The Art Center College of Design, founded in 1930, had approximately 1,500 undergraduates and 100 graduate students as of 2009. The school offers undergraduate degree programs in entertainment design, environmental design, product design and transportation design. Students in these programs work toward a BS degree. Students do not have to fulfill general distribution requirements before selecting a major; instead, they can begin focusing on their chosen area of interest in the first semester. Graduate students can work toward the MS degree in industrial design. The program takes two years to complete. In 2008, the Art Center College of Design ranked first among industrial design schools in U.S. News & World Report and tied for 11th overall among fine arts graduate schools.
Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida St.
Pasadena, CA 91103
626-396-2200
artcenter.edu
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), founded in 1877, had approximately 2,200 students as of 2009. Undergraduates can work toward a BFA degree in industrial design. All undergraduates must complete an interdisciplinary foundation studies program before selecting a major. Undergraduates can participate in collaborative projects with faculty and off-campus peers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, Brown University and NASA. Students complete internships during the winter session with corporations such as New Balance, Target and Ecko. RISD also offers a Master of Industrial Design (MID) degree program for graduate students. Students with an undergraduate degree in industrial design can enter the two-year program, while students without such a background can enter the two-and-a-half year program. All RISD students can take advantage of the school's series of visiting artists, critics and lecturers. In 2008, U.S. News & World Report ranked RISD second among industrial design schools and first overall among fine arts graduate schools.
Rhode Island School of Design Department of Industrial Design
161 South Main St.
Providence, RI 02903
401-454-6160
risd.edu
Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in industrial design. Undergraduates work toward the BFA degree. All undergraduates must complete an interdisciplinary foundation program in the first year before selecting industrial design as a major in the second year. Seniors participate in a year-long, team-based project with industrial clients. Carnegie Mellon graduate students can work toward a Master of Product Development (MPD) degree or a Master of Design (MDes) degree in communication planning and information design. In 2008, Carnegie Mellon University ranked third among industrial design schools in U.S. News & World Report and tied for 7th overall among fine arts graduate schools.
Carnegie Mellon University
MMC 110
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-268-2828
design.cmu.edu