Graphic
of Art Office: McCarthy Hall 128,
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (657) 278-3471 Office Email: artdept@fullerton.edu
Department Chair: Graduate Program Advisor: John T. Drew
First-year Graphic and Interactive Design Advisor: Professor John T. Drew (jdrew@fullerton.edu)
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Department of Art at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) offers two master’s degrees: a Master of Arts in Art (MA) and a Master of Fine Arts in Art (MFA). Concentrations include: art history (MA only), crafts (including jewelry/metalsmithing and woodworking), ceramics, creative photography (MA), creative photography and experimental media (MFA), , drawing and painting, graphic and interactive design, glass, illustration, and sculpture. This diverse range of disciplines provides graphic and interactive design students with options and opportunities for multimedia and cross-disciplinary explorations.
The Graphic and Interactive Design curriculum provides students with the discipline and training in human-centric design required within the field. Students, faculty, and staff are united in inspiring creativity, fostering critical inquiry, and developing competencies that address the physical, cultural, and technological aspects of specific situations and users’ cognitive and social behaviors. The curriculum addresses problems in a micro-macro relationship among communication and various social, cultural, technical, economic, physical, and service contexts, including universal and accessible design. Dedicated faculty serve as mentors, academic advisers, and Graduate Committee members. Assessment is designed to evaluate and ensure each student’s capability for critical thinking within human-centric design.
Graduate students learn to verbally articulate and contextualize their work and produce a written research thesis. For the culminating project of the MFA degree, design graduate students create and present a cohesive body of work for public exhibition that visually proves or disproves their thesis topic. Through these experiences, graduating students demonstrate that they can present their work to external sources, such as publishers, competitions, journals, educational bodies, design and entertainment studios, and other educators.
As a result of their master’s studies, MA and MFA graduates in Graphic and Interactive Design will be competent design practitioners—ready for vibrant lives as professional designers or educators.
Graphic and Interactive Design Faculty
John T. Drew, Professor
Juan Manuel Escalante, Assistant Professor
Arnold Holland, Professor and Dean of the College of the Arts
Sergio Lizarraga, Associate Professor
Theron Moore, Professor
Chen Wang, Professor Admission
Admission to the MA or MFA program is a twostep process:
University-level Application
A prospective graduate student must first apply for admission to the university. See CSUF Office of Graduate Studies for forms, deadlines, and frequently asked questions such as TOEFL requirements.
Department-level Application
• If a prospective student meets the University’s admission requirements, the student must apply directly to the Department of Art for admission into our program.
• The prospective student is required to submit a “Design Portfolio” (no more than 20 projects) for review. The portfolio should also contain the student’s statement of purpose, letters of recom mendation, and transcripts.
• All application materials are submitted along with the University application through Cal State Apply.
• A faculty committee conducts the Comprehensive Portfolio Review within the area. The pro spective student submits their portfolio at least one semester before the requested admission date. Faculty members review this portfolio.
• Contact the Graduate Administrative Coordinator, for procedures and dates. The Comprehen sive Portfolio Review is held twice per academic year, each fall and spring.
• A prospective graduate student should seek advisement from the First-year Graphic and Interactive Graduate Advisor.
The Office formally notifies the prospective graduate student of their admission status within six weeks of the Comprehensive Portfolio Review.
Completing the MA or MFA Degree
This Graduate Handbook contains information to help the admitted graduate student understand the requirements for completing the MA or MFA degree:
• Forming the student’s Graduate Committee
• Developing and obtaining approval for the student’s Working Study Plan
• Documenting all steps of progress toward the degree
• Completing the Culminating Experience: Graduate exhibition or Thesis
• Preparing and submitting the Permanent Record
In this professional program, the student must follow through with the five action items above. The student must retain copies of all documents of their progress toward the degree. Records include the Working Study Plan, Summary of Meeting forms, grade reports, transcripts, fee receipts, correspondence, and other paperwork from their graduate studies. If the student has any questions or concerns, they should first consult this Graduate Handbook and the CSUF University Catalog and then consult the chairperson of their Graduate Committee. The first-year Graphic and Interactive Design Advisor is your chairperson in the first year of graduate studies. For further information, the Graduate Program Advisor and the Graduate Administrative Coordinator are available for help with the MA or MFA process. Everyone works in tandem toward completing the student’s graduate degree.
