Students work in a custom-designed studio environment with personal workstations and Internet networking. The MFA in Design Criticism has its own floor of a beautiful building in the Flatiron district of New York City. In addition to its own resources, SVA has institutional relationships with some of the world's best design collections, libraries and archives, and is in close proximity to the city's design studios and publishing houses.

The focus of the first year is threefold: on design itself, on criticism as a literary genre and on the range of tools with which to practice design criticism. The second year offers the opportunity for specialization both in subject matter and format. Students participate in medium-specific workshops devoted to topics such as producing a radio program or documentary, curating an exhibition, or editing a magazine or blog. They then research and develop a large-scale thesis project that must include a substantial written component, and which may be realized in any format.

The program culminates in an annual public conference, conceived and organized by graduating students, in which they present papers based on their theses, alongside professional design critics and thinkers. Students are required to complete and present the thesis research, which must be reviewed and approved by the thesis committee and the department chair, in order for the student to be eligible for degree conferral.

Degree candidates must successfully complete 64 credits, including all required courses, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. A residency of two academic years is required.