graduate thesis show

• Gregory Deddo
• Michael Dispensa
• Sean Hutton
• Aparna Sarkar
• Nicole Schonitzer
• Rebecca Senn
• Orli Swergold
• Emily Wilker
• Hannah Winkler
• Ashley Harris
• ► ARCHITECTURE
• Bilal Ismail Ahmed
• Chloe Jenny Bennie
• Teisha Bradley
• Sara Burashed
• Eve Huining Guo
• Yash Sahai Gupta
• Nicholas Hinckfuss
• Ian Johnson Kienbaum
• James Kloote
• Sumanth Krishna
• Zaiheng Liang
• Ari Lichtenstein
• Lishunxiang Luo
• Sanjana Masurkar
• Blair Ramsey
• Christina Truwit
• Vrindha Vijay
• David Waite
• Quinn Christopher Wilcox
• Jiaqi Zhang
• Ruiqi Zhang
• ► INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
• Sayit Alisan
• Majed BouGhanem
• Karan Buasakdi
• Chetan Dusane
• Sophie “Fi” Engel
• Danlei Huang
• Katie Huang
• Ziyuan Huang
• Yujin Hwang
• Parker Ives
• Sunny Yuqing Ma
• Katrina Machado
• Bayan Mashrequi
• John Mawhorter
• Tong-June Moon
• Nicholas Tamas
• Ben Wainmann
• Zimeng Xiang
• Zhuoyan Xie
• ► Liberal Arts
• Holly Gaboriault
• Elena Kalkova
• Kyung Eun Lee
• Megan Brief
• Rebecca Fruehwald
• Alexandra Ionescu
• Sarah Manion
• Valeria Ramirez Ensastiga
• Ariel Wills
• ► Digital + Media
• Thomas Brett
• Emily Bright
• Zhanyi Chen
• Nicola DiFusco
• Hannah Suzanna
• Zongxian Huang
• Kat Jarvinen
• Songan Kyung
• Ollie Rosario
• Meghan Surges
• ► Sculpture
• Hana Al-Saadi
• Ndivhuho Rasengani
• ► JEWELRY + METALSMITHING
• Talya Kantro
• Haotian Yang
• Eunhyung Chung
• Jasmine Gutbrod
• Em Xiangning Wang
• ► FURNITURE DESIGN
• Kevin Costante
• Estefanía De Ros
• Youtian Duan
• Lauren Goodman
• Eric Loucks
• Shreya Tuli
• ► INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
• Christine Chang
• Huaqin Chen
• Ruohan Duan
• Kayci Gallagher
• Dong-Zoo Han
• Mahasweta Jayachandran
• Linhong Jiang
• Yichu Jiang
• Nupoor Maduskar
• Saira Margarita Nepomuceno
• Guangyi Niu
• Demilade Okunfulure
• Japneet Pahwa
• Rebecca Pepl
• Mridula Swaminathan
• Wenjin Wang
• Robert Yang
• Shangyun Zhou
• ► Graphic Design
• Matthew Bejtlich
• Romik Bose Mitra
• Laura Isabel Diez de Baldeon
• Everett Epstein
• Kit Son Lee
• Will Mianecki
• Georgie Nolan
• Maddie Woods
• Matt Becker
• Justin Quaid Grubb
• Deshun Peoples
• ► PRINTMAKING
• Breslin Bell
• Alexis Hill
• Haley MacKeil
• Mariana Ramos Ortiz
• Edward Steffanni
• ► LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
• Bareeq Bahman
• Tianqi Chen
• Xueying Chen
• Zhouqian Guo
• Ilya Iskhakov
• Smera Rose Jacob
• Cristal Jiang
• Jacob Lightman
• Shreeyaa Sunil Shah
• Ruochen Wang
• Yiling Wang
• Geruihan Xu
• Xiaodong Yang
• Hanchao Zhang
• Huaiwen Zhang
• Yuxin Zhang
• ► PHOTOGRAPHY
• Megan Christiansen
• Chance Deville
• Camilla Jerome
• Steffanie A. Padilla
• Hammad Abid
• Anushka Divecha
• Luciana Iwamoto
• Zihan (Amy) Peng
• Hammad Abid ●
• Sayit Alisan ●
• Hana Al-Saadi ●
• Bareeq Bahman ●
• Laura Isabel Diez de Baldeon ●
• Chloe Jenny Bennie ●
• Breslin Bell ●
• Matt Becker ●
• Matthew Bejtlich ●
• Majed BouGhanem ●
• Romik Bose Mitra ●
• Teisha Bradley ●
• Thomas Brett ●
• Megan Brief ●
• Emily Bright ●
• Sara Burashed ●
• Christine Chang ●
• Huaqin Chen ●
• Tianqi Chen ●
• Xueying Chen ●
• Zhanyi Chen ●
• Megan Christiansen ●
• Eunhyung Chung ●
• Kevin Costante ●
• Estefanía De Ros ●
• Gregory Deddo ●
• Chance Deville ●
• Ryan Diaz ●
• Nicola DiFusco ●
• Michael Dispensa ●
• Anushka Divecha ●
• John Dixon ●
• Ruohan Duan ●
• Youtian Duan ●
• Chetan Dusane ●
• Sophie “Fi” Engel ●
• Valeria Ramirez Ensastiga ●
• Everett Epstein ●
• Kyung Eun Lee ●
• Rebecca Fruehwald ●
• Holly Gaboriault ●
• Yumeng Gai ●
• Kayci Gallagher ●
• Hannah Suzanna ●
• Ian George ●
• Lauren Goodman ●
• Justin Quaid Grubb ●
• Eve Huining Guo ●
• Zhouqian Guo ●
• Lana Gunn ●
• Yash Sahai Gupta ●
• Yara Hadi ●
• Dong-Zoo Han ●
• Ashley Harris ●
• Chufan He ●
• Hilary He ●
• Alexis Hill ●
• Daphne Hsu ●
• Katie Huang ●
• Danlei Huang ●
• Ziyuan Huang ●
• Zongxian Huang ●
• Sean Hutton ●
• Yujin Hwang ●
• Alexandra Ionescu ●
• Ilya Iskhakov ●
• Parker Ives ●
• Luciana Iwamoto ●
• Smera Rose Jacob ●
• Kat Jarvinen ●
• Mahasweta Jayachandran ●
• Camilla Jerome ●
• Cristal Jiang ●
• Jun Jiang ●
• Linhong Jiang ●
• Yichu Jiang ●
• Yue Jiang ●
• Elena Kalkova ●
• Talya Kantro ●
• Chengyu Ke ●
• Zhihong Ke ●
• Ian Johnson Kienbaum ●
• James Kloote ●
• Sumanth Krishna ●
• Karen Kuo ●
• Songan Kyung ●
• Kit Son Lee ●
• Zaiheng Liang ●
• Jacob Lightman ●
• Jiaqi Liu ●
• Jinmi Liu ●
• Eric Loucks ●
• Sunny Yuqing Ma ●
• Katrina Machado ●
• Haley MacKeil ●
• Sanjana Masurkar ●
• John Mawhorter ●
• Xinyi Mei ●
• Erqi Meng ●
• William Mianecki
• Tong-June Moon ●
• Saira Margarita Nepomuceno ●
• Georgie Nolan ●
• Guangyi Niu ●
• SK O'Brien ●
• Mariana Ramos Ortiz ●
• Japneet Pahwa ●
• Yixuan Pan ●
• Sofia Paez ●
• Steffanie A. Padilla ●
• Deshun Peoples ●
• Rebecca Pepl ●
• Zihan (Amy) Peng ●
• Max Pratt ●
• Blair Ramsey ●
• Ndivhuho Rasengani ●
• Ollie Rosario ●
• Aparna Sarkar ●
• Nicole Schonitzer ●
• Rebecca Senn ●
• Edward Steffanni ●
• Ouqiao Sun ●
• Meghan Surges ●
• Mridula Swaminathan ●
• Orli Swergold ●
• Lauren Tam ●
• Nicholas Tamas ●
• Christina Truwit ●
• Shreya Tuli ●
• Vrindha Vijay ●
• David Waite ●
• Diya Wang ●
• Em Xiangning Wang ●
• Ruochen Wang ●
• Wenjin Wang ●
• Yiling Wang ●
• Zexi Wang ●
• Liman Wei ●
• Quinn Christopher Wilcox ●
• Emily Wilker ●
• Ariel Wills ●
• Hannah Winkler ●
• Madeline Woods
• Jiarui Wu ●
• Weiyi Xia ●
• Tianyi Xie ●
• Zhuoyan Xie ●
• Zimeng Xiang ●
• Fengkun Yu ●
• Geruihan Xu ●
• Zhuoqi Xu ●
• Zheng Yao ●
• Zoe Yates ●
• Haotian Yang ●
• Robert Yang ●
• Xiaodong Yang ●
• Colin Yoon ●
• Chen Zhang ●
• Hanchao Zhang ●
• Huaiwen Zhang ●
• Jiaqi Zhang ●
• Leah Zhang ●
• Sida Zhang ●
• Ruiqi Zhang ●
• Yuxin Zhang ●
• Yang Zhao ●
• Guoxi Zhou ●
• Shangyun Zhou ●
• Majed Bou Ghanem
• S.K. O'Brien
• Georgina Nolan

SCI-Arc graduate students will showcase work that goes beyond traditional architectural representations at the 2023 Graduate Thesis Weekend

This post is brought to you by SCI-Arc , an Archinect School Partner

SCI-Arc is proud to present its annual Graduate Thesis Weekend, taking place September 8-10 at the school’s LA Arts District campus. In recognition of the exceptional talents that form the Graduate Thesis class of 2023, this year’s graduating M.Arch 1 and M.Arch 2 students will share their thesis projects with their community, colleagues, and public, capping a year of extensive research and experimentation. The Graduate Thesis Exhibition will be open to the public during Grad Thesis Weekend and will remain on view in the SCI-Arc halls until September 13.

