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MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DESIGN

Degree Program

Concentrations

Areas of Study

Students who successfully complete the MSD Program receive a Master of Science in Design (MSD) degree. The MSD requires that applicants have an undergraduate degree in design or a closely related field such as architecture or engineering. A student entering the MSD program must select one of seven concentrations: Healthcare and Healing Environments, New Product Innovation, Interactive Design, Arts/Media/Engineering, Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, or Interior Design. The latter four concentration also have several areas of study, one of which must be selected: Methodology, Theory, and Criticism in Design; Facilities Planning and Management in Design; Human Factors in Design; or Experimental Media. Please note that not all areas of study are available in each concentration.

Students may choose to complete their graduate work by way of a thesis or an applied project. A master's thesis is a scholarly endeavor that demonstrates the ability of the author to do supervised research and intellectual writing. The applied project is somewhat different. It includes both a project and a written document and is a scholarly endeavor that demonstrates the ability of the designer to do supervised research and present substantial evidence of the ability to creatively apply research to a design situation.