Master of Fine Arts in Design - Product Design

The MFA in Design is a two-year program that encourages an interdisciplinary approach through research and practice that align with social and environment responsibilities. We offer graduate students a unique opportunity to work with a dedicated and renowned design faculty within one of the nation’s top public research universities. And we do our best to fully fund our graduate students through Teaching Assistant (TA) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) positions. Students work with outstanding faculty within the Design Department and the greater university. Design faculty expertise includes design theory, exhibition, fashion, history, information, interactivity, interior architecture, immersion, lighting, product, textiles, time-base, visual communication, wearables, and more. Students are encouraged to build connections across campus by working with faculty from the arts and humanities, to social sciences and politics; from biological sciences and agriculture, to the professional schools of medicine, law and veterinary.The MFA in Design prepares students with an emphasis in Product Design include courses; labs and opportunities for entrepreneurship, research and industry collaborations. Using ecological and human-centered design principles, we are dedicated to solving some of the world’s largest environmental and social problems. We offer courses in sustainable design, human-centered design, industrial design, furniture design, wearable technology, lighting design, materials and methods, digital design and prototyping. Our prototyping lab has 3D printers, laser cutters, and an electronics bench — the tools you need to bring a concept to life. Our staffed woodshop is fully equipped to build out ideas at the human-scale and beyond.

Applicants to our MFA should hold an undergraduate degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, preferably in design or related field such as art, art history, or architecture. They should show excellent promise in design, as demonstrated by portfolio review, and have had suitable course preparation in foundation areas such as two- and three-dimensional composition, drawing, media, computer graphics, design history, art history, and related social sciences, as well as in the area of study they wish to pursue. Undergraduate studies should include a minimum of 20 units of university level design or topics related to the areas of design taught at UC Davis. Letters of Recommendation.Transcripts.