KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 11, 2020

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has approved the first graduate degree for Kennesaw State University’s College of the Arts, a Master of Arts in Art and Design.

The new program, which will be housed in the College’s School of Art and Design, features three tracks in digital animation, art education and museum studies.

“This graduate degree further solidifies Kennesaw State’s commitment to prepare students to meet employer demands and keep up with the growth in these industries in the region by focusing specifically on technology and workforce development,” said KSU President Pamela Whitten.

Ivan Pulinkala, dean of the College of the Arts, has strategically reorganized and reprioritized resources in the College over the past year to support the development of this degree that will advance KSU’s research-driven (R2) mission regionally and nationally.

The digital animation concentration of this degree will help meet workforce demands, projected at 4,300 new jobs in the coming years, in this important and growing part of the state economy. Georgia is now a top state for movie and television production and employs 23,500 people in the gaming and digital entertainment industry, with a $9.5 billion economic impact in FY 2017, according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.

Through the art education concentration, KSU will expand the number of highly qualified art teachers who will emerge as leaders to support P-12 students and colleagues in STEAM applications and media pathways.

The museum studies concentration will graduate students prepared to serve as digital archivists, specialist curators, docents, educational staff, registrars, and cataloguers, contributing to the industry that generates more than $12 billion in tax revenue each year, one-third of which goes to state and local governments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the Atlanta region ranks fifth in the country for the employment of archivists, with an average salary of $66,340.

The digital animation concentration will allow students to pursue advanced creative problems in digital media in preparation for advanced animation careers. The museum studies concentration will provide students with knowledge of the diversity and function of museums and their contributions to society, including the understanding of the role of museums in research. The art education concentration is designed for teachers who are currently teaching and have licensure, as well as individuals who are interested in careers within the field of art education that do not require teaching licensure.

– Kathie Beckett

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.