Designing Your Own Path: The Personalized Experience of the MASD Program

The Master of Arts in Strategic Design (MASD) program is built on the understanding that every student’s path is unique. Whether balancing full‑time careers, family responsibilities or a desire to accelerate into the design field quickly, students bring a wide range of goals and unique situations. Flexibility in the program’s structure empowers students to progress at a pace that supports both their personal commitments and their professional aspirations.

MASD offers a range of benefits, chief among them its flexibility. While students typically complete the program in 21 months, some need more flexibility to progress faster or take additional time, depending on their schedules and prior experience.

For those who want to complete the program sooner, it can be completed in as little as 15 months. This timeline is especially achievable for individuals coming in with design experience or marketing and communications backgrounds, as they already have a foundation in design, branding and storytelling.

Luke Tandy, a Fall 2024 graduate, successfully completed the program in 15 months, meeting his goal to accelerate his career progression. He shared that faculty were flexible and supportive in building a path that worked for him. “From the start, the faculty worked with me to map out a clear academic plan that balanced a full course load while still making sure I was set up for success. They were transparent about expectations and helped me understand what it would take to stay on track,” he said. He emphasized that this speed of progress requires discipline, planning and time management. “Honestly, you get out what you put into it. If you’re motivated and willing to put in the work, it’s definitely doable,” he said.

On the flip side, some learners require longer timelines due to full-time jobs or activities.

Michella Stowers, a current MASD student, serves in the military reserve forces in addition to managing a family. Entering the program already juggling multiple roles, she takes fewer courses each semester to manage her personal, professional and academic obligations. Faculty have worked with her to understand her unique circumstances, including when she is away for temporary deployments. While she has navigated some challenges along the way, she is confident in her decision to pursue her master’s degree and can’t imagine going anywhere else. “The courses have not only challenged me and helped me grow, but so have the people, professors and classmates,” she shared.

Robert Weidman is a current student who also has a full-time professional career, creative side business and other responsibilities, so he takes courses at a pace that works best with his availability. His professors work with him to accommodate his busy routine without compromising his experience in the program. “I find my motivation in the fact that I can apply in real-time the skills cultivated in MASD to the development of my creative business,” Robert noted. Similar to Michella and Luke, he has balanced school and his busy workload by honing his time management skills. “It’s not always easy, and I’m still always fine-tuning my schedule,” he added. “But nothing worth doing is easy, and I believe that MASD is one of these rare opportunities.”

According to Marta Lanier, director of the MASD program, faculty work with individuals to tailor academic plans around their personal and professional undertakings. “You can take as many classes or as few classes as you want per semester and make it through the program,” she noted.

The course sequence also offers flexibility. Aside from the portfolio course that must be taken at the end of the program, there is not a prescribed order that classes must be completed. Students can take courses that fit both their interests and their timelines.

“We’re very boutique in what we offer a student. So, if they want to take extra time, we will let them take extra time,” noted Marta. Faculty are attuned to learners’ interests to ensure courses and projects work toward their goals and help create strong, individualized portfolios.

The MASD program is designed to help students build strong design skills and create meaningful, market‑ready portfolios, without asking them to compromise their commitments. Whether completing the degree on a traditional timeline or customizing the pace to fit an individual situation, students can rely on faculty support every step of the way. The program’s adaptable structure ensures that every student can design an academic journey that aligns with their goals, schedules and their lives.