Design

The Master of Design (MDes) in Design for Interactions is a two-year professional degree for students with an undergraduate degree in design or previous design experience. The MDes is currently considered the terminal degree in design.

CMU was one of the first programs in the world to offer a master’s degree in interaction design (IxD). Twenty years ago, the program focused primarily on screen interfaces for computer applications and websites. Since then, the boundaries between hardware and software, device and user, have blurred considerably – a trend that continues to accelerate. Our two former degrees in Interaction Design (IxD) and Communication Planning and Information Design (CPID) have been combined into a single degree, the MDes. However, an emphasis on communication/information design remains an integral component of the new MDes in Design for Interactions, both through required coursework and electives within and outside the program.

Our new curriculum situates research within the larger context of the interactions between people, organizations and the natural world. Students in the MDes program engage in research-based design for services and social innovation that aim to catalyze the transition to more sustainable futures.

MDes: Year One

1 Fall First Year

• Seminar: Interaction & Service Design Concepts
• Studio: Designing for Interactions
• Interaction Design Lab
• Communication Design Studio: Theory & Practice
• Colloquium
• Thesis Prep

2 Spring First Year

• Seminar: Transition Design
• Studio: Research-Based Design for Interactions
• Design Research Methods
• Thesis Prep
• Elective

MDes: Year Two

3 Fall Second Year

• MDes Thesis Project
• Seminar: Advanced Interaction & Service Design Concepts
• Elective

4 Spring Second Year

• MDes Thesis Project
• Elective
• Elective

MDes and MPS Degrees:

• A Baccalaureate degree in design from an accredited institution, with a strong record of academic achievement
• A design background evident in your portfolio, including, for example, elements of visual design, typography, layout and composition, color, illustration, information design, filmmaking, photography, and experience with design process, iteration, critique and visual communication.
• At least two years of professional or teaching experience
• A statement of intent
• Letters of recommendation
• GRE test scores
• TOEFL/IELTS scores where applicable
• Official transcripts
• A link to your portfolio
• Your admissions fee

Scholarships

For full-time graduate students in the MDES, MPS and MA programs, we offer paid assistantships of $2,000 per semester in exchange for approximately six hours of work per week. All applicants are invited to apply for one of these assistantships.

We have a limited number of merit scholarships offering partial tuition support, available to select candidates. Scholarship recipients will be notified as part of their acceptance package, upon review of applications by the admissions committee.