Industrial Design

The MDes is a two-year program focused on an independent masters research project that offers students the opportunity to explore a topic of inquiry with the potential to inform and shape disciplinary knowledge. Applicants who do not hold a bachelors degree in design may be eligible for our MDes Prelim Program. The prelim program provides a year-long course of study, customized per student, in preparation for the two-year MDes sequence.

The UIC Master of Design in Industrial Design seeks a bold re-imagining of the role and capacity of industrial design, and provides a forum for the critical questioning of design theories and methods. Students explore, research, conceptualize, develop, and prototype a product/service/system that breaks new ground within context of industrial design practice. The MDes in Industrial Design engages in four fundamental fields of practice: commercial design, responsible design, experimental design, and discursive design. The program culminates in a public exhibition of the masters research project.

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 64.
• Course Work

• Comprehensive Examination: None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options: Master's Research Project required. No other options are available.
  • Project: All MDes candidates must present for review a public exhibition or showing of their project. The project must be supported by a major paper and digital documentation of the project, both of which must be presented to the school for archival purposes.
• Other Requirements: Continuation in the MDes program beyond the second semester requires an evaluation and recommendation of the Graduate Advisory Committee in the student’s area.

Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements for the School of Design:

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions; however, individuals who apply must demonstrate an advanced level of competence in industrial design through their portfolio submission.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required None.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL 580 (paper-based); 92, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
  • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• There is a two-part application process and two separate locations for submission of application materials.

1. Office of Graduate Admissions online application portal via https://admissions.uic.edu/graduate-professional/apply
   1. Graduate Application
   2. Graduate Application Fee $70
   3. Unofficial Transcript
   4. TOEFL/IELTS/PTE (for international students only)
2. School of Design Slideroom via http://uicdesign.slideroom.com
   1. Personal Statement Required. This statement of purpose should outline the applicant’s current or previous work as relevant to plans and objectives for advanced study; describe professional goals and how these goals were developed; and state why the applicant would like to study in a research-oriented design program.
   2. Portfolio Applicants must submit a portfolio of no more than 20 images of current work demonstrating proficiency in the area of industrial design. Students who lack competence in computer-aided design will be required to take remedial work. Prerequisites and/or technical experience specific to this field of study may be required prior to entrance.
   3. CV/Resume Required.
   4. Letters of Recommendation Three required.

Scholarships

• Teaching assistantships
• Research assistantships 
• Graduate assistantships
• Global Education