For detailed graduate information, refer to the Graduate Regulations section of the current CSUF University Catalog.
First Steps: Forming the Graduate Committee and Developing the Working Study Plan
Graduate Committee
The First-Year Graphic Design Graduate Coordinator acts as the graduate student’s committee within the Graphic and Interactive Design program. It is not until the successful completion of half the units within the MA or MFA that the graduate student forms their committee. To do so, a graduate student must have taken at least one course from each full-time professor within the area. For a student to form a Graduate Committee, the student must select and ask at least two professors within the area. The committee can include the FirstYear Graphic Design Graduate Coordinator. In this way, both the graduate student and faculty have agreed to work with one another.
If a student cannot form their committee, this automatically triggers a second-year candidacy review. (See second-year candidacy review for more details.) If the student can form their committee, this constitutes a successful second-year candidacy review.
If a graduate student wants to change the formation of their graduate committee, the student shall submit the request in writing to both the Graduate Program Advisor and the First-Year Graphic Design Graduate Coordinator. The request letter must state the reasons why. This letter is then submitted to the Graduate Committee for review. Approval from the Department Graduate Program Advisor and the Graduate Committee is required before the request can be granted.
Graduate students meet regularly with their twoor three-person graduate committee. In addition to the student’s graduate committee, the Department Graduate Program Advisor is an ex-officio member of all graduate committees.
Working Study Plan
A Working Study Plan of all coursework leading to the MA or MFA degree shall be developed by the student and the First-Year Graphic Design Graduate Advisor (FYGIDGA). The student will schedule an appointment with the FYGIDGA to prepare the Graduate Study Plan Worksheet. This Worksheet must bear the name and signature of the FYGIDGA signifying approval. The student must ensure that their study plan is complete, accurate, and approved.
When completed, the student will submit this worksheet to the Department Graduate Program Advisor and the Graduate Administrative Coordinator. The process shall be done before the student earns 13 units of graduate study.
The approved Study Plan is valid only if the student maintains continuous enrollment until all degree requirements are completed. Otherwise, it may be necessary to reapply to the university and meet any additional requirements approved in the interim. If the student has completed all coursework on the study plan but has not completed their exhibition/project/thesis, then the student shall register and pay fees for Graduate Studies 700, which carries no credit and does not require attendance. See the CSUF University Catalog Graduate Student Checklist.
A change in the student’s graduate committee membership constitutes a study plan change and requires submission of a change to the Working Study Plan Form. The student shall write the request to the Department Graduate Advisor and the First-Year Graphic Design Graduate Advisor. The request will be reviewed for approval or denial by the full-time faculty within the area. The request will be processed within three to four weeks, and the student will be notified by the student’s university e-mail.
General Requirements
Units and Repetition Policies
• The Master of Arts in Art is a 30-unit degree. The Master of Fine Arts in Art is a 60-unit degree.
• At least 70% of units toward the degree must be 500 level In other words, the Master of Arts in Art requires 21 units at the 500 level, and the Master of Fine Arts in Art requires 42 units at the 500 level.
• The MA requires 21 units in residence. The MFA requires 30 units in residence. Transfer and extension units are not considered units in residence.
• No more than 6 units of Independent Study (ART 499 or ART 599) may be applied to the MA and MFA.
• No more than 6 units may be used for the culminating studio project or thesis (ART 597).
• No units taken to satisfy prerequisite requirements count toward the degree.
Transfer and Post-Baccalaureate Units
• All transfer work must be equivalent to CSUF graduate work and accepted by the institution where completed as credit toward a comparable degree.
• MA and MFA students may petition for a maximum of 9 units of post-baccalaureate credit.
• No correspondence courses, credit by examination, or similar courses may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Core Courses
• Students pursuing the MA in Art, Graphic, and Interactive Design take ART 500A and ART 500B.
• Students pursuing the MFA in Art, Graphic and Interactive Design take ART 500C and ART 500D.
Culminating Experience
• All MA and MFA students take ART 597 and must complete a one-person design exhibition.
