Top national and international students are attracted to the College of Design for an education where innovation, collaboration, and integration of disciplines prepare them for design careers and advanced research. The synergy created by a comprehensive array of academic programs—architecture, design studies, housing and community development, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture, planning, real estate development, and visual communication design—creates a rich learning experience for our students. Excellent graduate programs and a comprehensive PhD program draw students from around the globe and promote cutting-edge design, research, and scholarship.
Each of the undergraduate bachelor of science in design programs in the College of Design is comprised of a two-year preprofessional period during the first and second years of study. During this time, students may focus on a particular program, but it is also a time to explore and reach creatively into the array of design disciplines that the college offers. Students can take advantage of a variety of lectures, exhibitions, and extracurricular learning opportunities to choose the design field that is right for them.
Admission to the third- and fourth-year upper-division bachelor of science in design professional programs is competitive and begins after completion of lower-division requirements, with applications and portfolios submitted in the spring semester of the second year. With the exception of the architectural studies program, the bachelor of science degree prepares our students to move into the professions as designers and planners. The architecture program requires the master’s degree as preparation for professional practice.
A new alternative to the professional, discipline-centered degree is the Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies, which was offered for the first time in fall 2006. The BA in Design Studies is for students who want a multidisciplinary design education. The BA program will give students both a broad understanding of the world of design and a focus on specific knowledge areas that cross all design disciplines, such as design history, design management, and design visualization. The BA in Design Studies curriculum does not include studio-based instruction and does not require application for upper-division study.
For students who desire advanced study in design, the focus is on transdisciplinary research within their specific field. The college’s master’s degrees and PhD program provide opportunities for students to collaborate and contribute to the design and planning professions in creative new ways, making new connections in design and planning both within the university and in the larger global community.
|
