Graphic and Interactive Design MFA

Master of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design

The Master of Fine Arts in Graphic and Interactive Design in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University is a two-year, STEM-certified 60-credit program that offers an immersive, research-driven experience in design. This program combines advanced design practices with deep critical inquiry, encouraging students to push the boundaries of traditional and digital media to address contemporary design challenges. The curriculum emphasizes leadership, innovation and the exploration of form and interaction, preparing graduates to influence the future of design through impactful, socially conscious work.

graphic design work produced by a student in the GAID MFA program.

Why study graphic and interactive design at Tyler?

Interdisciplinary curriculum: Tyler’s MFA program provides a balance of traditional and contemporary design approaches. Students explore a wide range of mediums, including image making, illustration, digital interfaces, motion design and experimental typography. The curriculum emphasizes the intersection of form, visual storytelling, and interaction, encouraging students to explore how these elements can be combined in innovative ways. Learn more about the Graphic and Interactive Design MFA curriculum.
Leadership, entrepreneurship and professional development: Students are encouraged to develop leadership skills, preparing them for diverse career paths in academia, industry, and entrepreneurial ventures. The program integrates professional practice courses, allowing students to gain business acumen and strategic thinking. These experiences, combined with mentorship from faculty, enable students to acquire teaching positions, lead creative projects, launch their own ventures or enter top design studios.
Mentorship and real-world experience: Personalized mentorship from award-winning faculty helps students refine their visual voice and explore both practical and conceptual aspects of design. Real-world projects and collaborations with industry partners allow students to engage in hands-on problem-solving. Students are also encouraged to explore socially conscious design, addressing community needs and ethical challenges through their work.
State-of-the-art facilities: Tyler’s advanced design studios and Temple University’s research resources support students’ exploration of both traditional and digital techniques. The Digital Fabrication Studio offers tools such as laser cutting and 3D printing, while Temple’s resources as a leading R1 research institution provide additional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Read about the innovative facilities and studios you will use as a student at Tyler.

Graduate Outcomes

Tyler MFA graduates leave the program equipped with the skills to lead in many settings. Alumni have become prominent leaders in design studios, started their own entrepreneurial ventures and taken on academic roles in top institutions. The program’s focus on leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation prepares graduates to make a meaningful impact on the design field.

Philadelphia as a Design Hub

Philadelphia’s vibrant design community provides MFA students with a living laboratory for experimentation. The city offers extensive opportunities for internships, networking and professional development, and its proximity to New York City and Washington, D.C., makes it an ideal location for design exploration.

Student Life

As a student at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, you’ll be part of a community that advances creativity and prioritizes you and how you engage in the world, in and out of the studio. Learn how Tyler empowers you to realize your vision, grow and make your mark.

Explore More About the Student Experience at Tyler

Program Format & Curriculum

Graduate students participate in a rigorous, interdisciplinary practice that often involves projects such as design authorship, design for the screen, experimental design, illustration, motion graphics, packaging, publication design, social design and UX/UI.  

In addition to core courses, students have considerable flexibility and choice when selecting art history, studio elective classes, either within Tyler’s graduate curriculum or across the university. Critique and critical discourse are foundational to the program of study.

Some of the courses you will complete as part of the Graphic and Interactive Design MFA include the following.

3D Modeling for Design
Design Activism
Design Research Methods
Design Theory
Informational Storytelling
Lettering Design
Motion Design

Learn more about the coursework for the Graphic and Interactive Design MFA.

MFA Thesis Exhibition

The Graphic and Interactive Design MFA program culminates in a thesis exhibition, where students showcase their research, design work and refined expertise. This capstone experience allows students to synthesize everything they’ve learned, positioning them for leadership roles in design.

Related Graduate Certificates

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Master of Fine Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2024–2025 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $1,318.00 per credit
Out-of-state: $1,751.00 per credit

You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

Our Advisors

Tyler's academic advising team offers every Tyler student one-on-one, personal and academic guidance, beginning at Orientation right through to graduation. Our academic advisors will help you chart your course through your program, and ensure you are on a clear path.

Advisors are available to discuss registration, study abroad and staying on track to graduate, as well as policy and procedures and navigating other available resources across the university.

Appointments with the advising team can be made by visiting the Student Tools tab in TUportal. General questions can be submitted to the team's virtual front desk during regular business hours, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Academic Advising Office
Tyler 212
2001 N. 13th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19122

Program Contact

Student Clubs & Organizations

Enhance your coursework, build meaningful networks and gain leadership experience by participating in student-led clubs and organizations. Below are examples of groups at Tyler that can help you grow academically, creatively and professionally.

Graduate Arts Collective is a graduate, student-led organization that connects Tyler peers with resources, information, social events and other activities, including publication of the annual MFA thesis catalog.
American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) is an independent, nonprofit, student-run organization. AIAS provides unmatched programs, information and resources on issues critical to architectural education.
Art History Graduate Organization provides a forum for exchange of ideas that enriches the experience of graduate art history students, including events, guest lectures, interaction with alumni, museum trips and peer gatherings that support new students and aid advisors in recruiting prospective students.
American Society of Landscape Architects, Student Chapter at Temple’s Ambler Campus works to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, education and fellowship.

Study Away

Exposure to diverse cultures, environments and mindsets is essential for art, architecture and design students. At Tyler, you are encouraged to broaden your perspective and explore unique environments through study away programs.

Programs to study in Rome, Tokyo and Venice are offered throughout the year.

For a half-century, Temple Rome has been a center for hands-on, interdisciplinary learning, where the “Eternal City” is the classroom, the studio and the campus. It offers extensive experiences for art and architecture students, with courses in architecture, art history, drawing, liberal arts, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

Temple University Japan offers a Bachelor of Arts in Art with a Digital Media concentration. Students may also take individual digital photography, art history and architecture courses on the Japan campus.

The Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses office is available to answer questions.
Email: study.abroad@temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-0720

Accreditation

Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s degree programs are accredited by the following accrediting bodies.

Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s architecture and environmental design programs are accredited by the following accrediting bodies.

National Architectural Accrediting Board (Master of Architecture)
Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture)
Planning Accreditation Board (Master of Science in City and Regional Planning)
International Facilities Management Association (Bachelor of Science in Facilities Management)

TA-GID-MFA

Additional Program Information

School/College Site

View Program Details