Aligned with the first week of the fall term, the Graduate Thesis Weekend at SCI-Arc fosters a connection between outgoing graduates and incoming students by filling the school with multimedia projects. In characteristic SCI-Arc fashion, this year’s graduating class has delved into the potential of advancements in technology—particularly artificial intelligence—to expand the boundaries of architectural design and expression. Through their innovative experimentation, they have harnessed AI algorithms and machine learning techniques to enhance their creative processes and generate novel architectural solutions. Students have also recognized the urgency and significance of addressing environmental challenges through architecture and design; through their research and creative endeavors, they aim to inspire dialogue, provoke action, and drive sustainable change. Their projects go beyond traditional architectural representations, employing a variety of mediums such as visualizations, interactive installations, data-driven simulations, and virtual reality experiences to engage the audience on a visceral and intellectual level.

Underpinning each thesis topic is the principle of “building”—understood both as a physical entity and as a tangible action. The construction of ideas is recognized as equally significant to the physical creation of environments, drawings, objects, and material processes, whether manifested in digital or analog formats. For their architectural theses, students had to articulate conceptual frameworks for their work, and actively engage with the discourse around building as a process.

The weekend of reviews gives thesis students an invaluable platform to propose and defend their work to the SCI-Arc community and beyond. 97 students and 21 faculty advisors will converge with an array of invited guest critics from within and outside the discipline of architecture to review, debate, and contemplate the provocations of this year's thesis projects.

"This year's graduate thesis projects at SCI-Arc are rooted in a profound understanding of the persistent social, technological, and climatic challenges we face globally," notes Jackilin Hah Bloom, Graduate Thesis Coordinator. “This year, students are establishing new capacities to address these issues, not from a problem-solving approach, but one that focuses more on crafting novel processes and frameworks to enhance our understanding of the built environment. While each project represents a unique and personal exploration, collectively, this year's thesis projects will invigorate discussions around technology, building, and ecology."

Our graduating students have confronted the profound realization that our world and its infrastructure demand reimagining – Elena Manferdini, SCI-Arc Graduate Programs Chair

“Our graduating students have confronted the profound realization that our world and its infrastructure demand reimagining,” adds Graduate Programs Chair Elena Manferdini. “Their thesis mark the inaugural stride into a new world, one they envision and aspire to create. I wholeheartedly encourage both our local and international community to join us at SCI-Arc during Graduate Thesis Weekend, immersing themselves in the alternative future we all yearn to be a part of. Let us engage, learn, and collaborate as we embark on this transformative journey together.”

Stay tuned for the  Graduate Thesis 2023 website  to preview students’ work, see the list of guest critics, and get additional details on the Graduate Thesis Weekend schedule. 

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From the beginning, SCI-Arc has actively engaged the community with public programs, including a lecture series, which started in 1974 and still happens Wednesday nights. Most of these videos document public events held at SCI-Arc. Support for the Media Archive was provided by The Getty Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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• October 26, 2020

Selected Thesis Exhibition 2020 Film Documents Pioneering Graduate Projects

This year, SCI-Arc’s 2020 Graduate Thesis was held virtually, culminating in a lively, immersive online Thesis Weekend in September. As the school’s largest annual event, Graduate Thesis Weekend represents the culmination of the graduate curricula at SCI-Arc and presents an invaluable opportunity for graduating M.Arch 1 and 2 students to articulate and defend their stunning work to SCI-Arc faculty and leadership, fellow students, esteemed visiting critics, and the global design community at large.

The 2020 SCI-Arc Selected Graduate Thesis exhibition , a juried collection of the most exceptional Graduate Thesis projects of the year, took the form of a short documentary produced by SCI-Arc Channel released to the public on October 12. The Selected Thesis exhibition film itself is comprised of interviews with the selected students about their projects, drawings and renderings of their work, plus a field of models from the M.Arch Thesis class.

“Thesis is by definition a moment where students question the world around them,” comments Graduate Programs Chair Elena Manferdini in the film. “They try to find a way and a lens through which to look at it and they also want to reinvent I think the role of architecture in society.”

The exhibition, which features the award-winning 2020 Graduate Thesis projects, includes work from the recipients of the SCI-Arc Gehry Prize [2020 Gehry League] Saleh Jamsheer (M.Arch 2), Zoe Małecki (M.Arch 1), Richard Mapes (M.Arch 2), Justine Poulin (M.Arch 2), and Irvin Shaifa (M.Arch 2), as well as projects by Merit Graduate Thesis Prize winners Linzi Ai (M.Arch 2) and Juicheng Hung (M.Arch 2), Christina Griggs (M.Arch 2), Wendy Guerrero (M.Arch 1), Sam Kaufman (M.Arch 1), Liu Qiao (M.Arch 2), Rish Ryusuke Saito (M.Arch 1), Robert Sipchen (M.Arch 1), and Vincent Yung (M.Arch 1). In describing his approach to his Thesis project, Mapes notes, “If we look at architecture as a portrait, then we begin to understand things as certain references that go into making that portrait—different objects and images and memories all combining into this kind of mental construction of a space and the identity of that space and then the identity of perhaps the people that inhabit that space.”

“The idea of making the singular act an architecture that is just one building I believe is no more, but instead multiple buildings within that bounding box; to create these new realms for sort of community,” explains Shaifa, whose thesis is entitled Zealots of Compton and primarily focuses on community revitalization within the titular historic South Central Los Angeles neighborhood.

Other noteworthy projects featured in the exhibition film include those by Gehry Prize winners Jamsheer, Małecki, and Poulin, as well as Merit winners Ai and Hung, Griggs, Guerrero, Kaufman, Qiao, Saito, Sipchen, and Yung.

“Thesis never an individual journey; it's always a collective one,” continues Manferdini. “Truly it’s a community that has developed the strength to be self-confident and has a vision about what architecture should be; it's always something that we share.”

« All Events

• This event has passed.

Thesis Academy #1: Are You Ready to Graduate?

September 25 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm mdt, event navigation.

• « 39th Annual Frank Church Conference
• Boise Jazz Society presents The Emmet Cohen Trio »

This session is designed to help students and faculty navigate the thesis/dissertation process, with a focus on the final semester(s) and completion of their document. Presenters will go over all the forms necessary to complete, including AAC, Supervisory Committee, Defense Notification, Defense Committee Approval, Access Agreement/Embargo Request, and Final Reading approval. In addition to the paperwork, this workshop will include information on basic timelines, including deadlines and other benchmarks. The session will also highlight support services provided by the GSSC and encourage faculty to contact and ask for support if necessary.

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Consisting of a final body of work and a written component , the thesis is both a culmination of the graduate experience at RISD and a catalyst for future professional and creative practice.

To view examples of discipline-specific projects online, please visit Digital Commons @ RISD or search the Fleet Library at RISD’s graduate thesis index . You may also view highlights from recent thesis projects in the Book of Thesis Books .

Electronic submission of final thesis

Process for 2023: Go to Digital Commons@risd and upload your thesis PDF by Friday, May 26, 2023 (or before). The electronic thesis (which does not have to include signatures) will be catalogued by the Library and will also be posted to RISD’s Digital Commons.

A complete set of instructions can be found here .

Making your master’s thesis available to the RISD community and future grad students, and to artists, designers, scholars and employers worldwide is an important and valuable part of higher education. However, you may not want to have your thesis available online for reasons of publishing agreements, patents or other intellectual property issues. (if you need to opt-out, please email [email protected] ).

Feel free to email Marc Calhoun ( [email protected] ) with specific questions.

Submission of bound final thesis

You will submit a pdf copy to your respective departmental gpd, or advisors (who will forward onto the library)..

