The Graphic Design Graduate Program finds its home within the College of Fine Arts, where new thinking edges of performance, video, film, music, theater and dance are around us. The Athens’ campus offers a community of diverse research within a variety of colleges. Cross-disciplinary activity is encouraged in areas such as: geographic information systems, telecommunications, linguistics, anthropology, hearing & speech and modern language. Topics of research include: concepts of mapping in geography and learning, gaming, study of visual culture and literacy, media ecology, effects of media on culture, visual criticism, and humanitarian responsibilities.
In addition to rigorous research in design and design theory, the MFA candidates in graphic design are encouraged to diversify their exploration through interdisciplinary research in printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, painting and photography. Graphic Design shares Seigfred Hall with:
- Printmaking, with the largest number of Bavarian limestones in the United States along with papermaking, etching, serigraphy, and relief,
- Photography, with it's cutting edge labs new and traditional,
- Ceramics, known as one of the top 3 Ceramics research institutions,
- Painting, researching surface and time in traditional and new-media with private studios at our 'Ridges' facility,
- Sculpture, with their foundry and new ideas of robotics, and
- Art History, researching new contemporary Asian cultures along with gender specific
extensions
in critical art discourse plus our deeply rooted traditional study.
Our graduates in Graphic Design have the distinct privilege of working in the College of Fine Arts' Aesthetic Technology Lab with other graduate candidates from the college. This environment is well established and is being continually advanced by the college. Graduate candidates are highly encouraged to advance their research in this lab. See the method of access to this facility by visiting The @Lab.
The Aesthetic Technology Lab is a project lab for graduate and faculty research work. Access to @Lab facilities and resources is granted through a peer reviewed project proposal process. The @Lab is honored to have strong participation and support from the College of Fine Arts faculty and student body. An official Advisory Board, representing all schools within the College, has been established to act as the voting body for project proposals, and as shared visionaries for the building a center of excellence and innovation.
Graphic Design has research labs and open studios for the students in design. These spaces are designed for ultimate research within historic and contemporary methods. In the School pf Art, our primary classrooms are on the north side providing optimum lighting for color and studio activities. Each computer station is upgraded to the industry standards regularly and we maintain a comprehensive font library.
Our Vandercook letterpress room has an extensive and rare collection of metal and wood type for designing and printing innovative books and print material. The graphic design program is dedicated to maintaining its traditional and contemporary facilities.
Currently only one Education-Abroad opportunity is being offered, which is research with a quarter long Design Program in Mexico. In the past we offered a Color Education-Abroad Workshop in Bali, Indonesia. In the future we have a proposal to offer a color education-abroad workshop in 'Athens to Athens' and the Greek Islands.