MDes Curriculum

Year 1 Design Studios (12 credits)

Studios are the core of the MDes program in Year 1. Both semesters, students will develop a body of work through research, prototyping, experimentation, and critique in close collaboration with Stamps faculty. These design studios focus on specific territories and methodologies of design investigation. The fall studio is situated around questions of design futures and speculative design. The winter studio is oriented around practices of social practice and community contexts.

Design Research Seminars (6 credits)

Alongside the Design Studios, students will have an accompanying seminar. Through these seminars, students will explore a range of design research methods, practices, and precedents which will help them situate their individual goals and methods of work within the design canon.

Critical Forum (12 credits)

Bringing together first- and second-year MDes students, Forum is a place for conversations around professional practice, pedagogy, and critical theory. Students take Forum in each of their four semesters. It hosts our studio and thesis critiques, visiting designer workshops, and other community-wide events.

Thesis Studio (12 credits)

Thesis is an opportunity to define and develop a design practice through a body of work. With faculty advising and studio support, students will define a territory of investigation, methods of work, and ultimately develop a self-directed body of work. The thesis culminates in three final modes of dissemination: a studio critique, a thesis exhibition, and a written thesis.

Thesis Writing (3 credits)

In the second year, in conjunction with the beginning of thesis, this course supports students in developing a way of researching and writing in conjunction with their studio work. Students may work across both academic and more personal forms of writing. The collection of writings, essays, and reflections developed in this course will form the basis for the thesis book due at the end of the spring semester.

Electives (15 Credits)

Electives are an opportunity for students to add skills, perspectives, approaches, and tactics to their work. These include: making-oriented courses in particular techniques, craft-practices, or emerging technology; history and theory courses from design or from other fields of interest; and skills courses explored in other disciplines. These elective courses broaden students’ methods of fabrication and investigation which they can incorporate into their studio and thesis work.

Summer Fieldwork Elective

MDes students can choose as one of their electives to undertake independent summer fieldwork in the summer between their two years. This elective is designed to give you time and resources to investigate a way of making, a social context, a place, or new skills which are related to and may support your thesis interests. If you plan to work with a community organization or specific site in your thesis, this elective can also give you time to spend in community before your thesis year. Stamps provides up to $4,500 in funding to support summer fieldwork.