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Master of Graphic & Experience Design

Take a leadership position in user experience and user interface design (UX/UI) at a software company or design consultancy. Or become a faculty member at a research university.

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Overview

The Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) moves students toward a deeper knowledge of graphic and experience design through purposeful, individually driven design practice. Inquiry into contemporary and emergent design issues prepares graduates for leadership positions in user experience and user interface design (UX/UI), with expertise in research, data visualization, digital typography, and artificial intelligence. Successful completion of the MGXD results in a terminal degree, equivalent to the MFA, and qualifies graduates to teach at the university level or to pursue a PhD in Design. We are one of the few programs in the U.S. with STEM Classification (CIP).

The NC State Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) is consistently recognized as one of the top NASAD accredited graduate graphic and experience design programs in the country. The faculty is nationally and internationally recognized (see Faculty at a Glance). Alumni are designers in enterprise-level software companies and leading design consultancies (such as IBM, RedHat, Lenovo, Adobe, IDEO, Fjord), as well as, faculty members in colleges and universities (including University of Washington, Pratt Institute, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan).

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Admissions Information

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MGXD: Master of Graphic & Experience Design Program (Two Year)

Have you earned a BFA or equivalent in graphic design and worked in visual communication, interaction design, or other related design fields? Or are you a practicing designer who wants to pursue a full-time faculty position? We created the MGXD program for you.

Through graduate studios, seminars, and workshops, students delve into histories, design-related theories, and human-centered research methods relevant to current and emerging practices. They investigate questions individually and collaboratively around design and technology through research, making (visualizations, visual diagrams, and functioning prototypes), discussion, and critique. Students develop a body of UX/UI work while routinely participating in collaborative projects with industry leaders such as IBM, Redhat, and SAS, and research leaders such as the NC State Laboratory for Analytic Sciences or the Institute of Emerging Issues.

MGXD II Curriculum
MGXD student looking at computer presentation

MGXD: Master of Graphic & Experience Design Program (Three Year)

Do you have a degree in another field but a deep interest and some experience in design? Or have you earned a BA with a graphic design concentration and wish to advance further? We created the MGXD III program for you.

Our students have the option to enroll in two semesters of specialized coursework prior to matriculating into the MGXD II program. In other words, students complete 2 semesters as MGXD III students and then 4 semesters in the core MGXD program to complete their degree. Through a combination of studio-based courses, seminars, and workshops, the curriculum introduces students to fundamental design principles. Additional courses focus on subjects such as emerging technologies, interaction, typography, and design theory/history.

MGXD III Curriculum
Students presenting work

MGXD Studio Projects

Three students with laptops working around a table.

MGXD Students Partner with Intelligence Analysts to Reimagine How We Track Data Across the Globe

What happens when design students tackle the same challenges facing national security analysts? Our Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) students recently found out when they partnered with the NC State Laboratory of Analytic Sciences (LAS) to design AI-powered tools for intelligence professionals.

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Two young woman writing on post-it notes and attached them to a large sheet of paper

How Will Families Transfer Wealth and Knowledge in 2030? GXD & MGXD Students Have Ideas

What if AI could help families pass down crucial financial insights between one generation and the next? That’s the challenge NC State Graphic & Experience Design students tackled when they partnered with the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT) to reimagine one of life’s most consequential moments: transferring knowledge and wealth between generations.

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A student photographs the projection of the earth for use in their studio project.

Bringing Visualization to Education: Designing an Out-of-This-World Museum Experience

Olga Njai, a student in the Master of Graphic & Experience Design program, is an experienced graphic designer. But her first studio in the program presented a challenge unlike any other she’d taken on before. The instructor, Associate Professor Deborah Littlejohn, tasked Njai and her classmates with creating a visual data story on the topic of their choice for the Durham Museum of Life and Science using NOAA’s Science on A Sphere display.

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Two female students working on a large sketch and a laptop in a studio with colorful chairs

Mission Possible: MGXD Students Redesign Intelligence Work

What happens when graduate design students dive into the classified world of intelligence analysis? Our Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) students recently found out, partnering with NC State’s Laboratory of Analytic Sciences (LAS) to reimagine how analysts work with voice data and artificial intelligence.

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