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Ok, first of all you won’t need a Masters to work in ID - only if you want a tenure track teaching job.
Second, check out the 3 programs in Chicago - perhaps take a class or two before signing-up anywhere.
Third, talk to designers, visit studios and get a better idea of where you want to land after your degree.
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It sounds like your putting alot of thought into this.
An undergrad degree will probably only take 3 years at most schools (since you already have a bachelors, many non-core curriculum credits will transfer).
Any reputable Masters program will require a skill building year (including Pratt).
So - it’s three years any way you slice it, so why limit the options of where you can go and what you can study for some notion that the “higher” certification is better? (which it’s not).
As a Pratt student, here’s my take on the situation…
First of all I am a senior in the undergrad program. However, I have worked very closely with many graduate students and I am currently taking one graduate color theory class. I must say that the grad department is definitely Pratt’s baby. They just seem to take care of it better than the undergrad. The really successful students from Pratt seem to come from the graduate program more often than the undergrad program. I think the grad program gets better teachers and has a better curriculum. However, grads have to do a year long thesis, which I am glad we don’t have to do.
The skill levels of the students tends to be somewhat low because a lot of them have degrees in totally unrelated fields. A lot of the grads can find the drawing aspect to be intimidating. And a lot of them find ways to avoid practicing and thus never get better. Do NOT become one of these people.
That being said, I like the grads way more than the undergrads. They are more mature, have some life experience, and are generally easier to get along with once you get to know them. They are always a closely knit group too, which is nice. this is especially true during the first year.
For the whole undergrad vs grad debate, the nice thing about Pratt is that as a graduate, you get the chance to take two full semesters of a Junior year undergrad studio class. I would do this, because it allows you to work with undergrads and because the junior year studios are especially strong. One thing you may want to be careful of is the fact that if you enter the program right after you finish school now, I’m assuming you’ll be about 22 years old. This will put you on the young end of the spectrum. Alot of the grads have taken time after their first degree and tend to be around 26 years old and up. Conversely, I know if I were you I would not want to start over in undergrad with a bunch of like 18 year olds, but that’s just my opinion.
I get sick of hearing people say Pratt’s name is getting soggy too. It may be true on some levels, but a lot of former students are doing very well at many different companies/firms, and they are always looking to get more people from Pratt.
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Actuallly, a Masters will overqualify you for most entry-level jobs (keep in mind ID is very vocational, meaning your skill level upon graduation will only make you viable for entry level work).
If your not hurting for cash - don’t worry about an extended job hunt.
Given what projects your considering, Pratt is an excellent choice. Most other grad schools would require a more academic, research-oriented thesis.
Do try and intern in NY before you graduate! (wherever you end up)