Graduate Dual Degrees
Dual degrees at CCA combine the coursework of two full graduate degrees and shouldn’t be considered as hybrid or blended programs.
Overview
Earn two graduate degrees in three years
Double down on your creative practice
We believe intellectual curiosity, academic rigor, and creative ambition enrich and invigorate one another. Thus, our dual degrees fully integrate two separate programs into three years of coursework so you can concurrently pursue complementary master’s degrees. We offer three options:
- MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Fine Arts
- MA in Visual & Critical Studies and MFA in Writing
- MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design
Dual degrees at CCA integrate the coursework of two distinct graduate degrees and shouldn’t be considered as hybrid or blended programs. You are required to complete the specific course plan of the dual degree option you have chosen.
Options
Pursue an interdisciplinary practice
MA in Visual & Critical Studies combinations
The MA in Visual and Critical Studies program offers a unique opportunity to concurrently pursue a second degree. Students may choose to add one of the following creative practices:
Each dual degree prepares you to integrate thinking, writing, and studio practices. You’ll acquire critical skills, such as advanced historiography and visual analysis, as you build a writing portfolio that analyzes art within multiple contexts.
You’ll hone your research and communication skills through the development of a master’s thesis. The thesis process involves collaborative exchange through group critiques, a symposium presentation, and professional publication.
You are required to complete the designated coursework in both Visual and Critical Studies and the second degree program. By the end of the three-year curriculum, you’ll receive both degrees and graduate ready to enter competitive postgraduate arenas.
Download course guides
The following course guides are recommended paths toward graduation:
MBA in Design Strategy and MFA in Design
This dual-degree program prepares students to translate their design vision and market opportunities into a compelling product or service. Incorporating courses from both the two-year MFA Design and the DMBA curricula, students’ insight and mastery of design practice and management are equally developed. Students study with individuals who have high-level design capabilities, entrepreneurial ambitions, and strong professional backgrounds.
The curriculum includes core coursework from each program in order to satisfy the requirements of both specific degrees. The dual-degree program culminates with an MFA Design thesis in the second year and an entrepreneurial venture in the third year. The entrepreneurial venture thesis can build on the MFA thesis or be entirely new.
Students in this program receive both degrees at the end of the three-year curriculum. They graduate prepared to direct design-led organizations (including their own) to maximize the impact of a design in roles, ranging from design director to chief design officer.
Download course guide
The following course guide is a recommended path toward graduation:
Foundations
Dig deeper into one course of study
MA in Visual & Critical Studies
Practice cross-cultural study, scholarly methods, cultural studies research, and the craft of critical writing in our rigorous program that emphasizes interdisciplinarity, historical grounding, and sociopolitical analysis.
MFA in Fine Arts
Join a program that offers individual studios, intellectual tools, facilities, and hands-on experiences to help you critically engage with the contemporary art world. Our series of social practice and public forms workshops takes us beyond our classrooms and studios and out into the community.
MFA in Writing
Work in a creative writing graduate program unique for its cross-genre freedom and mentored study. You’ll also have the resources and time to explore sculpture, film, printmaking, and other disciplines to help you incorporate visual art into your written work.
MBA in Design Strategy
Learn to use design strategy and MBA principles to solve complex problems and create sustainable businesses. We’re one of the few business schools in the country to implement a data science and artificial intelligence thread throughout our curriculum, not just as standalone courses.
MFA in Design
Explore new frontiers of design with cutting-edge tools and traditional craft-based techniques in a two- or three-year MFA in Design program. You’ll have the chance to network with and create solutions alongside industry partners located in the Bay Area, a leading global hub for design innovation.