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A Master of Design (MDes, M.Des. or M.Design) is a postgraduate academic master degree in the field of
Design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
awarded by several academic institutions around the world. The degree level has different equivalencies; some MDes are equivalent to
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...
and others to a
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
or
Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...
postgraduate degree in alternative disciplines. It often follows a Bachelor of Design degree and requires around two years of study and research in design.


Awarding institutions

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University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...
, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada awards two-year research-oriented Master of Design degrees in Industrial Design (ID) and Visual Communication Design (VCD). * Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design,
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
, Israel, awards a M.Des. degree in
Industrial Design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in adva ...
in a two-year program. *
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, United States, awards a 17-month studio based Master of Design degree in emerging technologies and design. * California College of the Arts (CCA), San Francisco, United States, awards a three-semester MDes degree in Interaction Design. *
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
,
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, United States, awards two-year MDes degrees in Communication Planning and Information Design (offered jointly with the School of English), as well as interaction design, both through the School of Design. Both are terminal degrees in a two-year program. * Central Institute of Technology, Kokrajhar, Assam, India, awards Masters of Design specializing in Multimedia and Communication Design (MCD) in a two-year programme. *
Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...
, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, awards a Master of Design focusing on multi-disciplinarity and sustainability over a two-year program *
University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...
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Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, United States, awards a M.Des. terminal degree in a two-year program. * Centre for Design Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom, awards an MDes in Innovation and Creativity in Industry and an MDes in Design and Innovation for Sustainability, both through the Centre for Competitive Creative Design (C4D). *
Coventry University Coventry University is a Public university, public research university in Coventry, England. The origins of Coventry University can be linked to the Coventry School of Art and Design, Coventry School of Design in 1843. It was known as Lancheste ...
, West Midlands, United Kingdom, awards an MDes after a 4th year of study after the 3 year Product Design BA course *Columbus College of Art & Design, awards a two-year Master of Design degree in Integrative Design. Integrative Design offers a competitive advantage in many fields, including business, engineering, healthcare, and education. * Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology">Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DAIICT), Gandhinagar, India, awards an M.Des. Communication design degree in a two-year program. * University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland awards an MDes over one year of full-time study. * Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, awards MDes Design with pathways in digital arts, graphic design, interaction design, interdisciplinary design, interior architecture, product design, sustainability, and urbanism. The course is taken full-time over 3 trimesters (12 months) * Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, awards a Master of Design degree that is a full-time research-oriented, two-year program in interdisciplinary design * Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, United Kingdom, awards Master of Design degrees in design innovation (with service design, environmental design or citizenship), communication design (graphics, illustration, photography), fashion and textiles, interior design, digital culture, and sound for moving image. Courses are taken full-time during 3 trimesters over 12 or 24 months) *
University of Gloucestershire The University of Gloucestershire is a public university based in Gloucestershire, England. It is located over five campuses, three in Cheltenham and two in Gloucester. The university is the successor of a large number of merged, name-changed ...
awards a one year (full time) or two year (part time) Master of Design degree. *
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
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Harvard Graduate School of Design The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urba ...
, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, awards a Master in Design Studies in a two-year program. *
Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University () is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by roya ...
, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, awards an MDes Games Design and Development over one year of full-time study. * Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel, awards a M.Design degree in "Integrated Design" in a two-year program. *
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU or HKPU) is a public university, public research university in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The university is one of the eight University Grants Committee (Hong Kong), government-funded degree-grant ...
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Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, awards Master of Design degree in Design Practices, Design Strategies, Interaction Design, International Design and Business Management and Urban Environments Design. These are 1-year programs taken full-time during 3 trimesters. * The Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway, awards a Master of Design degree in Service Design, Interaction Design, or Industrial Design. These are 2-year programs taken full-time during 4 semesters. *
Indian Institute of Science The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a Public university, public, Deemed university, deemed, research university for higher education and research in science, engineering, design, and management. It is located in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The ...
, Center for Product Design and Manufacturing,
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
, India, awards a Master of Design in Product Design and Engineering in a two-year program. * Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing Kancheepuram, offers a M.Des course in Electronics, Communication and Mechanical system design. *
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) is a public technical university established by the Government of India, located in Amingaon, North Guwahati, in the state of Assam in India. It is the sixth Indian Institute of Tech ...
, India, awards a M.Des degree in a two-year program. *
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT- Kanpur or IIT-K) is a public institute of technology located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. As an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), it was declared an Institute of National Importance by ...
, India, awards a M.Des degree in a two-year program. * Industrial Design Centre of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,
Mumbai, Maharashtra Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12.5& ...
, India, awards a Master of Design degree in Industrial Design,
Visual Communication Visual communication is the use of visual elements to convey ideas and information which include (but are not limited to) signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, and electronic resourc ...
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Animation Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
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Interaction Design Interaction design, often abbreviated as IxD, is "the practice of designing interactive digital products, environments, systems, and services." While interaction design has an interest in form (similar to other design fields), its main area of foc ...
, and Mobility and Vehicle Design.All programs require two years of study. * Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India, awards a M.Des degree in a two-year program. * Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur, India awards a M.Des degree in Product Design, Interaction Design & Visual Communication and also PhD in Design *Department of Design of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, India offers post-graduate programs in M.Des and the admission is through CEED ( Common entrance exam of design).
