they can use as they pitch ideas and concepts to future employers throughout the course of their careers.
“A lot of designers just start by picking up the pencil or the mouse and they start going,” Galbreath says. “This degree program shows that along with that visual aspect, there needs to be a lot of research and strategic planning that occurs before that even happens. It’s about having control – do you want to be told what to do and who you work for, or do you want to decide what you’re working on and who you work with? Being able to have that vision is a really exciting experience.”
