The two-year MFA program is intended to prepare students from a wide range of professional backgrounds for the design of textiles for industry, including architectural and apparel applications. The program also supports those students interested in the intersection of textiles with technology, engineering, and material science. Building on a foundation of solid technical skills in hand and digital technologies, and an adept design process, students develop their own unique vision. Through research, they gain an understanding of design as an expression of a continually evolving culture. This serves them well when, as designers, they are expected to act as problem-solvers who are responsive to the needs of society, both locally and globally, as well as the needs of the environment. The program also emphasizes studies in drawing and color—along with participation in graduate seminars—as a means of building analytical and critical thinking skills. This year, thesis students worked with the advanced equipment used in the field – digital fabric printers, multi-harness handlooms, computer interfaced looms and an electronic Jacquard loom – to master weaving and printing techniques.