Program Overview

Master of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design

The Master of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University is a two-year, STEM-certified 60-credit program that offers an immersive, research-driven experience in design. This program combines advanced design practices with deep critical inquiry, encouraging students to push the boundaries of traditional and digital media to address contemporary design challenges. The curriculum emphasizes leadership, innovation, and the exploration of form and interaction, preparing graduates to influence the future of design through impactful, socially conscious work.

Why Study Graphic and Interactive Design at Tyler?

• Interdisciplinary curriculum: Tyler's MFA program provides a balance of traditional and contemporary design approaches. Students explore a wide range of mediums, including image making, illustration, digital interfaces, motion design, and experimental typography. The curriculum emphasizes the intersection of form, visual storytelling, and interaction, encouraging students to explore how these elements can be combined in innovative ways.
• Leadership, entrepreneurship, and professional development: Students are encouraged to develop leadership skills, preparing them for diverse career paths in academia, industry, and entrepreneurial ventures. The program integrates professional practice courses, allowing students to gain business acumen and strategic thinking. These experiences, combined with mentorship from faculty, enable students to acquire teaching positions, lead creative projects, launch their own ventures, or enter top design studios.
• Mentorship and real-world experience: Personalized mentorship from award-winning faculty helps students refine their visual voice and explore both practical and conceptual aspects of design. Real-world projects and collaborations with industry partners allow students to engage in hands-on problem-solving. Students are also encouraged to explore socially conscious design, addressing community needs and ethical challenges through their work.
• State-of-the-art facilities: Tyler's advanced design studios and Temple University's research resources support students' exploration of both traditional and digital techniques. The Digital Fabrication Studio offers tools such as laser cutting and 3D printing, while Temple's resources as a leading R1 research institution provide additional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Graduate Outcomes

Tyler MFA graduates leave the program equipped with the skills to lead in many settings. Alumni have become prominent leaders in design studios, started their own entrepreneurial ventures, and taken on academic roles in top institutions. The program's focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation prepares graduates to make a meaningful impact on the design field.

Philadelphia as a Design Hub

Philadelphia's vibrant design community provides MFA students with a living laboratory for experimentation. The city offers extensive opportunities for internships, networking, and professional development, and its proximity to New York City and Washington, D.C., makes it an ideal location for design exploration.

Student Life

As a student at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, you'll be part of a community that advances creativity and prioritizes you and how you engage in the world, in and out of the studio.

Program Format & Curriculum

Graduate students participate in a rigorous, interdisciplinary practice that often involves projects such as design authorship, design for the screen, experimental design, illustration, motion graphics, packaging, publication design, social design, and UX/UI.

In addition to core courses, students have considerable flexibility and choice when selecting art history, studio elective classes, either within Tyler's graduate curriculum or across the university. Critique and critical discourse are foundational to the program of study.

Some of the courses you will complete as part of the Graphic and Interactive Design MFA include the following:

• 3D Modeling for Design
• Design Activism
• Design Research Methods
• Design Theory
• Informational Storytelling
• Lettering Design
• Motion Design

MFA Thesis Exhibition

The Graphic and Interactive Design MFA program culminates in a thesis exhibition, where students showcase their research, design work, and refined expertise. This capstone experience allows students to synthesize everything they've learned, positioning them for leadership roles in design.

Related Graduate Certificates

• Teaching Art Education
• Teaching in Higher Education
• Teaching in Higher Education for Creative Disciplines

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2025–2026 academic year.

• Pennsylvania resident: $1,361.00 per credit
• Out-of-state: $1,810.00 per credit

Academic Advising

Tyler's academic advising team offers every Tyler student one-on-one, personal, and academic guidance, beginning at Orientation right through to graduation. Our academic advisors will help you chart your course through your program and ensure you are on a clear path.

Student Clubs & Organizations

Enhance your coursework, build meaningful networks, and gain leadership experience by participating in student-led clubs and organizations. Examples of groups at Tyler that can help you grow academically, creatively, and professionally include:

• Graduate Arts Collective
• American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)
• Art History Graduate Organization
• American Society of Landscape Architects, Student Chapter at Temple's Ambler Campus

Study Away

Exposure to diverse cultures, environments, and mindsets is essential for art, architecture, and design students. At Tyler, you are encouraged to broaden your perspective and explore unique environments through study away programs. Programs to study in Rome, Tokyo, and Venice are offered throughout the year.

Accreditation

Tyler School of Art and Architecture's degree programs are accredited by the following accrediting bodies:

• National Association of Schools of Art and Design
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Tyler School of Art and Architecture's architecture and environmental design programs are accredited by the following accrediting bodies:
• National Architectural Accrediting Board (Master of Architecture)
• Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture)
• Planning Accreditation Board (Master of Science in City and Regional Planning)
• International Facilities Management Association (Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management)