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    Dec 14, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Design with a concentration in Interaction Design, MA


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Admission requirements


The prospective student must satisfy all of the general admission requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School, as well as the following admission requirements imposed by the Department of Design of the College of Visual Arts and Design:

  • For applicants whose native language is not English, a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
    • IBT (internet-based test) score of 83 (Reading: 22; Listening: 21; Speaking: 21; Writing: 18)
      OR
    • PBT (paper-based test) score of 550 OR a CBT (computer-based test) score of 213
  • A Bachelor’s degree (minimum 120 semester credit hours) from an institution of higher learning accredited by at least one of the following regional accreditors:
    • The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS)
    • The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
    • The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS)
    • The Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)
    • The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
    • The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
    • The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)


Please note that so-called “online undergraduate degrees” are generally not accepted as adequate preparation for this MA program in interaction design.
 

  • An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.1 (3.4 is preferred)
  • Two to four samples of the applicant’s writing that effectively convey his/her ability to 1) engage in critical thinking and analysis, or to 2) strategically plan and execute an initiative that requires significant input of knowledge and skills from a diverse array of people, or to 3) understand the cultural, socio-economic, or political viewpoints of others, or 4) some combination of these. These writing samples can consist of published or unpublished work, and can include a wide variety of material, from office directives to planning documents to blog posts to books. Bottom line: writing samples that reveal how and why the applicant thinks and acts as he/she does are most desirable. 
  • (If available) two to four examples of project-based work that reveal the applicant’s abilities to operate the knowledge and skills necessary to create or co-create effective, user-centric interactive EXPERIENCES. These can include but are not limited to: user interface design work, examples of service design programs or experiences, information architecture diagrams or schematics, or descriptions of protocols or processes the applicant has created or co-created and implemented that have improved how complex information is processed, organized, shared/routed, or displayed. It is important that applicants SUCCINCTLY communicate the types of roles they played on these projects, and the nature of the contributions they made toward their successful realizations.  
  • A letter/statement of intent that articulates, in between 450 and 800 words, what the applicant hopes to achieve by completing the course of study of the MA program in interaction design. This letter should make clear how the knowledge and skills the applicant will acquire during this graduate experience could help him/her attain key life and career priorities and goals. This letter should also attempt to answer the question: “Why does the applicant have the career/life agenda that he/she has?”
  • At least two and preferably three letters of recommendation from some combination of the following: former professors or instructors at the collegiate level, project managers/directors or collaborators/colleagues, clients, work supervisors, or design or creative directors.

An overall evaluation of an applicant’s credentials is used as a basis for admission. Admission is competitive, and satisfaction of the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Degree requirements


The Department of Design offers an MA with a major in design with a concentration in interaction design comprised of 30 semester credit hours of study that must include a 6 credit hour capstone experience. Leveling courses cannot be counted toward the degree plan hours.

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