Academic Programs

Industrial Design
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science
Calendar Type: Semester
Total Credit Hours: 145

Occupational Information and Program Objectives

The Bachelor of Science major in Industrial Design and Technology (IDT) prepares students in the knowledge and skills needed to advance the integration of design, science, and engineering, exploring new approaches and solutions through experience design. Students learn interdisciplinary skills and theory necessary to design, develop, and implement technology-enhanced products for a variety of fields and settings while working side-by-side with leading-edge practitioners.

Graduates of the program will have strong skills in applying theory to the creation of new product development. With hands-on courses focused on industrial design, the program combines expertise in the foundations of design and technical expertise that is central for best practices of the application, development, and use of technologies throughout their lifetimes.

Graduates will generate long-term value through the development of distinctive products; they will be instrumental in the creation of the next generation of strategic businesses as they contribute with disruptive, breakthrough innovation leadership.

Graduates will be able to:

• Design user experiences (i.e., an interactive website, technology tools, and consumer products and services);
• Conduct research, product design, and rapid prototyping;
• Demonstrate skills in critiquing and collaborating in studio settings;
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing in groups and in presentation;
• Apply academic and practical skills training to professional settings of employment.

Upon graduation students will have amassed a portfolio that documents and demonstrates these abilities.

Graduates will be prepared to seek entry-level employment in careers as industrial designers, product designers, creative directors, and user-interface, and user-experience designers. These positions are typically found in the Industrial Design industry as well as in the product-development divisions of the manufacturing and services industries.

Program Description

The curriculum combines visual and computational thinking to push the boundaries of design, while exploring new approaches and solutions. Internship experiences include work with local and international corporate partners.

Students experience learning in various ways such as:

• Classroom theory focused on Design and Technology: Design methodology and evaluation techniques to enable the development of new and emerging products;
• Studio and Internship experiences: Project-based experience in the conceptual, formal, spatial and material aspects of industrial design typically held at local companies.
• Technical and Cultural: Experience supporting technical, social, cultural, and organizational aspects of design in specific topical areas such as health and well-being, transportation, and education.

At the Miami College of Design, student learning crosses boundaries of research and practice emphasizing originality and creativity based on 21st Century Learning Skills including:

• Problem solving;
• Problem finding;
• Inquiry-based learning;
• Team work and collaboration;
• Real world applications in projects; and
• Ongoing documentation of growth in portfolios.

Work across these themes is coordinated to facilitate the development of expertise linking theory and practice in the design process. Students have the opportunity to select areas of emphasis or concentration in the field of industrial design. These include: Entrepreneurship, Aging, Health, Industrial Design, Marine Sciences, Robotics, Sports Technology, Transportation, and “Wearables.”

Courses

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science program must complete 30 credit hours of general education.

• Industrial Design | Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
• Industrial Design | Associate of Science (A.S.)