If you would like the RISD Library to have a physical copy of your thesis, contact Marc Calhoun ( [email protected] ) to make arrangements.

Important note : The physical copy must be the same content as the online version. Your thesis is a snapshot of a moment in time, the library cannot accept re-edited or substantially different versions.

Library archiving requirements for bound thesis

• Official title page, including the names of all thesis committee advisors.
• The title page must follow the wording outlined in this sample (inserting your own title, name, department, year, etc.).
• Copyright page
• Table of contents
• Captions or list of illustrations (including image credits as needed)
• Footnotes/endnotes and bibliography (source citation)
• Page numbers
• If your thesis is bound unconventionally and/or includes original artwork such as prints, include an appendix describing the materials and/or process to ensure accurate Library cataloguing.

*Your thesis will be recorded in both the Fleet Library’s online catalogue and the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)—an international bibliographic database.

• Obtain all required thesis committee signatures during final crit week.
• Proofread the entire thesis.
• Use your full legal name, not a nickname.
• Use only one, consistent thesis title.
• Abstract must be clear and succinct.
• All materials must be archivally sound (acid-free paper, sturdy binding, etc.).
• No loose pages.

Watch a thesis presentation

Thesis presentation: jiaai he, interior architecture.

Recent Interior Architecture graduate Jiaai He shares her thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Thesis Presentation: Steven Kaplan-Pistiner, Jewelry + Metalsmithing

Recent Jewelry + Metalsmithing graduate Steven Kaplan-Pistiner shares his thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Thesis Presentation: Ayumi Kodoma, Furniture Design

Hear about the thesis making and writing experience from recent Furniture Design program graduate Ayumi Kodoma.

Thesis Presentation: Rohit Sen, Industrial Design

Recent Industrial Design graduate Rohit Sen shares his thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Thesis Presentation: Joon June Yoon, Digital + Media

Recent Digital + Media graduate June Joon Yoon shares her thesis and experience in the MFA program.

Requirements

Each graduate department has its own written thesis guidelines. Please consult your graduate program director and thesis chair, and familiarize yourself with departmental guidelines for written thesis criteria and deadlines for proposals, outlines, drafts and final copy.

Past graduate thesis books—which are archived in the RISD Fleet Library and stored in many departmental offices—provide general examples. The Center for Arts & Language offers thesis workshops, individual tutoring and additional support materials.

RISD Grad Show 2023 on view online

In celebrating the collective accomplishments of this year’s graduating class, RISD Grad Show 2023 invites viewers to experience an expansive range of exploratory work by emerging artists and designers. The culmination of extensive research, experimentation, critical thinking and production, the works on view represent each student’s experience in RISD’s dynamic and diverse graduate programs.

• Amica Mutual Pavilion
• Veterans Memorial Auditorium
• Providence Sports + Entertainment

Rhode Island Convention Center

Risd senior thesis exhibition show.

• May 24, 2023

May 24 - June 3, 2023

This is free & open to the public. Experience the incredible work of RISD Graduate students in their final senior thesis show, located in Exhibiton Hall D on the 3rd Level. 

• Wednesday, May 24, 2023 TBA
• Thursday, May 25, 2023 TBA
• Friday, May 26, 2023 TBA
• Saturday, May 27, 2023 TBA
• Sunday, May 28, 2023 TBA
• Monday, May 29, 2023 TBA
• Tuesday, May 30, 2023 TBA
• Wednesday, May 31, 2023 TBA
• Thursday, June 1, 2023 TBA
• Friday, June 2, 2023 TBA
• Saturday, June 3, 2023 TBA

Premier Partners

• Graduate Exhibition One

March 3-9, 2022 SAIC Galleries 33 E. Washington St.   View Participating Artists

Graduate Exhibition One is the culminating presentation of 45 MFA and MA candidates in SAIC’s class of 2022, and an opportunity for them to present new and ambitious work to the public in the SAIC Galleries. Graduate Exhibition One is the first of two graduate exhibitions this spring.

See Gallery Guide and Floor Plans

Visiting SAIC Galleries

SAIC Galleries welcomes the SAIC community and members of the public to visit the galleries in person. Admission is free.

*All visitors to SAIC Galleries must show a state-issued picture ID and proof of COVID-19 booster vaccination OR proof of a negative COVID-19 test from past 72 hours upon entry and remain masked while in the building.

SAIC Galleries 33 E. Washington St. Gallery Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Performances and Activations

Daily activations.

Hugo Ivan Juarez , March 3 – 9, all day

Jess Smoot , March 3 – 9, all day

Linhan Zhang , March 3 – 9, 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Ruby Que , March 3 – 9, 4:30 – 5:00 pm 

Luba Mendelevich , March 3 – 9, check @saicsculpture on Instagram for schedule

Scheduled Performances

Sara Niroobakhsh , March 2, 4:00 – 4:30 pm

Zhuyan Ye & Linhan Zhang coordinated performances, March 2 & March 5, 4:00 – 5:00 pm

Clau Rocha , March 5, 3:00 pm

Virtual Programs

Jiaming You Artist Talk , March 4, 12:00 pm, Zoom link here

Pink Signage Group Panel Discussion featuring Olivia Minshall, Ruth L. Poor, and Jiaming You, with Chris Reeder, March 8, 5:00 pm, Zoom link here

Self-Curated Groups

Students participating in Graduate Exhibition One were given the option to exhibit together as a self-curated group. There are two self-curated groups within the larger exhibition – Pink Signage and Room with a Better View . Please click on the group titles to visit their pages.

Reflections on Rupture: Notes on the SAIC Graduate Exhibition One

By elise butterfield and kathryn cua.

Up until 2019, the Department of Exhibitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) followed a tried-and-true recipe to put on our MFAs’ culminating exhibition: we would hold a single graduate exhibition, in person, at the Sullivan Galleries on State Street. In February 2020, the School publicly announced the relocation of our art galleries to 33 E. Washington Street, eager to offer SAIC students a new, spacious venue with three stories to exhibit their work. 

Then we experienced a break—something that forced us out of our stasis. 

In the uncertainty that came with the onset of the pandemic, the 2020 Graduate Exhibition moved online entirely , marking a first for the School. Easing back into in-person activity in fall 2020, we hosted the 2021 Graduate Exhibition in our new galleries on Washington Street. Students from Fashion Design and the Departments of Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects (AIADO) showed their work alongside MFAs for the first time.

Now here we are in 2022 with yet another series of firsts. The 2022 Graduate Exhibition has been split into two shows: Graduate Exhibition One in March and Graduate Exhibition Two in May. In the March exhibition, MA students from the Department of Visual and Critical Studies are also presenting work. And, on top of this, the IMPACT Performance Festival is being hosted in the gallery, accompanying our visual artists’ work.

The reasons for the historic SAIC firsts of the past few years are multiple and layered: a global pandemic, varying class sizes, institutional changes, a spirit of experimentation, and shifting student needs, to name a few. And yet, regardless of the challenges each year brought with it, every iteration of the graduate exhibition has intentionally carved out time and space to recognize the work of SAIC’s graduate students as they prepare to leave the School. For some of our graduates, this is the first time their work will be presented in a formal exhibition. For others, it is simply another point on a storied timeline of exhibiting work. In either case, the graduate exhibition offers a moment to take stock of our artists’ individual accomplishments and of our community’s concerns. In these expansive shows, we can look at work from students across departments at SAIC and find unifying themes as well as poignant differences.

Inevitably, this will not be the last year of “firsts.” The coming years are bound to bring changes that we will simply be unable to predict. Once we accept these terms, though, we can begin to understand fissures differently—not just as sites of pain, but also as openings filled with possibility and potentiality. This year’s graduate exhibitions are a manifestation of how we as artists and arts workers have sought to use this rupture as an opportunity to do otherwise, to take advantage of the flux, and perhaps most consequentially, to make meaning out of the fractures.

Elise Butterfield and Kathryn Cua are Graduate Curatorial Assistants at SAIC Galleries.

• IMPACT Performance Festival
• Film, Video, New Media, Animation, and Sound (FVNMAS) Festival
• Graduate Exhibition Two
• Low-Residency MFA Exhibition

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Clark honors college menu, clark honors college, the thesis project.

As a CHC student, you will complete a thesis project during your fourth year. You will apply the critical thinking and communication skills you have learned in the CHC to explore ideas, problems, approaches, and practices in your field of study. We explain the significance of the thesis project and how the process works.

Thesis Project Overview

Thesis Project Checklist

Your Defense Term

Thesis Project FAQ

What is the thesis project?

Like climbing Mt. Hood, cooking a seven-course meal or writing a book of poetry, each thesis project is a unique accomplishment.

Through your thesis project, you can explore questions, solve problems, create a portfolio, conduct original research, write a business or marketing plan, or work with professors on an issue or project related to your own career goals.

Why should I do a thesis project?