• A final evaluation for the MA in Graphic and Interactive Design is a one-person design exhibition (ART 597). The written coursework ART 500A shall visually inform the design exhibition.
• A final evaluation for the MFA in Graphic and Interactive Design is in the form of a one-person design exhibition and a thesis (ART 500C, 500D, and 597). For MFA students in Graphic and Interactive Design, the design exhibition shall be visual examples proving or disproving their thesis statement developed in ART 500C and ART 500D. The thesis shall use visual examples from the design exhibition to help visually guide the reader.
Grades and Grade Point Averages
• All courses in the concentration must be completed with a grade of “B” (3.0) or better. A grade of “C” (2.0) or better is required in each course outside the concentration.
• An overall grade point average of at least 3.0 is required for graduation. This grade point average includes all 400-and 500-level courses attempted following admission to a degree program, and any transfer and post-baccalaureate courses counted toward the degree.
• No course with a non-traditional grade (e.g., CR, S, P, etc.) will count towards the degree.
Continuous Enrollment/Five-Year Limit
• All courses shall be completed or satisfactorily validated within five years, starting with the earliest course that satisfies a degree requirement. For MFA candidates entering with an MA, the five-year limit commences with the semester of the earliest course taken for the MFA.
• Students must maintain continuous enrollment throughout the course of study (except intersession and summer). Failure to maintain continuous enrollment may result in the need to be readmitted to the university and additional course requirements to maintain currency.
• If a student has completed all coursework for the degree but has not completed their culminating experience, they must register in GRAD 700 to maintain continuous enrollment when no other coursework is taken.
Leave of Absence
A one-semester leave of absence may be granted under the following circumstances: illness or disability (permanent or temporary); activities that enhance a student’s professional career objectives; active duty in the armed forces of the United States; severe financial hardship or other reasons at the discretion of the Provost or designee. See University Policy Statement 330.124 (UPS 330.124). The Leave of Absence form is available on the Graduate Studies website
Maintaining Current Records and Advancing toward the Degree
Changes to Name and Contact Information
Students shall inform the Department of Art Graduate Administrative Coordinator of any changes of name(s), address(es), and phone number(s). Students must also update this contact information in the student portal.
Graduate Folder
Students shall create and maintain their folder with copies of all documentation throughout the degree process. This folder will be the backup to the Graduate Administrative Coordinator’s files in case contents are lost or misplaced. Students shall also keep a file of grade reports, transcripts, fee receipts, correspondence, and other documentation of their graduate studies.
Working Study Plan
Changes to coursework within the Working Study Plan require the approval of the Graduate Program Advisor, the Graduate Administrative Coordinator, and the chair of the student’s Graduate Committee. Graduate Committee Meetings. Students shall schedule and convene the required Graduate Committee Meetings each semester.
Enrollment Status
Students must maintain continuous enrollment. See the Leave of Absence policy above for more information.
Graduate Committee Meetings
• Master of Arts in Art with A Concentration in Graphic and Interactive Design: A minimum of six meetings with the student’s Graduate Committee must be held for the MA. At least one meeting per semester shall be held during all semesters of graduate study, and no fewer than two meetings shall be held during the final semester of study. For example, during a typical three-semester MA program, the student and their committee shall meet at least as follows: Once during the first semester, twice during the second semester, and three times during the third/final semester or any semester ART 597 is taken.
• Master of Fine Arts in Art with A Concentration in Graphic and Interactive Design: A minimum of two meetings per semester with the student’s Graduate Committee is required for the MFA. Once ART 597 is taken, no fewer than three meetings will be held each semester until the inal semester of study.
Scheduling and Documenting Meetings
The student is responsible for arranging all meetings with their Graduate Committee. At the beginning of each semester, take a moment to plan/ schedule the requisite number of meetings for the semester. Do this by checking with the faculty members to determine days/times that are mutually convenient. Meetings are recommended not to be scheduled during the first and last weeks of classes.
Approximately a week before the scheduled meeting, send a meeting reminder email to each member. Bring a copy of your Working Study Plan and current TDA to each meeting. Each committee meeting is to be documented by the student with a Summary of Meeting Form indicating what was discussed, suggestions/recommendations, objectives to be addressed in subsequent meetings, etc.
