A Master of Design (MDes, M.Des. or M.Design) is a postgraduate academic master degree in the field of Design awarded by several academic institutions around the world. The degree level has different equivalencies; some MDes are equivalent to Master of Fine Arts and others to a Master of Arts or Master of Science 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
University of Gloucestershire, awards a one year (full time) or two year (part time) Master of Design degree.
University of Nairobi, Kenya, awards a two-year research-based Master of Design degree through the School of the Arts and Design. University of California, Berkeley, United States, awards a 17-month studio based Master of Design degree in emerging technologies and design. University of Alberta, 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, Israel, awards a M.Des. degree in Industrial Design in a two-year program. California College of the Arts (CCA), San Francisco, United States, awards a three-semester MDes degree in Interaction Design. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 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 , Montreal, Quebec, Canada, awards a Master of Design focusing on multi-disciplinarity and sustainability over a two-year program University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, 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 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 (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) Heriot-Watt University, 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, Hong Kong, 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, Center for Product Design and Manufacturing, Bangalore, India, awards a Master of Design in Product Design and Engineering in a two-year program.