An honors thesis project is valuable not only in and of itself, but also because of how you will grow, personally and academically, throughout the process.

Your thesis project will provide you with skills employers and graduate or professional schools value: the ability to manage projects, apply your knowledge, communicate complex ideas and work both independently and collaboratively. 

Three Steps to a Successful Thesis Project

Design your project.

It's never too early to start planning!

• Take Thesis Orientation
• Develop an idea or a question around what inspires you in your field of study
• Identify a primary thesis advisor who agrees to be on your thesis committee
• Enroll in Thesis Prospectus

Act on your ideas.

Since every student’s thesis project is unique, the precise steps involved in completing yours will be specific to you. You might:

• Perform lab or library research, collect data in the field, engage with the community, create artwork, design, compose, choreograph...
• Take independent study credits
• Apply for funding

No matter what, make sure you stay in close contact with your primary thesis advisor.

Share the results.

Communication is the critical path to completing your thesis project. Get ready to: 

• Write up your thesis project , which may also include performance, artwork, recordings, or other digital media
• Defend your thesis project  in a 20-30 minute oral presentation
• Participate in the optional but fun Three-Minute Thesis competition (watch the 2023 3MT competition )
• Archive your thesis project

How will I be supported in the thesis project?

• Field-specific expertise  and mentorship from your chosen Primary Thesis Advisor
• General support through the thesis project from your CHC Representative
• Required courses dedicated to planning: Thesis Orientation and Thesis Prospectus
• Starting sophomore year, general academic advising from your CHC Faculty Advisor
• A curriculum designed to strengthen your research, analysis and communication skills
• Access to faculty and funding opportunities via CHC's Mentored Research Program
• Option to take independent research credits that let you focus on your thesis project
• Dedicated thesis resource staff ready to answer your questions

Thesis Resource Staff

Beyond your chosen thesis committee, the Clark Honors College also has dedicated staff to support you during your thesis process, from start to finish. 

Miriam Alexis Jordan CHC Academic and Thesis Programs Manager

Miriam Alexis Jordan  provides administrative and technical support on benchmarks and protocols as you progress through the academic and thesis process toward graduation. She believes in the importance of a liberal arts education (and lifelong learning) and is committed to your student success. When you are ready to begin the thesis process, Miriam is your guide.

Email :  [email protected] Phone : 541-346-2511

Research Help at UO Libraries

Jeffrey Staiger is the Library Liaison for the Clark Honors College and the Humanities Librarian for the University of Oregon Libraries. Jeffrey is a research specialist who can answer any questions regarding the library or your research projects, as well as to connect you with other library services. UO Libraries has specific librarians to support research in most of the academic disciplines studied at the university. View a complete list of subject and area librarians on the library website. 

Email :  [email protected] Phone : 541-346-1897

More questions about the thesis project?

We've got answers. Students should read the Frequently Asked Questions about the CHC Thesis Project. If you are a Primary Thesis Advisor or a CHC Representative, find helpful information below. 

Primary Thesis Advisor Handbook

Committee Roles and Responsibilities

DigitalCommons@RISD

Home > Campus Exhibitions > Graduate Thesis Exhibitions > Graduate Thesis Exhibition 2021

Film featurette commissioned by the RISD Graduate Studies Office at Rhode Island School of Design to accompany the 2021 RISD Grad Summer Conversation Series. During the pandemic, the importance of documenting what the students were going through upon graduation with their thesis show coupled with the the show's installation taking place between two locations for the first time in its history in such unprecedented times, the RISD Museum of Art and the Waterfire Arts Center. Aside from being the first time the show's installation has been documented on video, it highlighted the tireless efforts of the Director of Campus Exhibitions, Mark Moscone and the gallery installation team navigating this annual show in such precarious times.

Producer | Director | Writer | Camera: Holly Gaboriault, MA GAC '21 Original Soundtrack: Rafael Attias, BFA GD '91

Download Graduate Exhibition 2021 video .

Graduate Thesis Exhibition 2021

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The RISD Graduate Thesis show is live now. Here's what you'll see.

What Is a Master’s Thesis?

Before enrolling in a master’s degree program , it’s important that you know what a thesis is and whether you’ll need to write one. Your thesis is the sum of all of your learned knowledge from your master’s program and gives you a chance to prove your capabilities in your chosen field.

A thesis also involves a significant amount of research, and depending on the subject, may require you to conduct interviews, surveys and gather primary and secondary resources. Most graduate programs will expect you to dedicate enough time to developing and writing your thesis, so make sure to learn more about the department’s requirements before enrolling in your master’s program.

What is a Master’s Thesis?

Unlike thesis projects for undergraduates, which are shorter in length and scope, a master’s thesis is an extensive scholarly paper that allows you to dig into a topic, expand on it and demonstrate how you’ve grown as a graduate student throughout the program. Graduate schools often require a thesis for students in research-oriented degrees to apply their practical skills before culmination. 

For instance, a psychology major may investigate how colors affect mood, or an education major might write about a new teaching strategy. Depending on your program, the faculty might weigh the bulk of your research differently. 

Regardless of the topic or field of study, your thesis statement should allow you to: 

• Help prove your idea or statement on paper 
• Organize and develop your argument 
• Provide a guide for the reader to follow 

 Once the thesis is completed, students usually must defend their work for a panel of two or more department faculty members. 

What is the Difference Between a Thesis and a Non-Thesis Master’s Program?

A thesis is a common requirement in many research-focused fields, but not every master’s program will require you to complete one. Additionally, some fields allow you to choose between a thesis and a non-thesis track . In the case of a non-thesis program, you won’t have to write a lengthy paper, but you will have to take more classes to meet your graduation requirement.

Whether you choose a thesis or non-thesis program, you’ll still be required to complete a final project to prove your critical thinking skills. If you favor a non-thesis program, your project may be a capstone project or field experience.

Thesis vs. Dissertation

It's common for graduate students to mistakenly use the words "thesis" and "dissertation" interchangeably, but they are generally two different types of academic papers. As stated above, a thesis is the final project required in the completion of many master's degrees. The thesis is a research paper, but it only involves using research from others and crafting your own analytical points. On the other hand, the dissertation is a more in-depth scholarly research paper completed mostly by doctoral students. Dissertations require candidates create their own research, predict a hypothesis, and carry out the study. Whereas a master's thesis is usually around 100 pages, the doctoral dissertation is at least double that length.

Benefits of Writing a Thesis

There are several advantages that you can reap from choosing a master's program that requires the completion of a thesis project, according to  Professor John Stackhouse . A thesis gives you the valuable opportunity to delve into interesting research for greater depth of learning in your career area. Employers often prefer students with a thesis paper in their portfolio, because it showcases their gained writing skills, authoritative awareness of the field, and ambition to learn. Defending your thesis will also fine-tune critical communication and public speaking skills, which can be applied in any career. In fact, many graduates eventually publish their thesis work in academic journals to gain a higher level of credibility for leadership positions too.

Tips for Your Master's Thesis

Writing your thesis paper will be a long process, so the first step is to make certain you have a close faculty advisor to guide you along the way. Before starting, consult with other scholarly texts to see exactly how a master's thesis should be structured with an introduction, literary review, main body, conclusion, and bibliography. Finding a thesis topic may be the simplest or hardest part for you, but choose one that interests you and gives you room to explore, according to  Ta Da!  Creating a detailed outline will prompt an easier flow of ideas for a well-written thesis. It's advised that you stay aware of your thesis defense date to allow enough time for proofreading and possibly sending your work to an editor.

Related Resource:  Oral Exam Preparation

Overall, a master's thesis is designed to support a graduate student's academic and professional qualifications for a degree by presenting research findings. While it's important to note that some graduate programs offer non-thesis tracks for master's degrees, the thesis is the main capstone staple for many others. Now that you know what a thesis is, you can decide whether it's a good option for your career or whether a comprehensive exam would be better.

• Collapse All

How long is a thesis for a master’s?

A master’s thesis typically ranges from 100 to 300 pages , not including the bibliography. The length will depend on various factors, including the subject matter and method of your research. There’s no ‘correct’ page length you should aim for. Instead, your thesis should be long enough to properly convey all necessary information in a clear and concise manner.

Can you fail a master’s thesis?

While it’s not common, it is possible to fail your master’s thesis.

When you defend your thesis, the committee evaluates whether you understand your field and focus area. In most cases, the advisor you’re working with might help you go over your defense beforehand and address any questions that might come up during the final presentation. If you can’t correctly answer crucial questions from the committee, you will likely be given a chance to resubmit your thesis after making corrections.

Are there specific subjects that don’t require a thesis versus those that do?

Not all subjects will require a thesis at the end of your studies. Applied graduate school programs that focus on hands-on experience over theoretical work will mostly favor evaluating you through applied research projects. For example, nursing, education, and business programs prepare graduates for specific career placements and require them to complete internships or supervised fieldwork.

