Program Goals and Objectives

The Master of Graphic Design program is a two-year, full-time course of advanced study in the field.

The Bachelor of Graphic Design program includes the study of visual, theoretical, historical, and technical aspects of the discipline.

The Master of Art + Design extends the department's long-standing commitment to interdisciplinary and collaborative education to the graduate level. The unique feature of this graduate program is the blending of art, design, and both hand and digital technologies. The degree offers two concentrations, each with opportunities for collaboration and interaction with other programs on campus.

The Anni Albers Scholars Program offers students two degrees in five years. The first program of its kind in the country leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in textile technology from the College of Textiles and a Bachelor of Art + Design degree from the College of Design. Graduates will be highly sought after by the textile industry with their unique combination of design skills and textile technological knowledge.

The program is named for textile designer and artist Anni Albers, who was educated in the Weaving Workshop at the Bauhaus and immigrated to the United States from Germany during World War II. Albers brought her work in textiles to Black Mountain School in North Carolina and eventually to Yale University.

Students taking courses such as hand weaving and dyeing, drawing, printmaking, color and light, and digital imaging from the College of Design and receive instruction in textile technology, operations management and textile chemistry from the College of Textiles. The scholars also participate in special seminars, lectures and field trips, with some studying abroad. For more information on the Anni Albers Scholars Program please visit their web site.

Curriculum

The Bachelor of Art + Design is a four year, studio based, interdisciplinary undergraduate education. This educational experience integrates design thinking and the traditional arts with the design disciplines and current technologies to create aesthetic yet functional objects, experiences and environments. Students are encouraged to consider multicultural models in their conceptual investigations to formulate inclusive and innovative solutions to contemporary issues.

The curriculum offers three major directions:

• The Art and Design path is a general course of study. Students experience traditional art disciplines in a design context.
• The New Media path focuses on interaction design, 2 and 3D animation and visualization. Students study a wide variety of tools and techniques as they address new design challenges of the 21st century.
• The Fiber Design path focuses on a range of explorations, both functional and non-functional. They include: hand and digital weaving surface design, fabric design, hand and digital printing, hand digital embellishment, construction, sculpture and installation. Student focus may range from the design of fabrics for hand production to the production of one-of-a kind art objects.