After the meeting, it is the student’s responsibility to present a final copy of this summary to the chair of the student’s committee, have it signed, and submit it to the Graduate Administrative Coordinator to be included in the university file. All meetings should be documented in this way. Students should also retain a copy of this document for their files.
Graduate Facilities
On-Campus Graduate Studio Spaces
There are limited graduate studio spaces available on campus. They may be shared with one other grad student when the student is enrolled and is a classified graduate student. These spaces must be used as working studios and are assigned as they become available on a seniority basis. There is a contract between the graduate student and the department stipulating rules and usage of graduate spaces that must be signed before and after occupation.
Grand Central Art Center
The California State University, Fullerton Grand Central Art Center is the result of a unique partnership between the university and the city of Santa Ana. Located ten miles south of the main campus in the heart of downtown Santa Ana, the art center is a mixed residential, commercial, and educational complex. The art center is a 45,000-square-foot, three-level structure that includes the Grand Central Art Gallery, the Project Room, the Grand Central Theater, the Gypsy Den Café, an education gallery, classrooms, and studio-living space dedicated to the center’s international artist-in-residence program.
Living and studio spaces are available for College of the Arts graduate students. After receiving an official acceptance letter from the Department of Art, contact the Grand Central Art Center for more information.
The Culminating Experience and Gallery Information
The MA and MFA one-person graduate exhibition shall be installed in spaces designated by the Department of Art. Many different exhibitions are mounted in the graduate galleries during the school year. Students who use the galleries are collectively responsible for maintaining them. The following policies and procedures have been developed to give individual exhibitors some latitude, ensure equitable scheduling, minimize maintenance costs, and ensure fair restoration timetables for all participants.
Mounting the Exhibition: Checklist
• With the Graduate Committee’s approval, apply for a graduate gallery.
• Consult with Graduate Committee members about the content, announcement, wall abstract, and other details of the exhibition.
• Select and schedule exhibition dates with the Graduate Administrative Coordinator.
• Have the wall statement signed by Graduate Committee Members and the Graduate Program Advisor before the opening.
• Post the wall abstract at the gallery’s entrance.
• Prepare the gallery for the exhibition. Mount the exhibition. See below for the materials and equipment required.
• Restore the gallery for the following graduate show. Generally, the student will have access to the gallery from Friday, 12:00 p.m. to the reception time to mount their exhibition. Clean-up and restoration should begin on the last day of the show (Thursday, 4:00 p.m.) The gallery must be restored by Friday, 12:00 p.m., for the next exhibitor.
Gallery Reservation
After the student receives approval from their Graduate Committee, they will submit their name for the lottery-type drawing of dates available for graduate exhibitions for the following semester. The drawing will take place in late November for the following spring and late April for the following next fall. There will be a drawing for each of the galleries available. Dates that galleries are available range from the first week of the semester to the last week of the semester. Students must be ready for their graduate exhibition on any date during the semester they enter their name in the drawing. The department intends that all graduates have an equal opportunity for their exhibition to coincide with the College of Art’s other openings and events.
Design and Installation
• In consultation with their committee, the student is responsible for designing and installing the exhibition. Consult with the Graduate Administrative Coordinator about borrowing equipment and procedures for obtaining gallery keys, basic tools, lighting fixtures, ladder(s), and a table for the opening reception. It is important to return all borowed items immediately after use because the next graduate may need the same items to install their show.
• The student must provide all paint, pedestals, display cases, special lighting, signage, and other supplies. Students must also supply special media, such as digital projectors. Please do not paint over light plugs, fuse boxes, thermostat covers, etc. Report anything in disrepair or broken to the Graduate Administrative Coordinator.
• Contact the Graduate Administrative Coordinator should you need to confer with the preceding or succeeding exhibitor or another concurrent exhibitor to coordinate receptions, select paint colors, arrange unique set-ups, etc.
Gallery Keys
Keys to the graduate galleries may be picked up after 12:00 p.m. on the Friday before the scheduled exhibition date and must be returned the following Friday by 12:00 p.m.
