Graduate Dual Degrees

MA in Visual & Critical Studies combinations

The MA in Visual and Critical Studies program offers a unique opportunity to concurrently pursue a second degree. Students may choose to add one of the following creative practices:

• MFA in Fine Arts
• MFA in Writing

Each dual degree prepares you to integrate thinking, writing, and studio practices. You’ll acquire critical skills, such as advanced historiography and visual analysis, as you build a writing portfolio that analyzes art within multiple contexts.

You’ll hone your research and communication skills through the development of a master’s thesis. The thesis process involves collaborative exchange through group critiques, a symposium presentation, and professional publication.

You are required to complete the designated coursework in both Visual and Critical Studies and the second degree program. By the end of the three-year curriculum, you’ll receive both degrees and graduate ready to enter competitive postgraduate arenas.

View course guides

The following course guides are recommended paths toward graduation:

• Course guide: MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Fine Arts
• Course guide: MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Writing

Who should apply?

These degree combinations are ideal for graduate students who want to think critically about art, design, culture, and society on a wider scale. Degree candidates further their artistic explorations through critical writing, and apply historical grounding to research and theories.

Contact us to learn more:

MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design

This dual-degree program prepares students to translate their design vision and market opportunities into a compelling product or service. Incorporating courses from both the two-year MFA Design and the DMBA curricula, students’ insight and mastery of design practice and management are equally developed. Students study with individuals who have high-level design capabilities, entrepreneurial ambitions, and strong professional backgrounds.

The curriculum includes core coursework from each program in order to satisfy the requirements of both specific degrees. The dual-degree program culminates with an MFA Design thesis in the second year and an entrepreneurial venture in the third year. The entrepreneurial venture thesis can build on the MFA thesis or be entirely new.

Students in this program receive both degrees at the end of the three-year curriculum. They graduate prepared to direct design-led organizations (including their own) to maximize the impact of a design in roles, ranging from design director to chief design officer.

View course guide

The following course guide is a recommended path toward graduation:

• Course guide: MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design

Who should apply?

This unique program combines a thorough exploration of both business models and design practices. If you’re interested in running your own business, working in the business-side of design, or finding a hybrid space between design and business, this dual degree is ideal.

Contact us to learn more:

Each of our dual-degree options have their own application on SlideRoom. To create an account and start your application, choose your dual-degree program of interest:

• MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Fine Arts
• MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Writing
• MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design

Complete one application

You’ll apply to CCA and submit all required application materials via SlideRoom. Afterward, you may be contacted for an interview with a faculty member as part of the application process. Being selected for an interview doesn’t indicate applicant status or increase or decrease an applicant’s chances of being admitted into their desired graduate program. Interviews are conducted at the program’s discretion and are used to gain more insight into an application.

While we offer students the opportunity to apply to more than one graduate program, dual-degree applicants should not submit separate applications. Instead, use the dual-degree application for the program of your choice. These applicants will automatically be considered for each program individually in the event they are not fully admitted into the dual-degree pathway, based on the recommendation of the reviewing faculty.

Dual-degree application requirements

• Application and $70 nonrefundable application fee
  To be completed and submitted on SlideRoom.
  
• Resume/curriculum vitae
  Please outline your educational and professional background and relevant experiences and activities, including community work. Resumes/CVs must be in PDF document format. (The MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design dual degree also requires a link to the applicant’s LinkedIn profile.)
  
• Two recommendation letters
  You’ll request two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources in SlideRoom by entering the contact information for your recommenders/references. They will then receive an automated email from SlideRoom with instructions for uploading their letter of recommendation.
  
• Unofficial college transcripts
  You are required to provide your complete undergraduate academic history. Students who have already taken graduate courses are encouraged to submit those transcripts, too. For international applicants, all transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation.
  
  Please provide an unofficial transcript from the college where you will receive or have received your bachelor’s degree, as well as unofficial transcripts for all other undergraduate coursework. Unofficial transcripts will be used for review purposes.
  
  Once you have been admitted and enrolled, all students will need to submit official, sealed transcripts showing the completion of a bachelor’s degree to our graduate admissions office by August 1 of the fall semester they begin enrollment at CCA.
  
