Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Major in Communication Design

Program Overview

The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree with a major in Communication Design is a pioneering low-residency program that emphasizes conceptual thinking, experimentation, and investigation. Students engage in a broad spectrum of visual communication practices, including typography, digital experience, socially engaged design, and design pedagogy, and emerge ready to contribute to the field of communication design as professional practitioners and educators.

Positioned within the School of Art and Design, the MFA in Communication Design offers the advantages of a public research institution, including a diverse and active faculty, opportunities for interdisciplinary study, and affordability. A robust design lecture series promotes the exchange of ideas and perspectives across a wide range of specialties.

Our unique low-residency model arises from a longtime investment in remote learning. Courses are largely online and conducted by faculty experienced in building community and engagement from a distance. Each semester, students and instructors come together on campus for a conference-style residency with critiques, lectures, workshops, and exhibitions. This structure provides flexibility for working professionals and remote students as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equity.

Over 60 credits, students cultivate curiosity and critical thinking and making through a well-rounded, forward-looking curriculum. The MFA in Communication Design brings together interdisciplinary approaches to the discipline across national and global perspectives to form a graduate-level education befitting a terminal degree.

Communication Design Fitness Statement

Program Standards

Students enrolled in the Communication Design B.F.A. or M.F.A. program must maintain high scholastic standards and develop a mastery of the knowledge and methods of their respective discipline. Students are expected to demonstrate emotional and mental fitness in their interactions with others, use skills and methods that are generally accepted in the profession, and conform to the code of ethics of their respective discipline, and the university’s honor code. A student’s acceptance in any program does not guarantee the student’s fitness to remain in that program. The faculty is responsible for verifying that only those students who continue to meet program standards are allowed to continue in any program.

Evaluation of Student Fitness and Performance

Members of the faculty, using their professional judgments, evaluate student fitness and performance continuously. The criteria used by the faculty to make such judgments include instructors’ observations of student performance in class or in activities related to courses. Students who are not making satisfactory progress or who are not meeting program standards should consider withdrawing from the program.

In this context, the term “satisfactory progress” refers to an academic judgment made regarding the student’s fitness and performance. It is a judgment that the student has failed to meet program standards rather than a judgment made on the basis of the student’s violation of valid rules of conduct. Disciplinary matters are referred to Student Justice.

Student Review Process

1. When a faculty member believes that a student is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards, they will discuss the situation with the student.
2. When the faculty member believes that the student’s performance cannot improve to acceptable standards, the faculty member will refer the student to the Communication Design Program Standards Committee. The Committee consists of three Communication Design faculty members appointed by the program Coordinator in consultation with the school’s senior faculty.
3. The Committee will notify the student of the reasons that he or she is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards. The student will be given an opportunity to meet with the Committee to respond and to present information and witnesses to the Committee. The Committee will also meet with the faculty member who referred the student.
4. After considering the matter, and within ten working days of meeting with the student, the Committee will report its decision to the student and the school Director, stating that the student should either remain in the program, or leave the program. The Committee may make other decisions, such as placing restrictions or conditions on the student’s continuance in the program. Within ten working days of receiving the Committee’s decision, the student will notify the school Director of the student’s acceptance or rejection of the Committee’s decision. If the student rejects the Committee’s decision, he or she may appeal directly to the school Director.
5. Within ten working days of receiving the student’s appeal, the Director will make a decision as to the student’s continued presence in the program. Before making the decision, the Director will meet with the student. However, the Director need not meet with the student before making a decision if the student was given a reasonable opportunity to meet, and the student either failed or refused to meet. The Director will notify the student of the decision.
6. If the student is dissatisfied with the Director’s decision, he or she may appeal to the Dean of The College of Fine Arts and Communications. However, in order for the Dean to consider an appeal, the student must submit a written notice of appeal to the Director and the Dean within ten working days of receiving the Director’s decision. The Dean will consider the matter based on information compiled by the Director and notify the student of the decision within ten working days of the Dean’s receipt of the appeal from the Director. The Dean may meet with the student and give the student an opportunity to address the issues. The Dean’s decision is final.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website. International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• completed online application
• $55 nonrefundable application fee

          or

• $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
• baccalaureate degree in communication design, advertising art direction and design, digital media design, graphic design, illustration or related field from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
• official transcripts from each institution where course credit was granted
• a 2.75 overall GPA or a 2.75 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)
• GRE not required
• Academic and professional statement of purpose (500-800 words) addressing the following:

  • current design goals and specific reasons for seeking an MFA in Communication Design at Texas State University

  • experiences that led to this point, and how they may have shaped the student's current visual work

  • achievement expectations during their MFA studies

  • topics in design most interested in studying

  • In addition to building a strong MFA community of learners, independent study is an essential feature of the low-residency model. It is important for us to assess the student's ability and potential for managing and defining their own educational direction. Explain other independent educational experiences the student has pursued in design, and beyond.

• Online portfolio (professional and/or student) showcasing 12-20 works in communication design 

  Each sample must be clearly identified with a communicative message or project mission, media, and publishing information. Please create a PDF document that includes the portfolio URL. The portfolio will be evaluated on:

  • ideation/design/presentation
  • role and scope of work
  • peer-review (state, regional, national, or international)
• resume/CV
• three letters of recommendation from persons capable of evaluating the student’s academic and professional ability

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list.

