MBA in Design Strategy: How to Apply

The MBA in Design Strategy program is looking for self-motivated students who are pioneers, interested in collaboration and meaningful change in the world. Applicants should have strong communication and collaboration skills as well as comfort with quantitative processes.

Additionally, students will be required to use computers throughout the program and should have proficiency with business software and using the Internet.

We do not require you to take the GMAT exam, but you will need to be proficient in business math skills (including higher algebra, but not calculus). If you’re worried about your math skills, we can help you assess your abilities and, if necessary, suggest courses to sharpen your skills.

Applications are now being considered for the fall 2012 term.

Application Requirements

• Application ($70 nonrefundable fee required)
• Portfolio (optional)
• Personal essay & résumé
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official college transcripts

Application

Applicants must complete and submit the application online; hard-copy, or paper, applications are no longer accepted. Apply online now. All applicants are required to pay a nonrefundable $70 application fee. (Note: Due to the volume of applications received, CCA is unable to return any materials; please do not submit any original artworks or writings.)

Personal Essay & Resume

Applicants can have either a design or nondesign background and work experience in traditional business or nonprofit/NGO worlds.

A personal essay of 1,000 to 1,500 words describing your relevant design, business, or nonprofit organization experience and how it has shaped your current educational and career goals. Please explain what you seek to learn and achieve through this graduate program. In addition, please address the following questions somewhere within the content of your essay (you do not have to answer them explicitly, one after the other):

• Describe the change you'd like to make in the world and/or how you are making change already?
• Describe one positive and one negative example of your experience working on a team. Include the elements of who, what, when, where and how this came to be. What insights did you learn from these experiences?
• What will the headline and story say when you are on the cover of Fast Company Magazine?
• Teach us something in seven sentences.
• What changes are you making in your life to prepare for this program?

While most recruiters advise people to reduce their resume to one page, in this case, we’re specifically looking for more information about your work experience than is common. Your two-to-four-page expanded résumé should detail specific challenges, contexts, responsibilities, achievements, and learning experiences resulting from the positions you've held and the projects on which you've worked.

Visit Graduate Admissions for general admissions procedures and requirements.

Portfolio (optional)

For MBA in Design Strategy applicants, the portfolio is optional. DMBA applicants that wish to provide a portfolio can do so by providing a URL on the application form to their online portfolio. SlideRoom portfolio submissions are not permitted for DMBA.

The lack of a portfolio will not reduce chances of acceptance for nondesigners.

The purpose of the portfolio is to communicate your thinking and design processes as well as need-finding and problem-solving processes. Showing finished work alone doesn’t illuminate these processes. More helpful to us is to show fewer projects, in more detail, that describe the challenge, context, learning, and iterations of prototypes during the project.

You can use any online location to post your portfolio: a profile at a site like Core77.com, a personal website, a PDF posted to a file-sharing site, etc. However, we suggest you do not password-protect the site

Portfolios are due January 5, 2012.

Online Video (optional)

Applicants may choose to post a 3-5 minute online video to a video site (like Youtube.com or Vimeo.com) and include the URL to the video with their essay. Videos are optional and can be used to supplement essays with a personal story, interview, or project highlight. The lack of an online video will not reduce chances of acceptance.

Transcripts

Official, sealed transcript of undergraduate coursework must be sent to the Enrollment Services Office—Graduate Admissions (address below). Applicants who have taken graduate coursework are welcome to also send transcripts in support of their graduate application.

For international applicants, all transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation of the original.

All admitted students who were still in the process of completing a bachelor's degree at the time of applying must send the final transcript before enrolling to verify completion of the bachelor’s degree, including official notation of date of graduation, no later than August 1, 2012. Unofficial (unsealed) copies are not accepted.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required from academic or professional sources. No personal recommendations, please. We highly recommend that you take advantage of our electronic recommendation process. This will ensure we receive your recommendations in a timely fashion, and it is convenient for your recommenders.

When submitting your electronic application, you can provide the email address for your recommenders. Your recommenders will receive the recommendation form electronically and then return it to CCA in a similar manner.

Interview (optional)

Applicants may be contacted to arrange an interview with the program coordinator or a faculty member within the applied-to graduate program.

Dual-Degree Opportunities

Applicants who wish to apply for the dual-degree program will have the ability to submit a single application. Please note: a design portfolio must be submitted in order to meet application requirements for the dual-degree.

In addition to these requirements, international students must submit the additional requirements.

All documents and portfolio are due by January 5, 2012:

Application material should be mailed to:

California College of the Arts
Enrollment Services Office—Graduate Admissions
1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco CA 94107-2247

Phone: 415.703.9523
Fax: 415.703.9539
graduateprograms@cca.edu

Graduate Design Strategy Merit Scholarships

The MBA in Design Strategy admissions committee selects a limited number of outstanding students for the prestigious graduate merit scholarship. Renewable awards in the graduate division for the 2011-12 academic year were $18,000.

Diversity Scholarships

The graduate division awards several entering students special diversity scholarships. Last year these renewable awards ranged from $11,000 to $24,000 per year.

Financial Aid

The time to start exploring financial aid options is NOW. CCA's financial aid office has many resources about student loans, scholarships, and other need-based aid but you should plan on visiting the reference desk of your local public library and inquire about lists of potential grants and scholarships. There are many obscure scholarships, from $100-$5,000 dollars you may apply for and every little bit adds-up. Some applications need to be in before the end of December, making it that much more important to find them as soon as possible.

If you're not a U.S. citizen, you won't qualify for federal student loans or most CCA scholarships. You should inquire with your country's education department and banks immediately to find potential financial resources for coming to CCA. International aid can take many months to arrange to you need to start as early as possible.

Related Links

• MBA Design Strategy
• Graduate Studies
• Financial Aid
• Residency Calendar
• Tuition & Fees