Nicole Roberts MFA Thesis Visual Component Artwork - Savannah ...

visualizing curricular concepts
Noteworthy schools, like Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, or Maryland Institute College
of Art in Baltimore, Maryland require 10–20 portfolio pieces up front from applying high school seniors to
assess advanced student potential. This type of evaluation often becomes circumstantial, deterring promising
students who have yet to be exposed to creative studies in high school, or who do not have the means to
produce a collection of portfolio pieces. Other collegiate design programs more logically accept students
without a portfolio evaluation into their foundation program for fundamental ‘pre-graphic design’ studies. It
is more practical for schools to assess student talent after requiring a first year of intense coursework. Only at
this point should student work be pragmatically reviewed to grant or deny their continuation into the official
graphic design program.
When comparing the success of certain curricular concepts, another point of contention amongst
professors and students is the necessity of interim and exit reviews. 67% of students polled were not required
to go through any sort of provisional or final review to gauge their progress. With open admission design
school policies at the beginning of a student’s educational career, and the aforementioned lack of professional
certification upon graduation, it is imperative for collegiate programs to implement reviews as academic
checkpoints. They act as an essential barometer to ensure the release of fully competent graduates into the
professional workplace. When surveyed, educators overwhelmingly agreed. 89% advocate for mandated
interim and exit reviews prior to graduation and 96% believe that undergraduates should be required to
complete a comprehensive senior capstone project or thesis to summate their studies in graphic design.
Lastly, a design school’s accreditation is also a vital component to evaluate when comparing curricular
concepts. 73% of educators agree that a design school’s accrediting association is an important indicator of
their viability, yet several design schools remain only regionally (as opposed to nationally) accredited. For
higher education as a whole, it is largely disputed which type of accrediting association, regional or national,
possesses more quality control over curricular components. But for graphic design specifically, the National
Association of Schools of Art and Design (nasad) is the most logical choice due to the collaboration with
aiga (the professional association for design). nasad showcases substantial strides to homogenize successful
curricular requirements for graphic design education; for this reason, design schools are remiss should they
choose not to align themselves with such initiatives.
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