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MICA Graduate Thesis Show III

BmoreArt’s Picks: Baltimore Art Openings, G [...]

WTF Short-Form Theater

• April 26, 2017
• Words: ,  Amy Boone McCreesh

MICA Ups the Ante with a Curated, Thematic Approach to MFA Thesis Shows by Amy Boone-McCreesh

MICA’s sprawling MFA Thesis Show III was curated by Doreen Bolger, former director of the Baltimore Museum of Art and Seth Adelsberger, artist and former co-director of Nudashank gallery. The curators chose to organize work by theme into shows, rather than sort by program or medium.

Categories presented for the on-campus exhibitions included titles like “Conversing with Text,” “Challenging Artistic Conventions,” and “Exploring Heritage;” themes broad enough to allow a wide range of works to exist together but specific enough to create small conceptual anchors throughout. The shows were divided by gallery, totaling five across campus.

Exhibition One, hosted on campus, presented a mix of work from different MICA graduate programs and was noticeably more tech-heavy than in past years.  Video, projections, and virtual reality were not reserved only for the Photographic and Electronic media candidates, but included traditional painters and sculptors as well, all reinforcing the notion that technology has become more pervasive than ever into our lives and in art.

In Exhibit One, the use of technology felt necessary, rather than frivolous; showing that new media is an appropriate way of communicating visually, as it often mimics or criticizes the technology bombardment and integration most of us deal with daily.

Lazarus Center – “Confronting Oppression”

The Lazarus Center on North Avenue houses the “Confronting Oppression” portion of the exhibition featuring works by Community Arts, Hoffberger School of Painting, Mount Royal School of Art, Rinehart School of Sculpture and Photographic and Electronic Media candidates.

Within the entrance of the building, viewers are enticed by what looks to be a job fair or a table to advertise products at a conference or trade show. Community Arts MFA candidate Kim Loper master-minded the eerily convincing campaign for the pseudo-drug Denylium.

Denylium is a (fake) drug geared towards those suffering from Chronic Racial Anxiety Syndrome also known as CRAS, according to Loper. The brochures, posters, and cards assure those interested that once taken, the drug can allow you to “Live your greatest life, guilt free.” The clever campaign pokes at serious and perpetual issues in the United States and beyond involving race and stereotypes. Loper’s commitment to the pharmaceutical aesthetic is impressive; see more here . 

Around the corner, on the first floor of the Riggs gallery is the work of Xiaomeng Cai. Cai is an MFA candidate in Photographic and Electronic Media. This work is created around the 24/7 “news” channel in China, Xianwen Lianbo. The channel serves as a continuous stream of political agendas wrapped in the context of news. On the walls Cai hand-painted a cultural mash-up to serve as the environment for the piece. It features Dragon Ball-Z, Pokemon, and what looks to be Chinese workers and icons. The video portion of the work pairs cartoon clips with 2016 clips from the “news” channel.

The work of Mandy Chesney deals with confronting oppression head on; her work presents like funeral displays and the text for the work offers statistics on sexual assault. Staggering numbers coincide with the reliquary-like works. Ninety percent of sexual assault abusers are known by their victims and eighty-five percent of children abused never report the abuse according to Chesney’s accompanying label. Her work operates as mostly objects with some text, tied through narrative and a universal social and human rights issue.

Brian Funk uses existing imagery and data and repurposes it to exist in new, experimental ways. Funk’s most visually enticing piece JLENS babies is a collection of large white balloons with projections of found footage on top. JLENS is a United States surveillance project, manifesting as a large balloon or blimp. You may remember the recently escaped JLENS blimp that tore across Maryland and Pennsylvania. Funk’s balloon piece is an aesthetically pleasing and surprisingly soft visual, considering the content.

Jordan Kyler

Downstairs in the Leidy Gallery, Jordan Kyler’s work was installed under the stairs. Kyler is a candidate in the Photographic and Electronic Media program. Her work is installed in a way that provokes imagery of a teenage bedroom. Banners hang with many personas and accompanying words like “subversive” and “athletic babe.”

The work is an obvious criticism of social media and the multi-faceted issues inherent to internet culture. The series is titled Nowagaze which speaks to the (art) historical idea of the male gaze but also what we are dealing with right now in society. The Nowagaze campaign is as committed as Loper’s pseudo-pharmaceutical Denylium. You can visit the Nowagaze website that is comically geared towards men that have an interest in creating their ideal “babe”. Personalities include the “Playful Innocent Babe” and the “Flirty Sassy Babe” amongst others; all of which most women can surely recall an occasion where they were either lumped into or forced into these one-dimensional categories. I recommend spending time with the website, as it offers a nuanced and funny commentary on the way women are presented across current internet culture . 

Also downstairs in the Lazarus building, works by Francesco Mazzota and James Bernard Cole.

Mazzota’s work focuses on gender roles and the public and private self. James Bernard Cole, who is a Rinehart Sculpture MFA candidate created a large, interactive structure, complete with faux metal detectors and American flags.

*************************

Space Camp- “Exploring Heritage”

The work in Space Camp  at 16 W. North Avenue revolved around the idea of heritage and culture. Many of the artists spoke to social narratives and politics directly, and some in a subtler way. The work was diverse in media ranging from installation to painting, but the emphasis on video and technology prevailed.

Effy Wang’s large scale abstract paintings aim to question reality and place. There are moments when imagery or influence from her native China emerge and quickly disappear.

Anita Zhang, Photographic and Electronic Media, created a site-specific piece in the back corner of the gallery using thread, projections, and other mixed media. The result is an unnerving and beautiful piece that shifts color and form. A figure appears and walks away, as if they were in the space with you. This feeling is compounded when you realize a camera is also projecting your image into the space with the ghost figure. The piece is titled “Samsara” after the Buddhist concept associated with life and rebirth. Zhang hopes to tap into the cyclical notion as a way to confront Eastern and Western ideas on existence.

Jiuxin Jin, also Photographic and Electronic Media presents what seems to be a set of unassuming forms made from craft paper. The forms actually house dynamic and wonderfully strange videos with the title “Crater Park”. The multi-channel short videos mash-up images of colonization and industrialization with Jin inserted into the spaces. The result is not only a culture and time clash but also a comedic and endearing look at loneliness and belonging in an ever-integrated cultural landscape, all ridden with historical blemishes.  

Some of the more visually demanding work in the space is made by Ni Xin, Mount Royal School of Art. Xin serves up many multi-media offerings, working in video, painting, and sculpture. Xin’s work all lives under a canopy made from the Chinese flag. Her pieces range from funny to serious, culminating with her most powerful work; American Apparel bags rebranded as Isis city bags. Vinyl lettering replaces the original iconic cities now with cities like Kuwait, Baghdad, Garland, and San Bernardino. Implicating U.S. cities on the bags rather than those of just the Middle East strengthens the far-reaching attempted effects of the terrorist group on the world and questions the norms of taste and fashion as being exempt from current events.

Decker and Meyerhoff Galleries- “Challenging Artistic Conventions” and “Considering Home”

The largest concentration of work lives in what most know to be the main galleries at MICA. The Decker and Meyerhoff galleries, like others, present work across all of the programs and are tied by the themes of home and artistic conventions.

Giulia Piera Livi

Giulia Piera Livi, Mount Royal School of Art. Livi’s work is a mod-like hybrid of function and decoration. Her large wall sculptures present as lights and her wall spouts suggest function, especially with the piles of pink powder on the floor below the work. This piece especially begged interaction, though many were unsure if they were meant to twist the knobs.

Jihyun Vania Oh, Mount Royal School of Art (above)

One of my favorite pieces of the night was “Why should he console so many others when I want him only for myself” by Jihyun Vania Oh, Mount Royal School of Art. The mixed media piece uses Arduino sensors, video, and conventional sculptural methods to create a bizarre Disney gone wrong melting bureau. Each portion of the piece has a fake shadow, videos, and motion. This is another piece that should be seen in person to fully appreciate the kinetics and construction.

inside (l) and outside (r) views of the camper and it’s details

Yifan Qin, Photographic and Electronic Media

Qin’s works are interactive and reactive, projecting visual memories of the motions you make in front of her space. The virtual spaces become very meta – also referencing the space you are in while viewing. One piece shows the window to the Fox building with objects flying by and the other includes not only the viewer’s body, but also the artwork (of another candidate) that is in the adjoining gallery space.

Jonathon Baker, also Photographic and Electronic Media, shows four different videos, all starring a creepy biomorphic-humanoid form. The videos are accompanied by equally unsettling audio. While the pieces are visually weird, they are also funny. They cycle through disturbing and comical; reminding me of the absurdity often surrounding media and advertising. If you can’t see the work before the show ends (please do) you can view it here .

Textiles integrated with and operating as paintings in a repetitive full-wall installation in the Meyerhoff gallery.

