Design Your Future

Design your Future, MFA in Design

DESIGN YOUR FUTURE. UW–STOUT’S MASTER of FINE ARTS in DESIGN

UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN – STOUT

Nestled in the town of Menomonie, in the beautiful Chippewa Valley, the University of Wisconsin–Stout is a campus of approximately 9,000 students. Menomonie is a vibrant college town of 16,000, home to bike trails, craft breweries, and a thriving historic downtown. UW–Stout’s namesake is its founder, James Huff Stout, whose progressive views on industry and education were rooted in the Arts & Crafts movement. Today, his spirit lives on in the special mission of the campus, officially designated as “Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University.” With an enrollment of over 1,000 students, the School of Art & Design is the largest public Art & Design unit in the upper Midwest, and is larger than most independent art schools.

I don’t feel pigeon-holed, locked into one track. If I have a curiosity about a subject, which I’m prone to, I can explore that with the support of great educators.”

# 22, 2020 | # 16, 2019 | # 18, 2018 | # 20, 2017 | # 17, 2016 TOP GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN GAME DESIGN INTERNATIONALLY RANKED, 5 YEARS RUNNING

JONATHAN WHEELER, STUDENT ADJUNCT FACULTY, CHIPPEWA VALLEY TECHNICAL COLLEGE

MASTER of FINE ARTS in DESIGN

The MFA in Design is a deliberately interdisciplinary program, in contrast to our highly specialized undergraduate degrees. Graduate students choose a focus area, and explore emerging design issues often beyond the reach of any one design discpline. Our program covers every major offered at the BFA level, but we have particular strengths in emerging media areas including interactive design, game design, transmedia storytelling, and user experience design.

Hue Vang, MFA ‘18 works on artwork for his award-winning thesis project, “Sun of the Children”

RESEARCH + SCHOLARSHIP

Graduate students have a number of opportunities for funded travel related to academic conferences, international study, creative research, and other scholarly experiences. The work of our MFA students has recently been presented in a variety of venues:

Matt Wigdahl presented a research poster, “Lake Menomin Project: Exploring an Outdoor Museum Piece,” based on a class project, at DECIPHER 2018: the AIGA Design Research Conference at the University of Michigan.

I was really looking to hone my skills, and I’m interested in design leadership. I liked the cross-disciplinary approach of the program and the theoretical issues we tackled.”

CURRICULUM

The MFA is a 60-credit, terminal degree. MFAiD students take a 30-credit “core” curriculum of courses on advanced topics in Design theory, research, application, ethics, sustainability, and history. In addition, students take a set of courses (21 credits) in a focus area of their choosing. Some possible focus areas include:

ANDREW MURPHY, MFA ‘18 DESIGN MANAGER, APPLE

• Interior Design • Digital Cinema • Interdisciplinary Design Studies

• Graphic Design • Interactive Media • Animation & Game Design • Industrial Design

Students also take 9 credits of electives from available graduate courses across campus, including a large number in Studio Art.

Graduate Assistantships (GAs) are paid positions at UW-Stout where students also have the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience. GA students assist in undergraduate classes, manage lab space, and provide administrative assistance for a variety of areas in the Department of Design. Campuswide GA positions are also available. ASSISTANTSHIPS

Students regularly work with motion capture equipment in the Emerging Technologies Lab

The MFA program released skills needed to tackle real-life big-picture problems. I am no longer limited to the creative department. I am a researcher, a storyteller, a problem-solver and a leader.” MARY ROHL, MFA ‘16

THE CREATIVE THESIS

The MFA in Design culminates with the production of a year-long creative thesis project in a design discipline of your choice. Students take Design Seminar II, a thesis preparation class, and Creative Thesis in Design, an independent production class. The project is supported by a written paper and a public gallery exhibition.

VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE

Michelle Mailey Noben ‘17 presents at her MFA thesis exhibition

Faculty review Mary Rohl’s thesis exhibition, “The Heart and Design Project.”

The strong support from my professors was nothing short of a gift. I’ve learned a lot from them beyond art and design that helped me grow as a person.” HUE VANG, MFA ‘18 MATTE PAINTER, DREAMWORKS

Maureen Mitton, Professor Emerita of Interior Design, was named a “most admired educator” by Design Intelligence in 2018.

Dr. Julie Peterson, Professor of Interior Design, was named Outstanding Graduate Faculty in 2019.

The School of Art & Design is home to 50 full-time instructors who are leading experts in their fields. Opportunities for collaboration are rich.

Dave Beck, Associate Dean & Director of the School of Art & Design, was a Fulbright Specialist Scholar, 2014–2018

EXHIBITION & DISSEMINATION

Students in the MFA in Design program have the opportunity to showcase their work in a variety of ways across campus. The SGX Student Game Expo, held every semester, features student work in Game Design from across campus, at all levels. Additionally, the Furlong Gallery and Gallery 209 host a variety of exhibitions in Art and Design, including the biennial Best of Design exhibition.

LEFT: Zach Koss ‘18 MFA thesis exhibition BELOW: An MFA class exhibition, fall ‘19 RIGHT: Stout Game Expo

A CREATIVE HUB

UW–Stout is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, nestled between two thriving creative hubs. An hour’s drive to the west are the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, home to a thriving creative economy. In the 2018 NCAR Arts Vibrancy Index, Minneapolis was identified as the 5 th most vibrant arts community in the country, and #1 in the Midwest. Half an hour to the east is Eau Claire, WI, called “the mini-Portland of your dreams” by Thrillist for its focus on arts, culture, and music. Menomonie itself is located on the western edge of the Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin’s “Golden Triangle,” a multi-city region with a population of over 200,000.

OVER 22,000

14.4 % Creative Sector job growth in Minneapolis from 2006–2016

Creative jobs in the city

Sourced from the Minneapolis Creative Index 2018, a report from the City of Minneapolis

PRIORITY DEADLINE: APRIL 01 APPLY ONLINE AT WWW.UWSTOUT.EDU

Priority Deadline is April 01 for Fall Semester, and we consider applicants on a rolling basis afterward. You will submit an online application form, a letter of intent, a portfolio of 10–15 images/items, undergraduate

transcripts, and 3 letters of reference. Graduate Assistantships are available on a yearly basis.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT: Erik A. Evensen, MFA Associate Professor of Design Program Director, MFA in Design evensene@uwstout.edu

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