"Non-traditional" Graphic Design: 3yr MFA or 2nd BFA?

[einnej]

I know users on this site are probably kinda light right now since admissions seasons hasn't quite started yet.. but for those who are here, I hope I can get some opinions on this!

This debate has been going on in my head for some time now, as I guess I can call myself a "non-traditional design student" --my undergrad degree was in biology but I've always had a thing for the arts and design.. took art classes from middle-high school, took graphic design & AP art in high school (did fairly well), had a portfolio and actually thought about going to art school for UG but was told by my parents otherwise. So I've been out of undergrad for half a year now with a degree I'm pretty apathetic about and have decided to follow my passion and shift career goals to graphic design.

I'm starting to take some extension design courses in my area and really enjoy them, in addition I'm doing some small bits of design work for a small company.. but in general, no solid experience nor honed in skills. I've been looking at a lot of design blogs, reading design books, etc. just to immerse myself in design thinking/culture, and its pretty much all I think about now. I bring a sketchbook around and enjoy drawing random things, drawing type a lot, etc. I've been an avid film photographer for many years, so I'm thinking of putting the two together to create some sort of photo-design project.

Anyhow, my options now are to put together a portfolio to apply as a transfer student for a 2nd BFA, or to a 3yr MFA program such as the one offered at RISD or CalArts, as far as I know, those are the only schools with specific 3yr programs for people without a graphic design BFA, so my options for applying to MFA programs are severely limited. It seems like for most traditional 2yr MFA/GD programs, its expected the students come in with a solid background and GD BFA, so I'm out of luck on that. At the moment, RISD's program sounds most ideal and not to mention they're amazing, but them accepting me? ...sigh I can only dream and hope.

If I were to go the 2nd BFA route, I'd have more schools available to apply to but the scheduling of the sequential classes might not work out so nicely time-wise and I'd be in school for another four years (I was told that by CCA that it would probably take that long, not making it up!) that was quite a turn-off, and considering how much debt I'll be getting into.. I figured might as well make it a master's degree? What are you guys' thinking on this? I know for graphic design, an MFA is not really necessary unless you want to teach, but I like the idea of getting an MFA for personal academic pursuits, potential for more leadership and art direction roles, and also to develop more of a "how to think" and problem solve perspective as well --please correct me if I'm wrong in understanding this. I'm not sure if I'd like to teach, its not a complete no, but at the moment, its not a priority.

I don't want to just learn how to use some softwares and call it a day, I really want to be good. I've been told for as long as I can remember to have artistic tendencies, "a good eye for things" and bottom line is I LOVE this stuff. Lately I've also been dealing a lot with self doubt and fears of failing, which is hard, because as a creative I think you're always hard on yourself. My portfolio is currently nonexistent (I have a lot of photography that I can pull a few from, but need to work on other mediums), and I'm having serious doubts about being ready to apply this year for Fall 2010. I don't want to rush and put together a half-assed application (and not to mention waste money), but at the same time, 2012 would seem so far away.. but then I'll have time to gather myself. My mind has been so restless on this topic... any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated!! sorry this turned out so long.

Edited August 4, 2010 by einnej

[evillr]

We're here - it's never too early to start obsessing!

I'm short on time today, so I'll try to quickly run through your concerns...

BFA:

As you seem to have discovered, if your first degree is in Biology, almost none of it really applies (credit-wise) to graphic design. That's not to say the Biology knowledge isn't useful, it's just that it has little equivalence in art school. Check out the curriculum of any BFA programs you're considering, especially private schools; the classes are probably unlike anything you've taken previously.

3-year MFA:

There's also Yale. If you consider RISD and CalArts attainable, you might want to consider Yale, too. Caveat: there's a general way of thinking (and to a lesser extent, a general aesthetic - especially with Yale and CalArts) associated with each of these schools. Look into the work, not to see if it "looks like yours", but to find out what you may have in common with the program more broadly (whether conceptually, formally or...). Ideally you'd figure out what you want out of school, then go find the place that could potentially meet those requirements.

It sounds like you might be leaning toward an MFA partially because it will take less time; I think that's a (somewhat) valid consideration, but "might as well make it a master's degree" is (as you probably know) not anything to advertise as a reason for applying to a graduate program. In the end, a BFA and an MFA are completely different animals, and the difference in an extra year of tuition will be nothing compared to the difference in experience. Each will be superior for different reasons to different people, so it's not a matter of getting more for your money, but of figuring out where your thinking is now and where you want it to be in three or four years. You mentioned wanting an MFA to learn "how to think" and "problem solve", but to me these questions seem firmly in BFA territory. An MFA program will likely involve deconstructing the questions themselves after you've already answered them. I hope that makes sense.

You're absolutely right that you don't need school to learn software. You can teach yourself almost any of it (now, during or after school). It's absolutely necessary in one sense, but in another it's almost irrelevant to the task (knowing AutoCAD is great, but it doesn't make you an architect).

General advice:

If at all possible, talk to some people in the profession (whose work you respect, so you know where they're coming from) about your potential and current state of development; I don't like to generalize here (we're all individuals, after all), but I think it's safe to assume that the opinion of one or two practicing designers is infinitely more valuable than any amount of praise from friends, family or people only tangentially related to graphic design (you really have to take that kind of feedback with a grain of salt - use it for encouragement when you need to, but don't treat it as an objective evaluation of your capability). If said respected designers think your work is good or shows promise, ask them where they think you are on the BFA-MFA spectrum - try to have a conversation with them about your intentions, interests, reasons for going back to school, etc.

I also recommend reading as much as you can, not of the "100 Best Book Designs" or "Logo Design 2010" variety, but by or about designers. "Must read" lists are often problematic (again, we're all individuals), but after you have a handful of recommendations from people you respect – and hence with interests ostensibly similar to your own - you can cross-reference and get a great group of entry points for further exploration.

I hope this is helpful and not too dense. Let us know what you decide or if you have any more questions. Best of luck!

[SQFunkis]

I've come across a number of schools offering post-baccalaureate certificate programs in the art/design spectrum, which might be another option for you. They seem to be mostly in the 1-2 year range, and focus heavily on portfolio development and preparation for MFA admission. It looks like that kind of program could be worthwhile for someone working towards the MFA from another discipline, especially if you already have a substantial portfolio and some experience in the field. I ended up going for a second bachelor's instead, so I can't give any first-hand information on any post-bac. programs, but it could be worth checking out.

[einnej]

@evillr, thanks for your detailed response, I really appreciate your thoughts. Its been a few weeks now since I'd posted the question, and I'm still at a point of confusion between the two. I'm starting to doubt my readiness for applying for an MFA program, yet I'm really not convinced I want to re-do an entire BFA, given that I've taken practically no studio art classes that are transferrable. I'm also unsure of how I feel about going through an undergrad program with 18 year olds fresh out of high school.. but I might be jumping to conclusions there. I guess what I really want to learn are the foundations to becoming a designer (BFA material), learn under a faculty of working professionals, hone in on my skills and develop my own style, but in a more structured way with other people who are serious about it.. which sounds quite a lot like a post-bac program (mentioned by SQFunkis).. so this could be another option, where I go through a post-bac program like this at an art school, then perhaps work for a few years, and then reapply for an MFA program.

@SQFunkis, I actually just looked into some post-bac programs, in particular SAIC's visual com program. Do you know anything about it perhaps? It seems like successful completion of that one year program makes you a much more competitive MFA candidate since the portfolio you're building is going to be a lot stronger, hopefully. may I ask, how is your second bachelors going? Are you coming from a completely different undergrad degree or something art-related?