Design Programs of Study

You will discover the undergraduate- and graduate-level professional programs offered through the UNT College of Visual Arts and Design in the Department of Design. These programs share a mission that prepares students to meet, define and reinvent solutions for the fundamental challenges that impact their professions in the increasingly changing world. The study pathways in each program have been designed to help future designers develop the conceptual, aesthetic, analytical and technical skills necessary to achieve these objectives.

In addition to the university admission requirements, students wishing to major in any program in the College of Visual Arts and Design must meet minimum academic requirements to be classified as a pre-major.

Undergraduate Programs • Bachelor of Fine Arts  

B.F.A. in Communication Design with two Concentrations

GD USA has designated UNT as a top design school in the U.S.

The B.F.A. degree program with a major in communication design is structured to help students who complete the program become effective conceptual thinkers and, most importantly, effective problem solvers. The College of Visual Arts and Design at UNT is recognized as a Top Design School by Graphic Design USA for 2024, 2023 and 2022.

Students can pursue a concentration in Graphic Design or User-Experience Design through a two-step process that includes 1) a Candidacy Review in the fall and 2) an Entry Review in the spring.

Communication Design Contact Information

Future undergraduate students: Contact CVAD Recruiter Kevin ContrerasKevin.Contreras@unt.edu, for more information or visit the Future Students web page.
Currently Enrolled undergraduate students: CVAD Milnes Advising Center for Undergraduate Advising
Program Coordinators: Graphic Design: Whitney Holden  |  User Experience Design: Keith Owens  

B.F.A. in Fashion Design 

The undergraduate fashion design program prepares its students for successful careers in the fashion industry. In this pursuit, they thoroughly understand the fashion design industry, historically and present day, and the technical skills necessary to design, develop, and merchandise womenswear or menswear lines for the ready-to-wear market. Visit the Application Process and Major Entry Review web page for more information.

Fashion Design Contact Information

Future undergraduate students: Contact CVAD Recruiter Kevin ContrerasKevin.Contreras@unt.edu, for more information or visit the Future Students web page.
Currently Enrolled Undergraduate Students: CVAD Milnes Advising Center for Undergraduate Advising
Program Coordinator: Hae Jin Gam 

B.F.A. in Interior Design

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design prepares students to analyze interior design problems, assess existing conditions, research and synthesize solutions, visually and verbally present solutions, and review the process for insights on future improvements, all to create interior design solutions that support the safety, health and wellness of building users. The program also teaches, among other things, computer-aided design, lighting, sustainable building design, design for special populations, and the history of interiors and architecture. The CIDA-accredited interior design program is structured to provide students with complete exposure to residential and commercial interior design practice.

Interior Design Contact Information

Future undergraduate students: Contact CVAD Recruiter Kevin ContrerasKevin.Contreras@unt.edu, for more information or visit the Future Students web page.
Currently Enrolled Undergraduate Students: Milnes Advising Center for Undergraduate Advising
Program Coordinator: Hepi Wachter

Graduate Programs in Design  

M.A. in Design with a concentration in Interaction Design, The "MA in IxD"

CVAD offers an M.A. degree in Design with a concentration in Interaction Design comprising 30 semester credit hours of study, including a required six-credit-hour capstone experience. The program is often called the M.A. in IxD program; the course of study is designed to foster leaders who help guide public and private organizations into the future. We challenge students to develop disruptive thinking and persuasive leadership skills while instilling industry-focused methods and social responsibility.

Graduate Program Coordinator: Michael Gibson    

M.F.A. in Design with a concentration in Fashion Design

The fashion design graduate-level program in Design, the M.F.A. in Design with a concentration in Fashion Design, seeks to create an educational experience that will provide students with an understanding of the pedagogy of teaching and focused research and design within the academy that supports the burgeoning needs of their profession in a world that is becoming more interconnected and interdependent.

Graduate Program Coordinator: Chanjuan Chen   

M.F.A. in Design with a concentration in Interior Design

The interior design graduate-level program in Design, the M.F.A. in Design with a concentration in Interior Design, seeks to prepare students to meet and to define and re-invent solutions for the fundamental challenges that impact the interior design profession in an increasingly changing world.

Graduate Program Coordinator: Phillip Park   

Department of Design Contact Information

Hepi Wachter
Professor and Chair, Department of Design
940-565-3621
cvad.design@unt.edu
Art Building, Room 230

Accreditation

The interior design program leading to the B.F.A. in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, www.accredit-id.org, 206 Grandville Avenue, Suite 350, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503.

The CIDA-accredited program prepares students for entry-level interior design practice, for advanced study, and to apply for membership in professional interior design organizations. The B.F.A. in Interior Design granted by the University of North Texas meets the educational requirement for eligibility to sit for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification Examination (NCIDQ Exam). For more information about NCIDQ Exam eligibility visit: https://www.cidq.org/eligibility-requirements.