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Graphic Arts Master’s Program Offered at Mississippi College


MC art professor Karlos Taylor

A new graduate degree program at Mississippi College will create opportunities for professionals to pursue careers as graphic designers, art directors, teachers and communications directors.

Starting in late August, the MC Department of Art will offer classes leading to a master’s in graphic design. The degree program will keep the Christian university at the cutting edge of graphic design education statewide and in the region.

With this 30-hour degree, “we can better respond to the need for design professionals to add newer skill sets and better mobility within their field,” says MC art professor Karlos Taylor.

The new master’s offers additional training for professionals holding undergraduate degrees in mass communications, advertising or marketing that require more design expertise, adds Taylor, graphic design coordinator on the Clinton campus.

It’s a faster time frame for working professionals to earn an advanced degree. It requires 30 academic hours compared to 60 hours for the MFA in graphic design.

Mississippi College’s new degree initiative this fall would join other longstanding graphic design graduate programs around the nation.

The list includes the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Clemson University in South Carolina, the University of Minnesota and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

“In our local market, practitioners outnumber academic professionals, and by offering both MFA and master’s degree programs, we can service both ends of the field,” Taylor said.

Cliff Fortenberry, the Mississippi College Communication Department chairman, sees the need for the new graduate program.

“Today, graphic design is of supreme importance in marketing and public relations,” Fortenberry said. “The ability to communicate messages effectively through visual forms is the basis of learning new ideas and reinforcing existing concepts.”

Combining a public relations degree with a master’s in graphic design, he said, would make students more employable in the job market over the next few years.

A Mississippi College graphic design major, sophomore Matthew Atkinson applauds the new master’s program in his field.

“It gives people in Mississippi more options,” says Atkinson, 18, a Clinton resident. “It’s excellent. It provides people with another opportunity.”

Several students have already signed up, and more will join them in the pipeline. The program combines graphic arts-related courses plus special projects or field studies along with an art elective.

Taylor sees an innovative program that meets consumer challenges. These days, he said, graphic designers must possess crossover skills to ensure their longevity and mobility in their field.

For more information, contact Karlos Taylor at 601-925-7365 or ktaylor@mc.edu