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall and minimum individual module scores of
  • 19 listening
  • 19 reading
  • 19 speaking
  • 18 writing
• official PTE scores required with a 52 overall
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
• official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
• official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overal

This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree with a major in Communication Design requires 60 semester credit hours. In addition to the following required credit hours, the degree requires a Mid-Program Portfolio Review. The review will occur after students successfully complete 30 credit hours. The graduate advisor and select M.F.A. faculty will assess each Mid-Term Portfolio component. Passing Mid-Program Portfolio Review will allow the student to continue with their graduate study. The student with an unsatisfactory Mid-Program Portfolio Review will be allowed to make portfolio work revisions and resubmit (one resubmission only) the portfolio work for reassessment (one time).

This program offers a leveling program on a case-by-case basis to students who submit strong application materials, but lack some communication design skills. Leveling courses do not earn credit towards the MFA Communication Design degree.

Course Requirements

Comprehensive Examination Requirement

All students must pass the comprehensive final examination administered by the student’s thesis committee and consists of successful defense of their thesis research. The results of the exam should be reported on the “Master’s Comprehensive Examination Report” form, which can be downloaded from The Graduate College website and which must be filed in The Graduate College by the deadline listed on the Graduate College website.

Students who do not successfully complete the requirements for the degree within the timelines specified will be dismissed from the program.

If a student elects to follow the thesis option for the degree, a committee to direct the written thesis will be established. The thesis must demonstrate the student’s capability for research and independent thought. Preparation of the thesis must be in conformity with the Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation.

Thesis Proposal

The student must submit an official Thesis Proposal Form and proposal to his or her thesis committee. Thesis proposals vary by department and discipline. Please see your department for proposal guidelines and requirements. After signing the form and obtaining committee members’ signatures, the graduate advisor’s signature if required by the program and the department chair’s signature, the student must submit the Thesis Proposal Form with one copy of the proposal attached to the dean of The Graduate College for approval before proceeding with research on the thesis. If the thesis research involves human subjects, the student must obtain exemption or approval from the Texas State Institutional Review Board prior to submitting the proposal form to The Graduate College. The IRB approval letter should be included with the proposal form. If the thesis research involves vertebrate animals, the proposal form must include the Texas State IACUC approval code. It is recommended that the thesis proposal form be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College by the end of the student’s enrollment in 5399A. Failure to submit the thesis proposal in a timely fashion may result in delayed graduation.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee must be composed of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty members.

Thesis Enrollment and Credit

The completion of a minimum of six hours of thesis enrollment is required. For a student's initial thesis course enrollment, the student will need to register for thesis course number 5399A.  After that, the student will enroll in thesis B courses, in each subsequent semester until the thesis is defended with the department and approved by The Graduate College. Preliminary discussions regarding the selection of a topic and assignment to a research supervisor will not require enrollment for the thesis course.

Students must be enrolled in thesis credits if they are receiving supervision and/or are using university resources related to their thesis work.  The number of thesis credit hours students enroll in must reflect the amount of work being done on the thesis that semester.  It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward their degree throughout the thesis process.  Failure to register for the thesis course during a term in which supervision is received may result in postponement of graduation. After initial enrollment in 5399A, the student will continue to enroll in a thesis B course as long as it takes to complete the thesis. Thesis projects are by definition original and individualized projects.  As such, depending on the topic, methodology, and other factors, some projects may take longer than others to complete.  If the thesis requires work beyond the minimum number of thesis credits needed for the degree, the student may enroll in additional thesis credits at the committee chair's discretion. In the rare case when a student has not previously enrolled in thesis and plans to work on and complete the thesis in one term, the student will enroll in both 5399A and 5399B.

The only grades assigned for thesis courses are PR (progress), CR (credit), W (withdrew), and F (failing). If acceptable progress is not being made in a thesis course, the instructor may issue a grade of F. If the student is making acceptable progress, a grade of PR is assigned until the thesis is completed. The minimum number of hours of thesis credit (“CR”) will be awarded only after the thesis has been both approved by The Graduate College and released to Alkek Library.

A student who has selected the thesis option must be registered for the thesis course during the term or Summer I (during the summer, the thesis course runs ten weeks for both sessions) in which the degree will be conferred.

Thesis Deadlines and Approval Process

Thesis deadlines are posted on The Graduate College website under "Current Students." The completed thesis must be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on or before the deadlines listed on The Graduate College website.

The following must be submitted to The Graduate College by the thesis deadline listed on The Graduate College website:

1. The Thesis Submission Approval Form bearing original (wet) and/or electronic signatures of the student and all committee members.
2. One (1) PDF of the thesis in final form, approved by all committee members, uploaded in the online Vireo submission system.  

After the dean of The Graduate College approves the thesis, Alkek Library will harvest the document from the Vireo submission system for publishing in the Digital Collections database (according to the student's embargo selection). NOTE: MFA Creative Writing theses will have a permanent embargo and will never be published to Digital Collections. 

While original (wet) signatures are preferred, there may be situations as determined by the chair of the committee in which obtaining original signatures is inefficient or has the potential to delay the student's progress. In those situations, the following methods of signing are acceptable:

• signing and faxing the form
• signing, scanning, and emailing the form
• notifying the department in an email from their university's or institution's email account that the committee chair can sign the form on their behalf
• electronically signing the form using the university's licensed signature platform.

If this process results in more than one document with signatures, all documents need to be submitted to The Graduate College together.

No copies are required to be submitted to Alkek Library. However, the library will bind copies submitted that the student wants bound for personal use. Personal copies are not required to be printed on archival quality paper. The student will take the personal copies to Alkek Library and pay the binding fee for personal copies.

Master's level courses in Art and Design: ARTC, ARTH, ARTS, ARTT

Courses Offered

Communication Design (ARTC)

Art History (ARTH)

Studio Art (ARTS)

Art Theory & Practice (ARTT)