The Master of Design in Communication Design (MDes) at the University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, is now accepting applications through January 15, 2026.

This two-year, terminal degree prepares students for a collaborative, studio-driven, and research-led approach to advanced design study. Located in one of the fastest-growing regions in the US and near the headquarters of three Fortune 500 companies, students gain professional experience in conceptual exploration and hands-on making.

Throughout the program, students work directly with communities, local organizations and companies, and clients, experimenting with emerging technologies and exploring speculative design, design futures, and social-impact work.

“What sets our program apart is our strong community-centered design focus,” said Ryan Slone, interim MDes graduate director and assistant professor of graphic design. “Students regularly work with nonprofits, businesses, and cultural partners, plus participatory and social-impact experiences are built directly into the curriculum.”

The program combines intensive design studios with seminar courses in ways uncommon in other graduate programs. Studios such as Design and Communities, Design and Futures, and Design and Technology create speculative, technologically engaged environments, while rotating special topics courses — Design and the Poster, Handmaking for the Digital World, Speculative Wayfinding, and Design and Maternal Health — allow students to explore specific areas of interest.

Students have access to world-class facilities and capabilities to complete projects, with dedicated faculty and staff members to guide the making process. This includes the Studio and Design Center, a 154,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility with a Design Lab that includes a Risograph printer, high-end printers and scanners, and an extensive suite of book binding equipment, the AT2D Lab offering computer-controlled imaging, printing, and cutting equipment, and the Design Clinic, which is a community-engaged outreach hub for students to share work. Every MDes student receives a full tuition waiver and graduate assistantship.

Through community-engaged projects, collaborations, assistantships, special topics courses, thesis research, and shows, students build portfolios that emphasize leadership, research depth, and design relevance. Annual showcases, colloquia, workshops, and visiting designer events further strengthen skills in public speaking, critique, and professional presentation. Additional opportunities include faculty-led initiatives, summer courses with nonprofits, field trips, and workshops with visiting designers.

Graduates have gone on to pursue various roles in academia, UX/UI design, product design, community-based design, nonprofit work, design strategy, research, creative leadership, and entrepreneurial ventures. Across sectors, they leverage the program’s multidisciplinary training to bridge design research, community engagement, and technological fluency, with some focusing on social-impact design and others on digital, branding, or interdisciplinary creative practice.

The MDes continues to adapt to evolving trends in design and technology. Faculty research in AI, identity, equity, sustainability, maternal health, community design, speculative design, and improvisation-based methods inform studios and courses, ensuring students develop the necessary creative agility needed to thrive in today’s design roles.

Applications are open through January 15. 

To learn more, contact graduate director Ryan Slone at rslone@uark.edu or visit art.uark.edu.