• Proof of English proficiency (international applicants only)
  Review and plan to meet our English proficiency requirements for graduate students.
  
• Personal essay
  Essay topics are different for each dual-degree program application:
  
  • MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Fine Arts
    • MA VCS: In a personal essay, submitted as a PDF, write 500 to 1,000 words about how the program fits into your writing and career goals and why you want to explore visual and critical studies at the master’s level. While personal statements can vary, it’s generally good to focus on what influences your writing about visual culture, including particular theories and texts. We encourage you to consider the VCS faculty’s interests, as these are the educators who will be supporting you in the program.
    • MFA Fine Arts: In a personal essay, submitted as a PDF, write 500 to 1,000 words about how your work fits within the context of a contemporary art practice and why you want to study at the master’s level.
  • MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Writing
    • MA VCS: In a personal essay, submitted as a PDF, write 500 to 1,000 words about how the program fits into your writing and career goals and why you want to explore visual and critical studies at the master’s level. While personal statements can vary, it’s generally good to focus on what influences your writing about visual culture, including particular theories and texts. We encourage you to consider the VCS faculty’s interests, as these are the educators who will be supporting you in the program.
    • MFA Writing: In a personal essay, submitted as a PDF, write 500 to 1,000 words about your writing experience, why you want to study writing at the graduate level, your educational objectives, and any critical influences on your work.
  • MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design
    • MFA Design: Submit a personal essay, in PDF form, of 500 to 1,000 words about your work within the context of contemporary design practice and why you want to study design at a master’s level.
    • DMBA: Answer four open-ended questions. We encourage you to use mediums that feel expressive to you, but require at least two of these to be submitted in written format. Aim for 500 to 1,000 words per question for written answers:
      • The DMBA is demanding in terms of balancing traditional and creative methods of analysis and problem-solving. What draws you to pursuing an MBA, and specifically this MBA, at this time?
      • We talk a lot about optimism, and the view that any system can be designed to be better. Tell us about a system that you’d like to design to be better and how you might start doing that.
      • A big theme in our program is collaboration. Tell us about the best and worst teams you’ve ever been on and what you look for in teammates.
      • Tell us about a leader you respect and why. How much do you know about what made them the leader they are today?
        
• Portfolio
  Portfolio submissions requirements are different for each dual-degree program application:
  
  • MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Fine Arts
    • MA VCS: Your portfolio should consist of two writing samples (5,000 words maximum per sample) demonstrating your interest in the field of visual and critical studies and your scholarly potential. Please upload separate PDF files for each writing sample.
    • MFA Fine Arts: Your portfolio can include up to 15 still images, video, time-based media, or interactive media. If you submit video or time-based media, submit a five-minute sample reel that the review committee will watch in its entirety. The five-minute sample reel should be labeled clearly with the title, date, running time, and description of the piece, or pieces, it contains.
      
      Technical specs are as follows:
      • Images (up to 5 MB each)
      • Videos (up to 250 MB each)
      • Audio (up to 30 MB each)
      • PDFs (up to 10 MB each)
      • Links to media from YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud are also acceptable
  • MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Writing
    • MA VCS: Your portfolio should consist of two writing samples (5,000 words maximum per sample) demonstrating your academic research in the field of visual and critical studies and your creative potential. Please upload separate PDF files for each writing sample.
    • MFA Writing: Your portfolio, submitted as one to two PDFs (up to 10 MB each), should consist of a selection of writing samples (totaling no more than 25 double-spaced pages) that reflect your main areas of interest. You may include poems, short stories, a section of a novel, text for performance (include video, if available), creative nonfiction, or writing for new genres. You’re welcome, but not required, to submit visual materials in support of your application, including book arts and videos. Please note: We do not accept co-written material.
  • MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design
    Submit a portfolio of up to 25 still images, video, time-based media, or interactive media.
    
    Technical specs are as follows:
    • Images (up to 5 MB each)
    • Videos (up to 250 MB each)
    • Audio (up to 30 MB each)
    • PDFs (up to 10 MB each)
    • Models (Sketchfab)
    • Links to media from YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud are also acceptable