Industrial Design - Master of Industrial Design

Program Total Credits: 60

Two-year, 60-credit Curriculum

For students holding a bachelor’s degree in an art or design field or equivalent, the two-year, 60 credit curriculum consists of studio, methods, and seminar courses. The curriculum is project-based, which means that each semester’s, course content is integrated around studio-based projects.

Because design is a collaborative profession, most studio projects will be team-based. During the first and third semesters of study, first-year students will work with second-year students with an MID industry partner in a shared studio. Semester two is more individually oriented. The final semester of the two-year program is devoted to a master’s thesis, in which the candidate will work more independently with a group of internal faculty and/or outside professionals to develop a thesis project that must advance the candidate’s chosen field of study.

Three-year, 78-credit Curriculum

The three-year, 78-credit curriculum provides a prerequisite year of basic design skills, concepts, and competencies, with six credits of graduate coursework that will prepare students to enter the two-year MID program.

Like the program itself, the faculty represents a wide range of approaches to the practice of design. This means that students have access to currently practicing design professionals with backgrounds in fields ranging from architecture, graphic design, cultural anthropology, and psychology, to industrial systems, and environmental design. The Industrial Design Department thus offers a unique core faculty group who share a common philosophy and commitment to the design process.

Year One Credits: 30

Fall Credits: 15

GRID 603 - Design Studio I Credits: 6 cr, 12 hrs.
GRID 604 - Design Methods I Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs.
GRID 611 - Design Seminar: Concepts and Contexts Credits: 3 cr, 6 hrs
GRID 626 - Team Building Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs

Spring Credits: 15

GRAD 650 - University Seminar: Structure and Metaphor Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs
GRID 605 - Design Studio II Credits: 6 cr, 12 hrs.
GRID 606 - Design Methods II Credits: 3 cr, 6 hrs.
ELEC XX3 - Elective Course(s) Credits: 3.0 cr

Year Two Credits: 30

Fall Credits: 18

GRAD 651 - University Seminar: Art and Society Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs
GRID 703 - Advanced Design Studio Credits: 6 cr
GRID 704 - Advanced Design Methods Credits: 3 cr, 6 hrs
GRID 720 - ID Seminar: Professional Development Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs.
GRID 795 - Design Internship Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs

Spring Credits: 12

GRID 712 - Design Entrepreneurship Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs.
GRID 721 - Masters Thesis Project Credits: 6 cr, 12 hrs
GRID 722 - Masters Thesis Documentation Credits: 3 cr, 6 hrs

Note:

In addition to required courses, students take elective courses that enable them to pursue their specific interest, as well as overcome deficiencies in their design preparation. In certain cases, particularly for applicants from non-design undergraduate programs, it is necessary to complete specific courses in industrial design. These courses are selected from appropriate undergraduate courses and may not apply towards degree requirements.