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.
Follow the MGXD Program on Instagram
how we feel before critique: 🥵 vs. how we feel after: 🥳. congrats MGD III’s!
MGD alum Scott Reinhard returned to share his experience as a cartographer at the New York Times.
After entering the program from a museum and book graphic design work background, Scott found a passion for cartography and graphically displaying GIS data.
Scotts personal work: https://scottreinhardmaps.com
our Wednesday wish? to be back at @uxyall.
for now, we’ll be reminiscing on some of our favorite parts of this year’s conference! #uxdesign #mgd
Day two speakers from all walks of the UX universe
A look back at UX Y'all Conference day one, amazing to connect with UXers across the industry
Many thanks to alum Jessye Holmgren-Sidell for leading a great design process workshop at MGD Retreat!
MGD Retreat 2022!
Prof Helen Armstrong will speak about design and A.I. at this year's UX Y'all Conference in Raleigh. All our students are attending the conference this year in support of our local UX/UI community.
First day of the semester. Studios and seminars begin.
Another semester begins! Here we go MGD. Excited to welcome incoming and returning.
Inside every designer there's a scientist waiting to get out. Our fall studio will be visualizing climate data for the Southeastern Climate Adaptation Science Center this fall. Calling on all incoming MGDs! get ready to channel your inner scientist!
Congrats to MGD students presenting at the SCADs conference today! Liz, Amanda, Jacob, Jeff—Jillian is popping up on the other side of podium.
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.
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 and one of the few with STEM Classification (CIP). 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).
See work from the MGXD Studio:
MGXD II: Two-year Master of Graphic & Experience Design Program
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 II 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. Students investigate questions individually and collaboratively around design and technology through research, making (visualizations, visual diagrams, and functioning prototypes), discussion, and critique. Students can also take advantage of NC State or our affiliate universities, Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill, by enrolling in electives.
During their time in the MGXD program, students develop a body of UX/UI work. Browse our students’ recent investigations, which cover a range of topics including speculative design, inclusive design, and augmented reality. They routinely participate 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.
This work positions students to identify a design investigation in the final year. For this culminating project, students comprehensively research an area of interest, create studies and prototypes, document findings, and present the project in a public forum. Browse recent final project documents, or follow us on Instagram to see what students are thinking and doing right now.
For curriculum display, visit MGXD II courses and curriculum page.
MGD III: Three-year Master of Graphic & Experience Design Program
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.
MGXD III students enroll in two semesters of specialized coursework prior to matriculating into the MGXD II program. 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.
For curriculum display, visit MGXD III courses and curriculum page.
