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Two Graphic Design Programs,
One Goal: Career Fulfillment.
Develop your technical and conceptual skills to advance your graphic design career in one of our on-campus, rigorous design programs. The Master of Fine Arts and Certificate in Graphic Design programs are studio-based programs, giving you the tools to have an edge in the field. BU’s design faculty are innovators who will work closely with you to help you to think creatively and strategically.
Both Graphic Design Programs Provide:
- Professional training in advanced design technologies.
- Problem-solving in contemporary design practice.
- Artistic collaboration in small classes averaging 15 to 20 students.
- The best facilities: 60 new work stations, large open studios, critique walls.
- Exposure to internationally renowned visiting artists who share ideas and offer critiques.
- Professional, contemporary graphic artists on faculty.
Master of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design
You have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and/or design experience and now you want to take your abilities to the next level. Earning the most recognized and sought-after MFA degree in the field can help take you there. The Master of Fine Art Degree in graphic design provides a sequenced studio approach to advanced design thinking and problem-solving for visual communication. Working with leading designers, you will master the latest technology and become part of a vibrant, supportive community of practitioners.
Certificate in Graphic Design
New to design and want to develop career building skills? BU’s one-year Certificate in Graphic Design program is perfect for you. The program includes core studio and typography requirements and allows you to choose elective courses based on your interests and career goals. After Certificate completion, graduates can apply to enter our MFA program.
One of the Best Academic Design Spaces in the Nation
New facilities in the Graphic Design program include graduate student studios, two spacious open studios, two classrooms with LCD projectors and critique walls, the latest printing facilities, and a new seminar room.
With an emphasis on process and critical design thinking, the program sets itself apart as a maker-based design department located within an art school that is supported by the resources of a major research university. The design skills you develop here will propel you to the forefront of entrepreneurial thinking, giving you an edge in the marketplace.
Unique Career Enhancement Opportunities
Your experiences in either program will provide great opportunities to propel your career. MFA students show their work at an annual thesis exhibition in the prestigious Stone Gallery at Boston University. Certificate students have the option to obtain an internship which gives them valuable experience in the field.
You will meet visiting critics and guest lecturers such as, Laurie Andersen, Tom Sachs, Martha Rosler, Miwa Matreyek, Miranda July, Jim Sherraden, Sedrick Huckaby, Mernet Larsen, Judith Barry, Peter Bilàk, Tom Wedell, Chris Pullman, Keith Godard, Ellen Lupton, Stefan Sagmeister, Matthew Carter, James Victore, April Greiman, and other respected artists.
Boston: One of the Hottest Design Cities in the U.S.
It seems everyone you meet in Boston is in the design field. It’s a vibrant and thriving cultural center that’s just the right size. It’s big enough to offer you loads of opportunities and small enough to get you noticed.
About Boston University College of Fine Arts
Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a community of artist-scholars and scholar-artists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, think broadly, and master relevant 21st century skills. CFA offers a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates. Learn more at bu.edu/cfa.
Education within BU College of Fine Arts extends beyond the walls of the studios. You’ll also benefit from the rich centers of art and culture throughout the city of Boston, international opportunities through the study abroad program, and a worldwide network of alumni and connections to professions.
CFA Graphic Design Faculty Profile
Mary YangAssistant Professor of Art, Graphic Design
Mary Yang is a designer and educator based in Boston, MA. She is the founder of Open Rehearsal, a design practice that works with clients and collaborators in the arts, music, and academia. She joined the faculty of Boston University as an Assistant Professor in 2019, where she teaches in the Graphic Design program. Her recent research and projects explore the relationship between design and music, identity design in public spaces and urban design, exhibition design, and publishing. Collaboration with cultural clients include the RISD Museum, Verso Books, among others. She has exhibited at institutions, lectured and served as guest critic nationally and internationally in the US and UK. Previously, she has taught and lectured at the Rhode Island School of Design and University of Washington and has worked on the graphic and brand design team at Victoria’s Secret PINK in NYC, the University of Washington Press in Seattle, WA, and Studio Blue in Chicago, IL.