Clever cards act as never-ending media labels for SeungTack Lim, Rinehart School of Sculpture.

Fox 3 gallery (third floor of the Fox building) – “Conversing with Text”

The top floor gallery space in the Fox building at MICA presented works that loosely revolved around an idea of communication. Maureen Delaney’s paintings are visually commanding when you step off of the elevator. Delaney’s abstract language uses gesture and mark as a means of communication.

Also in the Fox 3 gallery were the works of Tianqi Song, Photographic and Electronic Media. Song’s work was presented primarily as a collection of photographs, all with an intriguing, ambiguous sense of scale and place.

The small back room of Fox 3 gallery holds the work of Yuqi Wang. The room is dominated by a video of subtle motion that looks and feels like a 1980’s video game. The room also features sculptural objects, which you can see featured in one of the videos here .

Wang is a Photographic and Electronic Media MFA candidate.

Pinkard gallery – “ Exchanging Experience”

Lezlie Silverstein’s work is hard to miss when you enter the building. Silverstein, a Community Arts candidate created the program the “SPACEmakers” an after-school program that focuses on transforming spaces within their school. She partnered with local youth in the program to create this collaborative piece.

Past Silverstein’s installation lies a quite collection of illuminated dishes. The dishes are Yuan Tang’s hair collections. Tang is a Photographic and Electronic Media candidate interested in how hair operates as function and decoration for the body.

See a full list of candidates and to explore details and gallery hours (they differ) for the shows here .

The MICA Thesis III Exhibition closes April 30,2017. 

Author Amy Boone-McCreesh is a Baltimore-based artist, writer, and professor.

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Degree Requirements

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Good Academic Standing

Doctor of philosophy (ph.d.).

A typical sequence for a student accepted into the Ph.D. program can be found on the admitted students page. The requirements to obtain a Ph.D. Degree are listed below.

• Achieving a Ph.D. level passing grade on the Comprehensive Exam (CE) before the end of the second year.
• Advance to candidacy by passing the Research Proposal Exam (RPE) within one year of passing the Comprehensive Exam.
• Classical Mechanics
• Statistical Physics I
• Electromagnetic Theory I
• Quantum Mechanics I
• Mathematical Physics I
• Quantum Mechanics II
• Statistical Physics II
• Physics Graduate Seminar I
• Solid State I
• Solid State II
• Techniques of Experimental Physics
• Seminar: Topics in Physics
• Other Electives offered periodically by the department.
• No more than one comparable graduate course offered in other departments.
• Completion of the Thesis Research and Defense.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination is a written exam that covers all of physics that a physics graduate student can be expected to know at the end of one year of formal course work in the curriculum; however, it will stress classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. The examination is prepared and administered by a faculty committee, appointed by the Chairperson, and the examination is evaluated by this committee with approval of the faculty of the department.

The examination is offered twice a year, the week before the beginning of each semester. The student must pass one of two possible attempts in order to continue in the graduate program before the end of their second year. A student, who fails the first attempt, MUST make their second attempt the next time the exam is offered. The FIRST Attempt would typically be a fall exam taken a week before the beginning of the student’s second fall semester. If unsuccessful, the second try would be a spring exam, one week before the beginning of their second spring semester. Exceptionally well­-prepared and qualified students can make the FIRST Attempt of the exam either by arriving one week early to take a fall exam or taking a spring exam during their first year. A student choosing to do this who does not pass their first attempt must take the CE before the next semester begins.

Research Proposal Examination

Within one year of passing the comprehensive examination, a student shall take the Research Proposal Exam (RPE). The purpose of this oral examination is for the student to assimilate work done in an area of research and to define a research project that addresses one or more open important questions in this area.

The RPE will be a 40 minute, public presentation followed by 20 minute of questions by the exam committee in private. The proposal should include a detailed explanation for how it proposes to address the open questions and preferably include preliminary results. The topic of the RPE will be chosen by the graduate student's research adviser and will not necessarily be the student's ultimate thesis topic. The questions will not be restricted to RPE topic but will also require the student to demonstrate some breadth. The examination will be evaluated by a committee prepared by the student’s doctoral thesis adviser and will consist of at least two additional department faculty. The student will have at most two opportunities to pass this exam. Those who do not pass the RPE on the first try must make a second attempt within six months of this time. Students will not advance to Ph.D. candidacy without passing the RPE, and after two unsuccessful attempts will not receive additional TA support from the department.

Thesis Defense

Upon the student's passing performance of the RPE, the student and their advisor, in consultation with the Chairperson, shall establish a doctoral thesis committee consisting of the student’s adviser who will chair the committee and at least three tenure track faculty members, with at least two from the physics department. The committee will read and evaluate the completed thesis and conduct an open meeting at which the thesis is defended in an oral examination. The thesis is accepted when endorsed on the official title page by the Doctoral Thesis Committee after the oral examination.

Master of Science in Physics (MS)

Students who are accepted into our Ph.D. program have the option to obtain a Master’s degree. Interested students should fill out the Master's Degree option form and will need to complete the requirements listed below.

• Achieve a Master’s passing score on the comprehensive exam
• Other Electives offered periodically by the department
• A Master’s Thesis to be submitted to and approved by the Graduate Program Director (counts as two courses)

Master of Science in Teaching

The Master of Science in Teaching (M.S.T.) degree is administered through the Lynch Graduate School of Education in cooperation with the Department of Physics. It requires admission to both the Lynch School of Education and to the Department of Physics. This program requires at least fifteen (15) credits from graduate or upper division undergraduate courses in physics. These credits will most often include two of the following courses: PHYS7711, PHYS7721, PHYS7732, PHYS7741.

All Master's programs leading to certification in secondary education include practical experiences in addition to course work. Students seeking certification in Massachusetts are required to pass the Massachusetts Educators Certification Test. The M.S.T. qualifying examination in physics will be based on the student's actual course program. A research paper supervised by a full­-time member of the graduate faculty is required. For further information on the M.S.T., please refer to the Lynch School of Education section entitled " Master of Education (M.Ed./M.A.T./M.S.T./C.A.E.S) in Secondary Education " or call the Office of Graduate Admissions, LSOE, at (617) 552­-4214.

To continue enrollment as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Physics, students must maintain acceptable levels of performance and progress towards their degree in all three aspects of their graduate work: courses, teaching and research duties. A student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) consistent with the policies of the Graduate School of the MCA&S . In addition, students should be on track to complete all of their required courses by the end of their third year, consistent with the requirements that Ph.D. students should also be making progress towards passing the Comprehensive and Research Proposal Exams according to the time-line provided by the department . Students must perform all of their assigned duties satisfactorily as a teaching or research assistant. The duties are defined by their teaching and/or research supervisor(s) in accord with the assigned hours. This includes making timely progress to graduation by the end of their sixth year in the program, as determined by the thesis adviser. During their meetings with their academic adviser, the Academic Standing of the advisee should be discussed at least once an academic year. Students in jeopardy of losing their status of good academic standing shall receive notification in writing, with a follow up meeting scheduled within one month. A time-line for improvement and consequences will be clearly stated in the letter.

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Master of Arts in Communication

Currently accepting applications.

Apply by 08/14/23 | Start Class 08/21/23

The Objectives of the Master of Arts in Communication Program are:

• To produce graduates who are skilled communicators—written, oral, and computer-mediated—and who can apply those skills for real solutions
• To equip students with analytical and practical tools to gather information and apply those discoveries in professional and academic settings
• To encourage students to use information and theories as logical problem solvers, effective leaders, and successful team members

Real-World Topics in USI’s Communication Master’s Degrees

Communication is fundamental to all areas of human endeavor. Our master of arts in communication allows you to apply your leadership and problem-solving skills to many pressing concerns. We teach you critical, cultural, and social scientific approaches to communications practice. Our courses in communication your knowledge of communications processes, contexts, theories, and research methodologies to further your career and educational goals.

Communication master’s degrees give you the tools to explore today’s problems from diverse perspectives and help organizations solve them. Understand the human and mass communication factors that shape whatever field or issue you’re passionate about by earning your media and communication degree from USI.

We offer communication master’s degrees that are convenient for working students with varied schedules — online and evening courses in communication make it easy for you to fit your study into your professional and personal life.

Pick Your Final Project: Thesis, Capstone, or Non-Thesis Options

We offer three options for communication master’s degrees culminating experiences. You can choose a hands-on capstone project to connect your learning with a real-life problem and provide a service to the community. If you are considering an academic career, you can pursue the thesis option, which gives you research experience as you work alongside our well-published faculty members. You can take the communication master’s degree comprehensive exam to complete the non-thesis option for the program.

Working with faculty to design a curriculum for your media and communication degree allows you to explore your interests, let your talents take you in new directions, and build upon your strengths. We take the time to work with each student pursuing our Master of Arts in communication to find the best balance of classes, schedule, and concluding experience for your career growth.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Media and Communication Degree?