Department of Design (DoD)Shiv Nadar University, Delhi (NCR), India
awards a M.Des. degree (Choice-based specialization available in Strategic Product Design, Visual Communication, User Experience Design and Information Design) in a two-year program. * IIT Institute of Design at the
Illinois Institute of Technology The Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Illinois Tech and IIT, is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the m ...
,
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, United States, awards a Master of Design degree and a joint degree Master of Design/
Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...
(with IIT Stuart School of Business). * Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey awards a Master of Design degree in Design Studies. The two-year program is offered in English. * Massachusetts College of Art and Design offers a 2 year Master of Design degree in Innovation *
University of Nairobi The University of Nairobi (uonbi or UoN; ) is a college, collegiate research university based in Nairobi and is the largest List of universities and colleges in Kenya, university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution dat ...
, Kenya, awards a two-year research-based Master of Design degree through the School of the Arts and Design. * National Institute of Design (NID), offers a 2.5 years M.Des course in Product Design, Furniture Design, Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Film & Video Communication Design, Exhibition Design, Textile Design, Toy & Game Design, Photography Design, Apparel Design, Transportation Design, Lifestyle Accessory Design, New Media Design, Information Design, Interaction Design, Retail Experience Design, Universal Design, Digital Game Design from its three campuses at Ahmedabad (Main campus), Bangalore (R&D campus) and Gandhinagar (PG campus), India. * National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, India, offers Master programmes in M.Des (master in design), M.F.M. (Master in Fashion Management) M. FTech. (Master in Fashion Technology) * NSCAD University,
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
, Canada, awards a Master of Design following three semesters or one calendar year of study, requiring graduates to propose and complete a final research project. * Ontario College of Art & Design University,
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario, Canada, awards MDes degrees in Strategic Foresight and Innovation; Digital Futures; Inclusive Design; Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design; and, Design for Health as two-year programs. * PUC-Rio,
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, Brazil, awards a Master of Design degree in a two-year program. * Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, United Kingdom, awards a Master of Design degree specializing in either Design management,
Service Design Service design is the activity of planning and arranging people, infrastructure, communication and material components of a service in order to improve its quality, and the interaction between the service provider and its users. Service design m ...
, or Luxury Brand Management, in a one-year program (full-time) or two years (part-time). * Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, offers a 2+ year program focused in Adaptive Reuse Architecture. *
The Robert Gordon University Robert Gordon University, commonly called RGU (), is a public university in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It became a university in 1992, and originated from an educational institution founded in the 18th century by Robert Gordon (philanthrop ...
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Aberdeen, Scotland Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeenshire, but is now separate from the council area of Aberdeenshire. Aberd ...
, awards a Master of Design degree in Contextualised Practice in a one-year program (full-time) or two years (part-time). * Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands, awards a Master of Design degree specializing in
Type design Type design is the art and process of designing typefaces. This involves drawing each letterform using a consistent style. The basic concepts and design variables are described below. A typeface differs from other modes of graphic production su ...
and Interior Architecture, in a one-year program. *
RMIT University The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (abbreviated as RMIT University) is a public research university located in the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia., section 4(b) Established in 1887 by Francis Ormond, it is the seventh-o ...
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Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, Australia, awards a Master of Design degree specializing in
Communication Design Communication design is a mixed discipline between design and information-development concerned with how media communicate with people. A communication design approach is concerned with developing the message and aesthetics in media. It also crea ...
, in a one and a half year program. * Sandberg Instituut,
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, The Netherlands, awards a Master of Design degree in a two-year program. *
School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which gr ...
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Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, United States, awards a MDes in Designed Objects and a MDes in Fashion, body, and Garment, both in two-year programs. *
Universidad Iberoamericana The Ibero-American University (), also referred to by its acronym ''UIA'' but commonly known as ''Ibero'' or ''La Ibero'', is a private, Catholic, Mexican higher education institution, sponsored by the Mexican province of the Society of Jesus ( ...
,
Tijuana Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...
, Mexico awards a Master in Strategic Digital Design in a two-year program. *
University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...
,
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, United States, awards a Master of Design in
Graphic Design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...
and
Industrial Design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in adva ...
, both in two-year programs. * Universidad de Palermo,
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, Argentina awards a Master in Design Management in a two-year program (part-time). *
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
, Stamps School of Art & Design, Ann Arbor, United States, awards a MDes degree in Integrative Design in a two-year program. * Shenkarbr>College, Israel, Program of Master Degree in Design.
* School of Design Studies – UPES Dehradun, Dehradun, India, offers M.Des degrees in Industrial Design, Product Design, Interior Design, and Transportation Design. *
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
, Seattle, United States, awards a Master of Design degree in a two-year program. *
York University York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...
,
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Canada, awards an M.Des. terminal degree in a two-year program.


Undergraduate studies

Some European institutions award an
undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
MDes degree. Like all European master degrees, this usually requires a four-year program with a research project or dissertation. *
Coventry University Coventry University is a Public university, public research university in Coventry, England. The origins of Coventry University can be linked to the Coventry School of Art and Design, Coventry School of Design in 1843. It was known as Lancheste ...
, Coventry, UK, awards MDes in various Industrial Design courses including Transport and Automotive design, in four-year programs. *
University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...
,
Leeds, UK Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built arou ...
, awards a Master of Design degree specializing in
Product Design Product design is the process of creating new Product (business), products for businesses to sell to their customers. It involves the generation and development of ideas through a systematic process that leads to the creation of innovative products ...
, in a 4-year undergraduate program. Students are awarded a BDes after 3 years and can continue to a 4th year after which they receive a MDes. *
De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...
, Leicester, UK, awards a Master of Design degree specialising in Design Products, in a 4-year undergraduate program. It also offers part-time study opportunity to complete in 7 years. Students are awarded a MDes. after the successful completion of the programme."Design Products MDes (Hons)"


References

{{Academic degrees
Design A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...