Industrial Design, MID
Our program prepares leaders in the ever-evolving and multi-faceted field of Industrial Design. Through a rigorous curriculum, students are challenged to confront the complexities of contemporary social, political, economic, and technological transformations. Graduates gain knowledge and tools to effectively apply design processes and practices — skills to create innovative objects for the home, products for business, and built environments that positively impact everyday life, while also contributing to the repair of social and ecological systems.
Overview
The MID degree is a two-year, 60-credit program for all students, regardless of their previous background. Collegiality and cohesion in each incoming group of graduate students is essential to a program that creates a learning environment where the richness of the program is enhanced by diversity, inclusion, and a strong sense of community.
What We Offer
Our MID program is a generalist, humanist scheme designed to support the varying skills and interests of the students. Students can take specialized studios and courses that respond to their individual interests and pursuits. The entire curriculum is designed to offer all students the professional knowledge and skills in historical, societal, and global contexts that are necessary for becoming successful design professionals and entrepreneurs.
Students who choose to extend their program experience to up to three years have the opportunity to participate in Global Innovation Design (GID), an international program in cooperation with RCA/Imperial College in London and Keio University in Tokyo, where they will be able to study in both cities over the course of the second year of the MID.
What You Do
Design Thesis provides the greatest possible freedom and opportunity for pursuit of a selected topic, and is done under the direction of a Thesis Advisor of students’ choice. Thesis subjects address social and environmental issues of global significance. The projects range from consumer products and furniture to complex systems that involve emerging technologies, materials, and behavioral patterns. Thesis culminates in a formal presentation to invited jurors, followed by a presentation of the work at the annual Pratt Show, a public event attended by industry leaders and potential employers.
Semester 1 | Credits | |
---|---|---|
IND-612 | Industrial Design Technology I | 3 |
IND-614 | Graduate Color Workshop I (2-D) | 2 |
IND-672 | Graduate 3-D I | 2 |
IND-694 | Drawing I | 2 |
Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
Design Research | ||
Industrial Design Workshop | ||
HAD-613 | History of Industrial Design | 3 |
Credits | 15 | |
Semester 2 | ||
IND-613 or IND-600 |
Industrial Design Technology II or Graduate Design Studio I |
3 |
Choose 2 courses from the following: | 4 | |
Graduate Color Workshop I (2-D) | ||
Graduate 3-D II | ||
Model Shop | ||
CAID: Solid Works | ||
IND-670 | Design Issues in the 21st Century | 2 |
IND-661 | Thesis Formulation | 3 |
Elective | 3 | |
Credits | 15 | |
Semester 3 | ||
IND-698 | Thesis I | 3 |
IND-691 | Thesis Seminar | 2 |
IND-601 | Graduate Design Studio II | 3 |
IND-643 or IND-651 |
Digital Ideation or Prototypes I |
3 |
IND-687 | Sustainability and Production | 3 |
Credits | 14 | |
Semester 4 | ||
IND-699 | Thesis II | 3 |
IND-692 | Thesis seminar II | 2 |
IND-669 | Business of Design | 2 |
IND-643 or IND-651 |
Digital Ideation or Prototypes I |
3 |
Electives | 6 | |
Credits | 16 | |
Total Credits | 60 |
Upon completion of their studies, students:
- Demonstrate professional competence in formulating design problems and translating their ideas into 2-D and 3-D design solutions.
- Apply the steps of the design process and use appropriate digital/analogue tools.
- Approach the needs of clients and end-users with an ethical/humanistic perspective.
- Use intellectual critical methods of design inquiry and research.
- Express a personal design viewpoint in their writing, projects, and visual presentations.
- Collaborate within interdisciplinary design teams.
- Use a life-cycle approach to examine environmental and social impact of their design, and apply that knowledge to develop holistic sustainable strategies.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the broader context of design in relation to issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity.