MFA Design for Social Innovation

In the first year, students are immersed in social innovation in all its forms, from corporate programs, on-profit organizations, foundations and social entrepreneurs, and across a broad range of issues, including food, equity and justice, ethics, poverty, wealth creation, health and the environment. Skills such as change design, communication design, game design, social movement design, mapping, modeling, visualization design, leadership and entrepreneurship are covered. Classes include lectures, client projects and creative assignments.

With the help of a team of mentors and advisors, students will identify and research an issue of their choosing, then develop a thorough understanding of the context and challenges.

A principle second-year goal is the creation of a thesis. They will write a proposal that captures their recommended solution, and then design it fully in a form ready to be implemented. Each thesis must be reviewed and approved by the thesis committee and the department chair for the student to be eligible for degree conferral. Another key second-year initiative is the creation of a for-profit enterprise, culminating in a presentation to potential funders.

Throughout the two-year program, the Guest Lecture Series is curated to inspire new thinking and dialogue bout the vast variety of ways to create a career in design for social innovation. Speakers include business leaders, environmentalists, indigenous leaders, field workers, researchers, academics, shamans, poets, artists, musicians, policy makers, physicians, astronomers, physicists, human rights activists and other innovators in social design.