Industrial Design

Undergraduate education in industrial design at Georgia Tech leads to the Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Design that is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The undergraduate program prepares students for a career in design practice as well as for graduate education in industrial design and in related fields. The School of Industrial Design at Georgia Tech offers the only industrial design degree program in the University System of Georgia.

Industrial design is the professional practice of creating products that enhance the function, usability, value, and appearance of products with the goal of benefiting the user, manufacturer, community, and the environment. Also known as product design, industrial design education prepares students to design systems and tangible artifacts including, consumer and recreational products, business and industrial products, medical and computer equipment, and transportation and environments. Both generalist and specialist, industrial designers tend to be part artist, part entrepreneur and engineer.

Cross-disciplinary education is the primary focus of the four-year industrial design program. The university education provides:

1. an understanding of the arts (liberal and visual arts), technology (engineering and sciences), humanities (sociology and psychology), and management (marketing and branding),
2. a collaborative and shared education through an emphasis on the design studio, and
3. an opportunity to periodically participate in real-life design projects through sponsored studio projects.

The undergraduate program offers a well-rounded course of study with an emphasis on critical thinking, basic design, design skills, and design communication. There are 6 industrial design studios after the first year studios. The industrial design studios focus on a sequential learning path which begins with form making to product design to post design that involves development and manufacturing. Design projects stress developing a broad education through an exposure to academic and professional considerations. The School encourages students to develop a diverse background in order to expand individual talents and respond to emerging opportunities in the field. Faculty members are scholars and design practitioners, giving students the opportunity to learn about both.

All work executed in the College becomes the property of the College and will be retained or returned at the discretion of the faculty. The faculty also reserves the right to refuse credit for any project executed outside the precincts of the College or otherwise executed without proper coordination with the instructor.

Pass-fail only allowed for Free Electives. 

Requirements

• The non-refundable freshman application fee is $75 (international applicants: $85). Students who pay an application fee but do not submit an application will not have their fee refunded.
• Included with the Common Application and Georgia Tech Questions is one long essay and two short answer essays. The purpose of the essays is to assess your writing ability and, more importantly, to learn more about you as an individual. This portion of the application helps us get to know you, assess mutual fit and better understand what you could contribute to Georgia Tech.
• TOEFL or IELTS scores
• We will only accept one (1) recommendation from your counselor and one (1) from the teacher of your choice. Any additional recommendations will not be considered with your application.
• Interview
• The GPA we consider is the one taken directly from your high school transcript. We will use a 100 point GPA, if available, and weighted, if available. If not, we’re happy to consider a 4.0 GPA or similar and/or unweighted GPA.
• If your high school does not provide a GPA or you have attended multiple high schools, we will recalculate a weighted 4.0 GPA (0.5 points added for AP, IB, Dual Enrollment & AICE courses) using core courses only.
• To help us better understand your high school and its curriculum, your counselor will submit a School Report form and/or School Profile with your transcript.
• The University System of Georgia requires minimum academic courses of all first time students, though most applicants exceed those in at least one area. USG requirements include:
  • English - 4 Units
  • Math - 4 Units
  • Science - 4 Units
  • Social Science - 3 Units
  • Foreign Language - 2 Units

Scholarships

• President's Scholarship Program