USI graduates with communication master’s degrees advance in their careers with promotions and salary increases. We are proud to see our graduates accomplish their goals and achieve their dreams in positions such as:

• Marketing communications manager
• Media and public relations director
• Strategic communications specialist
• Director of community relations
• Political speech writer
• Social media strategist
• Donor relations manager
• College professor
• Health communications specialist

Salaries for graduates with a Master of Arts in communication vary by industry. For example, those working in sectors such as corporate marketing, public relations, or communications can command higher salaries than those who choose to work in community or nonprofit organizations.

Our communication master’s degree students have gone to doctoral and postgraduate programs in communications or related fields. In addition, graduates who take the advanced instructional communications certificate can teach dual credit courses in Indiana.

“ The Master of Arts in communication program allowed me to gain insight into the academic side of communication, which I use in my current role. Through the support of my peers and dedicated faculty, I now have a diverse skill set in communication that will continually lead me to growth, personally and professionally. ”

Kaylee Johnson, Master of Arts in Communication Graduate ’22

Media Relations Specialist, University of Southern Indiana

Get Started on Your Master of Arts in Communication

Take the next step on your journey at the University of Southern Indiana. We’re here to help you get started on your degree.

Programs Related to Communication Master’s Degrees

• College of Liberal Arts
• Communication and Media
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Master’s Programs

The MFA in Graphic Design prepares you for professional practice by emphasizing the roles of social context, media and aesthetics in the production of visible language systems.It encourages a nimble and intelligent response to constant change and burgeoning technology, while building a strong foundation of formal, aesthetic and analytical knowledge.

MFA candidates choose between two program tracks: a two-year option for students entering with undergraduate degrees in graphic design or other visual communication, and a three-year option for those with degrees in liberal arts, the sciences or fine arts. Both options allow you to tailor individual courses of study through cross-disciplinary electives.

Two-year curriculum

MFA candidates with a BFA or BA in Graphic Design or an equivalent degree such as Visual Communications enroll in the two-year program. Designed for students who also have professional experience in the field, the program offers a sustained and intensive investigation of critical graphic design thinking and making.

The  Graduate Studio  sequence explores the range of skills and activities within the design process, from an initial visual/verbal response to content, to the narrative shaping and communication of messages. In the  Graduate Seminar  sequence, you gain a sophisticated sense of context through discussion of design history and contemporary critical issues, and develop your own approach to exploring, investigating and constructing a well-designed thesis.

Wintersession

Second year, wintesession, three-year curriculum.

For those with the visual/verbal aptitude to enter the field but who hold undergraduate degrees in loosely or unrelated majors need a foundational year of study to gain skills in typography, color, theory, image and design application to move on to a thesis investigation. After completing the first year, your studies merge with the largely open curriculum enjoyed by two-year track candidates.

Learning outcomes

Graduates are prepared to:

• interrogate the use of contemporary and historical tools, software and theory while contributing innovative and critical formal responses to the field of graphic design.
• produce visual form as proof of concept and demonstration of theory.
• contribute, evaluate and critique visual communication work at an advanced strategic level.
• participate effectively in a professional graphic design studio environment.
• initiate an individual or collaborative studio practice.
• convey their expertise through teaching and/or mentoring.
• curate exhibitions of their work and that of others.
• conduct original research and convey it through appropriate modes of writing, publishing, curating and/or exhibiting.

Graduate student work

Boyang Xia MFA 2019

Elizabeth Leeper MFA 2018

June Shin MFA 2017

Drew Litowitz MFA 2018

Marie Otsuka MFA 2018

Minryung Son MFA 2017

Cem Eskinazi MFA 2017

Inspiring community

Each year approximately 40 highly motivated and engaged graduate students at various stages in the program work together, supporting one another through open discussion and an exchange of perspectives. The department's accomplished faculty extend the energy and ideas students bring to the studio and foster generative thinking and making. In addition, visiting designers offer varied models for critical practice and introduce you to a range of resources in the larger design world.

Learning environment

Graduate students in Graphic Design share individual workspaces in a large design studio on the fifth floor of RISD's Center for Integrative Technologies (CIT), home to several graduate programs along with the campus-wide graduate student gallery.

The CIT allows for ready interaction with grad students in Digital + Media, Teaching + Learning in Art + Design, Interior Architecture and Textiles. It is also adjacent to the Fletcher Building, which offers graduate studio space for MFA candidates in five fine arts programs.

Thesis project

Individual thesis investigation is central to the final year of MFA study, culminating in work that represents your original voice for visual and verbal expression of design thinking. The thesis should be equal parts exploration, explanation, provocation and contribution.

Guest critics participate throughout the year and in the year-end thesis review, which offers a forum for critical dialogue focused on your contribution to the field of graphic design. All MFA candidates also submit a written thesis and participate in the annual graduate thesis exhibition, a large-scale public show of work by graduating advanced-degree students.

Application requirements

Application form.

Submit your RISD application form, and all other credentials, through the  RISD Applicant Portal . The application fee is $60.

Academic transcripts

Initially, you must provide unofficial transcripts of all undergraduate and/or graduate study indicating satisfactory completion, or evidence of anticipated completion, of an undergraduate degree program from an accredited college or university. You can upload your unofficial transcripts within the RISD Applicant Portal. If your academic credentials are prepared in a language other than English, they must be translated into English by an approved translator before submitting.  Enrolling students will later be required to submit official transcripts.

Graduate applicants to studio programs are required to submit 10–20 examples of visual work, with certain programs suggesting more specific ideas or portfolio requirements.

Use SlideRoom to submit your graduate portfolio  here .

Specific program instructions:

Digital + Media:  Your portfolio should contain 10 samples total, which can be a combination of media (e.g., images, video, sound). You may submit up to five videos as project documentation or excerpts of time-based media. In your portfolio you are encouraged to submit at least one video that clearly demonstrates your research and/or work process. Total runtime for all videos should be no more than five minutes.

Please do not submit multi-page PDF files. Each sample should be accompanied by text identifying the medium and year, and a four-sentence description explaining the concepts that inform your work (50 words maximum). If collaborative projects are presented, you must clearly identify your individual contribution.

Furniture Design:  In the MFA programs, students often make their own work as a means to understand complex ideas. The idea is that critical making combined with critical thinking leads to innovative objects. This experimental approach applies to tests and models as well as to full-size objects at human scale. Material experimentation includes traditional, new and hybrid materials as appropriate to individual student interest. Choose your strongest work for your portfolio presentation—and it doesn't necessarily have to be furniture. If possible, you should aim to show finished photographed work and minimize the number of process images you include. ​

In addition to your portfolio materials uploaded to SlideRoom, we ask you to include a self-made video (no more than 20 seconds duration) of you making something. The committee is not looking for video with professional production values, but rather is interested in seeing you making something: small, large, modest or complex, any making action can work—the choice is yours. This option shows the committee more about your interests. Please title your video.​

Jewelry + Metalsmithing (J+M):  J+M prefers that you upload each page of your portfolio as a high-resolution .jpg file. Your portfolio should be 10–15 pages that illustrate your technical skills, material knowledge and conceptual interests. Images of work worn on or interacting with a body are highly encouraged.

Please include detail images when relevant. If you would like to include images of your design development process (drawings, renderings, models and technical process), please limit this to a single page. Do not put more than three images on any single page of the portfolio.

In describing images included in your portfolio, please include title, materials and dimensions of the work. You can add other important contextual information when uploading your files in Slideroom.

Landscape Architecture:  All applicants to the Master's of Landscape Architecture degree programs are required to submit a portfolio  and an additional video essay . Your portfolio should contain 10 individually produced and carefully chosen images of work that reflects your interests in landscape and the discipline of landscape architecture. Applicants to the MLA-1 program who have no prior design training may include photographs, sketches or written work that conveys their ability to observe, identify and explore spatial conditions within the landscape. All other applicants should include a selection of work that best represents the development of their interest in this field of study. All work should be labeled to indicate if it is academic, professional or personal. If team projects are presented, your individual contribution must be clearly identified. The portfolio should include a minimal amount of text.

Prepare a short video of yourself telling us:

• The most important reason you are motivated to study landscape architecture 
• At least one goal you hope to achieve in your graduate education 
• Why you think RISD is the best place to achieve your goals

You are encouraged to be authentic and heartfelt in your response. This essay will function as the beginning of a conversation you will continue to have if you enter the program at RISD and it does not have to be the same information provided in your written essay. Cell phone videos are accepted as well. Maximum length: 2 minutes.

Master of Arts in Teaching:  Your portfolio should consist of 20 images exhibiting the depth and breadth of your studio experience. Ten images should represent work that reflects your investigations within a single medium; seven images should represent your confidence in handling a variety of media; and three images need to be samples of drawings.

