Graduate programs
Graduate programs at SCAD are designed for dedicated, self-motivated students who are committed to the pursuit of excellence through advanced study. Graduate curricula are structured to include knowledge of the literature of the discipline and to ensure ongoing student engagement in research and/or appropriate professional practice and training experiences. Graduate courses require students to research, analyze, explore, question, reconsider, and synthesize old and new knowledge and skills. The graduate experience culminates in a thesis, final project, or portfolio demonstrating a mature and resolved body of work and/or research. Graduates are encouraged to hold leadership positions, to enter a variety of professional disciplines, to teach, or to accomplish other personal and professional goals.
Master of Architecture degree (professional)
The professional Master of Architecture degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board and satisfies the education requirement for architect licensure in all U.S. jurisdictions. The program includes 180 undergraduate credit hours at the preprofessional level and 90 graduate credit hours at the professional level for a total of 270 quarter credit hours (equivalent to 180 semester credit hours).
The M.Arch. degree program requires that students first complete a preparatory or preprofessional undergraduate degree in architecture or related discipline. At SCAD, the preprofessional undergraduate program is a Bachelor of Fine Arts in architecture degree, which is composed of 180 quarter credit hours. After successfully completing 180 undergraduate credit hours and satisfying all program requirements, students are awarded the B.F.A. in architecture degree, whether or not they pursue graduate-level studies. Acceptance of students graduating with a B.F.A. degree from SCAD into the professional M.Arch. graduate program is based on current grade-point average and studio portfolio.
Acceptance of a student with a preprofessional or preparatory degree in architecture from another institution to the SCAD graduate program is based on review of academic transcripts, specific coursework, and portfolio to ensure that their undergraduate study satisfies the requisite student learning acumen at the preprofessional level. Based on the results of this review, students may be assigned up to five additional graduate-level intensive courses, bringing the student’s required course of study to a total of 95 to 115 quarter credit hours.
The architecture program in its entirety encompasses a foundation studies curriculum, general education curriculum, major curriculum, and electives. The program emphasizes preparation for a professional career as an architect; it focuses on theory and practice within the university’s unique art and design context. Architectural design is emphasized through design studio courses that meet 10 hours each week and through a sequence of courses in building construction systems, graphic communication, digital technology, sustainability, history, theory, and professional practice. The architecture graduate experience culminates in a thesis, demonstrating a mature and resolved body of work and/or research.
Master of Arts degree
The SCAD Master of Arts degree is an initial graduate program that requires 45 quarter credit hours (equivalent to 30 semester credit hours) of graduate-level coursework. Students who wish to pursue the M.A. degree should possess a commitment to: explore a field in depth; develop a high degree of creative and technical proficiency; produce research/scholarly work; and participate in a vibrant university community. The SCAD M.A. degree prepares students for employment in creative professions or for pursuit of advanced graduate degrees such as the Master of Fine Arts or the Doctor of Philosophy.
The M.A. degree may be research and/or practice oriented, offering students a focused educational experience that engages them in the history, theory, and methods of the chosen discipline. The M.A. degree culminates with completion of a final project or thesis course. In this course, students complete a graduate-level project that demonstrates mastery and application of the techniques and concepts of the discipline and a high degree of intellectual or artistic proficiency.
The M.A. degree requires a minimum of one year to complete, with all quarter credit hours in residency at SCAD (these can include SCADnow online and study abroad hours). At the time of admission, students with exceptional motivation who meet entry-level admission requirements but fail to demonstrate adequate discipline-specific knowledge and/or practice through their portfolios, may be assigned up to five additional graduate-level intensive courses, bringing the student’s required course of study to a total of 50 to 70 quarter credit hours.
Master of Business Innovation degree
The Master of Business Innovation (M.B.I.) degree, housed in the SCAD De Sole School of Business Innovation, is the first and only degree of its kind in the U.S.. Similar to a traditional Master of Business Administration, SCAD’s M.B.I. is recognized as a terminal degree and requires 90 quarter credit hours (equivalent to 60 semester hours) of graduate-level coursework. The SCAD M.B.I. degree is an advanced graduate program that prepares future leaders and entrepreneurs to apply design thinking and creative innovation to generate value for brands across economic sectors, including healthcare, hospitality transportation, entertainment, manufacturing, and more. The M.B.I. program also requires at least one graduate internship or SCADpro collaborative experience course, providing students with real-world professional practice.
Comprised of a business core and complemented by a specialized design and innovation focus area, the M.B.I. degree culminates in a two-quarter business innovation lab, where students complete and present high-impact projects that demonstrate the research, strategy, planning, communication, and mindset required to drive innovation, enhance competitiveness, and effectively manage change within diverse business environments. Guided by highly qualified and credentialed professionals and completed as part of the business innovation lab course sequence, the M.B.I. high-impact project demonstrates advanced professional competence in idea and data visualization and is presented or published in a professional or scholarly setting.
The M.B.I. program requires a minimum of two years to complete, with the final 45 quarter hours in residence at SCAD (these can include SCADnow online and study abroad hours). At the time of admission, students with exceptional motivation who meet entry-level admission requirements but fail to demonstrate adequate discipline-specific knowledge and/or practice through their portfolios may be assigned up to five additional graduate-level intensive courses, bringing the student’s required course of study to a total of 95 to 115 quarter credit hours.
Master of Fine Arts degree
The Master of Fine Arts degree is recognized as the terminal degree for many art and design professions and requires 90 quarter credit hours (equivalent to 60 semester hours) of graduate-level coursework. The SCAD M.F.A. degree is an advanced graduate program that builds mastery and professional competence in research and studio practice through scholarly engagement with the history, theory, and methods of the chosen discipline. Most M.F.A. programs also require at least one graduate internship, providing students with a mentored experience of professional practice.
The M.F.A. degree culminates with completion of a graduate-level thesis that presents a mature, resolved body of work, and demonstrates advanced professional competence through mastery of the technical, creative, and aesthetic elements of the discipline. Reviewed by a graduate thesis committee and completed as part of the thesis course(s), the M.F.A. thesis body of work may be visual, written, or a combination of the two. The visual component of the M.F.A. thesis demonstrates advanced professional competence in studio or design practice and is exhibited, presented, or published in a professional or scholarly setting. The written component may be a stand-alone scholarly research paper, or the research, ideation, and concept development supporting and contextualizing the visual component (e.g., process book, artist statement, project documents, and preproduction and production materials).
The M.F.A. program requires a minimum of two years to complete, with the final 45 quarter hours in residence at SCAD (these can include SCADnow online and study abroad hours). At the time of admission, students with exceptional motivation who meet entry-level admission requirements but fail to demonstrate adequate discipline-specific knowledge and/or practice through their portfolios, may be assigned up to five additional graduate-level intensive courses, bringing the student’s required course of study to a total of 95 to 115 quarter credit hours.