MICA’s M.A. in Social Design (MASD) is uniquely positioned within the Center for Social Design, an interdisciplinary Center dedicated to demonstrating and promoting the value of design in advancing equity and social justice, and to inspiring and preparing the next generation of creative changemakers.

The Center expands upon MICA's pioneering work in social design since 2007, bringing together our four key social design initiatives: our MASD graduate program, our award-winning practice-based studios, our fellowship programs, and our multi-year impact initiatives.

Students enrolled in the program have the opportunity to be exposed to and participate in a variety of initiatives within the Center with community partners working across diverse contexts, disciplines, and themes. 

Program Overview

MICA’s M.A. in Social Design is a 1-year, interdisciplinary graduate program that explores the designer’s role and responsibility in society, challenges conventional ways of thinking, facilitates new institutional collaborations, utilizes design and the design process to bring about social change, and strives to create contexts in which ideas can be sustained.

The program offers a human-centered, experiential, creative, and optimistic approach to understanding and addressing the challenges facing society. The program delivers its content through a variety of curricular and project-based learning opportunities in conjunction with visiting faculty and scholars from different disciplines and backgrounds. Students are challenged to understand the social, cultural, political, and economic factors surrounding social issues and are encouraged to work towards tangible solutions in collaboration with other institutions, organizations, and community members. 

Who Should Apply

An ideal candidate for the M.A. in Social Design would be a professional, practitioner, or recent graduate who:

• believes design and the design process can, and should, play a role in creating positive change;
• can offer a unique perspective to the program;
• is prepared for a collaborative, immersive, hands-on graduate experience;
• is excited about and able to work collaboratively with different disciplines, knowledge bases, and points of view;
• is interested in developing and cultivating a personal point of view and approach to social design;
• has worked or studied in a relevant field including (but not limited to), design, architecture, business, writing, anthropology, sociology, public health, fine arts, engineering, environmental studies, non-profit, and more.

Laptop Requirement

Students in MICA's M.A. in Social Design are required to provide a laptop for their studies. Due to the extensive community engagement and project/field work outside the institution, the mobility of a laptop will be essential to the program and experience.