Graduate Study

Industrial Design

Program Overview
Curriculum Review
Career Outcomes
Admission Requirements
Related Links

Program Overview

The MFA industrial design program is project-oriented, requiring research into design methods and technologies. Industry collaboration provides an experiential dimension. The first year of study includes major emphasis in equipment design, consumer product design and furniture design, and computer-aided design using Alias software. The second year, students develop a thesis project which includes an exhibition and written thesis report.

The master of fine arts degree program is available for students pursuing specialized study in industrial design at the graduate level for the purpose of career enhancement or redirection. The educational experience is project oriented, requiring research into design methods and technologies. Industry collaboratives provide an experiential dimension.

Curriculum Review

The first year of study includes seminar courses in design history, issues, research, theory and methods, which are common to all graduate students in the School of Design. In addition, there are studio courses that involve extensive design work with respect to environmental issues, the meaning of artifacts, and critical analysis. Extensive work using 3D software for product modeling and animation fills out the program.

In the second year, students conduct research and develop a thesis project, which is presented in a graduate thesis exhibition or presentation and is documented in a written thesis report.

Career Outcomes

Job Titles

Product designer, package designer, toy designer, furniture designer, exhibit designer

Functions

Design products to be manufactured for consumer use. Create concept for new products. Sketching, modelmaking, interacting with clients and engineers on manufacturing and logistics.

Recent Employers

New Balance Athletic Shoes, Robert DeFelice & Associates, Graco Children's Products, Xerox Corporation, Fisher Price

Admission Requirements

Fulfill general criteria for graduate admission

Portfolio: should contain samples of the applicant’s work, including a combination of drawings, two- and three-dimensional design, photo imaging, website design, product renderings, CAD drawings, page layouts, etc. Visual content is dependent upon the applicant’s experience and the program for which the applicant is applying. The portfolio should consist of 20 to 40 samples of the applicant’s best work. Slides, CD-ROMs, DVDs, or a combination are acceptable. They must be stand-alone files that will run on a MAC or PC.

Prerequisites

Applicants should hold a baccalaureate degree in a field of arts, sciences, or education from a regionally accredited college in the United States or Canada and demonstrate, through quality of the undergraduate record in creative production, a genuine, professional potential.

Those coming from countries where the baccalaureate degree is not given for programs in the practice of art may be admitted to graduate study if the diploma or certificate received approximates the standards of the BFA, BA, or BS degrees and if their academic records and portfolios indicate an ability to meet graduate standards.

A student who needs additional undergraduate study requirements may be admitted. This study will be structured for breadth or increased performance in areas designated and will be determined at the time of acceptance. Such prerequisites must be satisfied as defined in the letter of acceptance, which applicants will receive prior to admission as graduate students. Extended study may require additional time on campus.