Otis College of Art and Design is a private university on the west side of Los Angeles offering a four- year Bachelor of Fine Arts program. Students in the Industrial Design major begin their industrial design coursework their second year and continue to take liberal arts and sciences coursework in addition to site-based research courses throughout their degree program. The program includes courses in furniture, fashion and shoe design as well as home and office products, packaging and medical products.
Stanford University, a private university located in Palo Alto, offers both a graduate and undergraduate program in design. The undergraduate major in Product Design is open to any students who have been admitted to the university and focuses on the design process in relation to products, services and experiences. Students graduate with a Bachelor of Science and must fulfill the Mechanical Engineering curriculum in addition to the Product Design major requirements. The Masters of Science in Engineering-Design degree is offered through the Mechanical Engineering department and candidates complete a second-year project in association with the design school.
San Francisco State University, affiliated with the California State University system, is located in San Francisco. The university offers a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Arts as well as a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design with a concentration in Product Design and Development through the Design and Industry Department. The department also offers a Master of Industrial Arts program, including the choices of specialized study in product design or industrial technology, among others. In addition to Product Design and Development and Industrial Technology, the department also offers coursework in Visual Communication Design.
San Jose State University, affiliated with the California State University system and located in San Jose, offers a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design through its School of Art and Design. The department offers an international exchange program as well as collaboration with the university's Anthropology, Engineering and Business programs and corporate sponsors. Students receive regular reviews of their portfolio and have an internship with a professional design studio.
California State University Long Beach is affiliated with the California State University system and located in Long Beach. The university offers a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design through the College of the Arts. The design program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design and requires a portfolio review for admission. Students take their first and second years in Pre-Design before beginning studio coursework their junior and senior years. The Industrial Design program is designed to train designers for professional practice designing products and systems.
California College for the Arts has two campuses, one in San Francisco and one in Oakland, and offers an undergraduate program in Industrial Design on its San Francisco campus. This Bachelor of Fine Arts degree focuses on technical skills as well as innovation and creativity. The program offers study abroad opportunities as well as industry sponsored and team projects. Coursework includes arts and cultural history as well as design courses and an internship.
The Art Center College for Design, a college that focuses on art and design in Pasadena, offers a two-year Master of Science degree in Industrial Design. The program focuses on a methodology called "Strategic Innovation," which emphasizes a systems-level perspective on design challenges. Students are encouraged to meet basic human needs through design solutions as they study theory and practice as well as engage in research and develop their own designs.