Gallery Hours
• Graduate gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (or longer). The exhibiting student is responsible for a thorough cleanup immediately after the opening reception.
• It is the student’s responsibility to open, close, and maintain the graduate gallery for the exhibi tion’s duration, which must be open during the specified hours. The student or the student’s designee may hold more open hours if they wish.
• Please be conscientious about maintaining the posted hours. Remember, the graduate student not only represents themselves but the Department of Art as well.
Gallery Insurance
Insurance is not provided for the design on display.
Cleanup and Restoration
• After the exhibition, the student shall spackle holes, paint walls (not just the spackled areas) the designated “standard white,” clean the floor, and do anything required to restore the gallery to a neutral condition. Restoring the gallery is very important for the next person showing.
• It is Gallery Policy that the student setting up their exhibition shall have a clean and neutral gallery with standard white walls. If a student decides to change the color, it is their responsibility to restore the gallery to its original state immediately after the show.
• For one-coat paint coverage, one gallon covers about 400 square feet. Painting over dark colors requires KILZ or other primer products before applying the standard white paint color.
Exhibition Sales
The one-person MA or MFA graduate exhibition/ project is an academic requirement to fulfill the graduate degree requirements. Selling work during the exhibition is acceptable, but removing any part of the project during the exhibition will interrupt the achievement of this academic requirement. Persons interested in purchasing design work can take the student’s business card or tell them which piece they would like. The student can arrange sales with the individual to be picked up after the exhibition is uninstalled.
Alcoholic Beverages
The Department of Art policy on alcohol at student events does not allow for any alcohol to be served at graduate or undergraduate openings. The policy is stated on graduate gallery contracts.
Wall Statement
• The student must install an abstract of their thesis, including the printed names and signatures of the Graduate Committee members and the Graduate Program Advisor, on the gallery wall before the opening of the exhibition. The sig natures constitute final approval for the student’s show. Complete a rough draft at least one month in advance to allow time to revise/edit in consultation with the Graduate Committee chairperson (i.e., at least a month before the show).
• The abstract shall be one page, double-spaced, and digitally printed. The following information must be included: the student’s name, the title of the show (if any), and the printed names of the Graduate Committee chairperson, committee members, and the Graduate Program Advisor, with blank lines following their names for signatures and signing dates.
Exhibition Announcement
The student’s responsibility is to design and print the graduate exhibition announcement (postcard). The school does not provide this service.
The Department of Art will mail 50 postcard announcements at no cost to the student. The announcements must be addressed and bear the return address of the Department of Art:
Department of Visual Arts
California State University Fullerton
800 N. State College Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92834-6850
The return address may be pre-printed, or the student may use an address stamp available from the Graduate Administrative Coordinator. It is recommended that the student mail the announcements at least two weeks before the opening reception. Check with the United States Postal Service for current regulations on sizes. At this time, the regulations state that announcements cannot be less than 3 1/2” high and 5” long.
At a minimum, the announcement should contain the following:
• The student’s name
• MA or MFA
• Exhibition show title (if any)
• Dates of the exhibition, including year
• Concentration
• Gallery
• Gallery hours
• Date and time of reception
• Map
• Address of school
A map of the campus concerning freeways and showing the location of the gallery and parking is also helpful.
Adequate lead time is essential for the designing and printing of the announcements. The student will depend on many people and various graphic services. Unforeseen problems or mistakes can delay a timely mailing.
For reference, sample announcements of other exhibitions can be viewed in the Graduate Administrative Coordinator’s office.
The following publications may be of assistance in the design and implementation of the announcement and wall statement:
• Notes on Graphic Design and Visual Communi cation, Gregg Berryman
• Designing with Type or Phototypesetting, James Craig
• Lettering for Reproduction, David Gates
• Production for the Graphic Designer James Craig
• Advertising Agency and Studio Skills, Tom Cardamone
• Communications Arts magazine and annuals
Preparing to Graduate Graduation Check
File and pay for a graduation check online. Instructions and deadlines appear on the Graduate Studies website. This procedure places the student’s name on the candidate’s list for graduation. The student’s name must appear on the candidates list to graduate.