Master of Arts in Art + Design Education:  Submit a portfolio of 20 images that most clearly represent your creative practice as an artist or designer.

Statement of purpose

Graduate applicants must submit a written statement (500–750 words) outlining their interest and goals in pursuing graduate study. Several programs suggest more specific ideas or written requirements as outlined below.

Architecture: Submit a 500–750 word statement that addresses the following questions:

• ​How did your interest in architecture develop and how is this development reflected in your portfolio?
• What topics do you wish to explore during your graduate studies? What outcomes do you hope to obtain with an MArch degree?
• How will RISD’s Architecture department specifically support your pursuit of these goals?

Digital + Media:  Within the statement of purpose, the committee seeks a clear explanation of the applicant’s goals for both their time in school and afterwards, and how the MFA in Digital + Media is specifically suited to support these goals. This statement should address the following questions: What are you interested in exploring conceptually? What outcomes do you hope to get from the degree? Where do you see yourself after graduation? In addition to the statement of purpose, applicants should outline their working methodology or practice from initial research to project realization.

Global Arts and Cultures:  Applicants to the master’s program in Global Arts and Cultures must submit an academic statement of purpose of 1,000–2,000 words. The object of your statement is to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee as a thinker, scholar and writer, and you should address in detail your intellectual interests and proposed topic(s) of graduate study.

Be as specific as possible in describing your prior college-level experience in areas encompassed by Global Arts and Cultures and how this work has contributed to your professional and personal goals in pursuing a master’s degree. Your statement should also reflect your understanding of the contours and demands of graduate study in Global Arts and Cultures at RISD.

Illustration:  In 750–1500 words, please describe how you hope to engage your values as a critical thinker and maker within the context of your illustration studio practice and as a citizen of the world. Your statement should also reflect your understanding of the Illustration MFA course of study and what you hope to gain by completing the program.

Jewelry + Metalsmithing: In 750 words or less, please address the following:

• How did you arrive at jewelry and/or body-related objects as a format of artistic expression? If your background is grounded in another discipline, please describe how your training will support your success in the Jewelry + Metalsmithing MFA program.
• What are the specific. strengths and distinct capacities of jewelry and body-related objects and how does the work in your portfolio capitalize on these qualities?
• What are the current material, technical and conceptual interests that motivate your practice?
• What specifically about Jewelry + Metalsmithing at RISD interests you? How do you think joining the program will support your artistic and professional goals?

Supplemental J+M writing prompt (250 words or fewer): RISD is a community of determined and engaged makers. This common bond invigorates our campus. The backgrounds, lived experiences and curiosities of our students deeply enrich our community. Describe an aspect of your background or life experience that defines who you are. How has this influenced your creative process?

Landscape Architecture:  Your essay should describe how your interest in landscape developed, how the work in your portfolio is indicative of that development and why the landscape architecture program at RISD seems well suited to your goals.

Supplemental writing prompt (500 words or fewer): RISD is a community of determined and engaged makers. This common bond invigorates our campus. The backgrounds, lived experiences and curiosities of our students deeply enrich our community. Describe an aspect of your background or life experience that defines who you are. How has this influenced your creative process?

Master of Arts in Teaching:  Submit a statement (500–700 words) describing why you desire to become a K-12 art educator and to enter the TLAD MAT program specifically. Please be sure to address the following questions within your statement:

• Why do you want to become an art educator and enter the TLAD MAT program specifically?
• How do you feel your academic, studio, and work experiences have prepared you for RISD’s graduate program in art teacher education? 
• How will your own identity as an artist/designer contribute to your practice as an art educator in the classroom?
• What, in your opinion, is the purpose of art education in K-12 schools?
• What do you believe high-quality K-12 art education looks like?

Master of Arts in Art + Design Education:  Submit a written statement (500-750 words) describing your interest in art and design education and your desire to enter the TLAD MA program specifically. Please be sure to address the following questions within your statement:

• Why do you want to become an art educator and enter the TLAD MA program specifically (especially as opposed to a MFA program)?
• What are your specific interests related to art and design education?
• How might these specific interests contribute to the thesis research you would engage in within this program? 
• Our MA program is unique in that students customize a program of study. How you would customize your MA program to maximize the resources of RISD, Brown and Providence,  and  that would support your potential research interests at the same time?
• How do you imagine the MA will support your future goals and interests after graduation (i.e., where do you see yourself in the future and how will the MA help)?

Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies:  Applicants to the master’s in Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies must submit an academic statement of purpose of 1,000–2,000 words. The object of your statement is to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee as a thinker, scholar and writer, and you should address in detail your intellectual interests and proposed topic(s) of graduate study.

You should be as specific as possible in describing your prior college-level experience in the areas of Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies and how this work has contributed to your professional and personal goals in pursuing a master’s degree. Your statement should also reflect your understanding of the contours and demands of graduate study in Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies at RISD.

Photography:  Provide a clearly written statement of purpose (max. 750 words) explaining why you need to attend graduate school now, why you want to attend RISD specifically, and what you believe that you and your practice needs that RISD and its community can offer.

Also provide a clearly written, accessible artist’s statement (max. 750 words)   that elucidates the work you’ve included in your submitted portfolio, its aims, forms, development, trajectory, possibilities, meanings and relevance as you construe these things. Tell us what you’re doing—and tell us how and why.

Textiles: In addition to a 500–750 word statement of purpose, address the following supplemental writing prompt in 500 or fewer words:

RISD is a community of determined and engaged makers. This common bond invigorates our campus. The backgrounds, lived experiences and curiosities of our students deeply enrich our community. Describe an aspect of your background or life experience that defines who you are. How has this influenced your creative process?

Writing sample

Applicants to the MA programs in Global Arts and Cultures and Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies are required to submit an example of critical and/or analytical writing. See below for all program-specific instructions.

Global Arts and Cultures:  Applicants are required to submit a writing sample that represents your strongest critical and/or analytical writing on a topic clearly related to Global Arts and Cultures. Please indicated if your writing sample is excerpted from a longer work. If it is, please make sure it forms a coherent argument and is framed such that the Admissions Committee understands its function as part of a longer work.

Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies:  Applicants are required to submit a writing sample that represents your strongest critical and/or analytical writing on a topic clearly related to Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies. Please indicated if your writing sample is excerpted from a longer work. If it is, please make sure it forms a coherent argument and is framed such that the Admissions Committee understands its function as part of a longer work.

Letters of recommendation

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should be written by teachers or other professionals who have firsthand knowledge of your art or academic achievements and can comment on your potential for graduate study. You may invite your recommenders to upload their letters through your Applicant Portal. If your recommenders are unable to submit using this method, their letters may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to the Graduate Admissions Office.

English language proficiency test

All applicants who speak English as a second language, including US citizens, must submit results from any one of these three options:  TOEFL  (Test of English as a Foreign Language),  IELTS  (International English Language Testing System) or  Duolingo  (an online English test). Since proficiency in English is a prerequisite for acceptance, applicants must attain an acceptable score on their chosen test; RISD requires a minimum result of 93 on the TOEFL or a 6.5 on the IELTS.

Duolingo is changing its scoring system beginning with tests completed on July 15, 2019 and beyond. If you took this test prior to the change, we require a minimum result of 63. Applicants who completed the Duolingo test on or after July 15, 2019 must achieve a minimum score of 115, which is the equivalent of 63 in their prior scoring system.

Plan to take the TOEFL or IELTS well in advance of the application deadline since it may take three weeks for your scores to be sent to RISD by the test agency. Duolingo test results may take up to four days to be received by RISD.

The language test requirement may be waived for applicants who have studied in an institution where English is the language of instruction. You must contact the Admissions Office to explain your school history and determine if you are eligible.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

Results from the Graduate Record Examination are  not  required as part of the application process.

Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement, and Writing Sample

Details about submitting a statement of purpose, personal statement, and a writing sample as part of your degree program application

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Statement of Purpose 

The statement of purpose is very important to programs when deciding whether to admit a candidate. Your statement should be focused, informative, and convey your research interests and qualifications. You should describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen degree program, noting the experiences that shaped your research ambitions, indicating briefly your career objectives, and concisely stating your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Your degree program of interest may have specific guidance or requirements for the statement of purpose, so be sure to review the degree program page for more information. Unless otherwise noted, your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. 

Personal Statement

A core part of the Harvard Griffin GSAS mission is to identify and attract the most promising students to form a dynamic and diverse community. We are committed to educating individuals who reflect the growing diversity of perspectives and life experiences represented in society today and who will contribute to our commitment to sustain a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment. Please share how your experiences or activities will advance our mission and commitment. Your statement should be no longer than 500 words.

Writing Sample 

Please visit Degree Programs and navigate to your degree program of interest to determine if a writing sample is required. When preparing your writing sample, be sure to follow program requirements, which may include format, topic, or length. 

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