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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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
National Institute of Design (NID), offers a 2.5 years M.Des course in Product Design, Furniture Design, Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Film & Video Communication Design, Exhibition Design, Textile Design, Toy & Game Design, Photography Design, Apparel Design, Transportation Design, Lifestyle Accessory Design, New Media Design, Information Design, Interaction Design, Retail Experience Design, Universal Design, Digital Game Design from its three campuses at Ahmedabad (Main campus), Bangalore (R&D campus) and Gandhinagar (PG campus), India.
National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, India, offers Master programmes in M.Des (master in design), M.F.M. (Master in Fashion Management) M. FTech. (Master in Fashion Technology)
NSCAD University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, awards a Master of Design following three semesters or one calendar year of study, requiring graduates to propose and complete a final research project.
Ontario College of Art & Design University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, awards MDes degrees in Strategic Foresight and Innovation; Digital Futures; Inclusive Design; Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design; and, Design for Health as two-year programs.
PUC-Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, awards a Master of Design degree in a two-year program.
School of Design Studies – UPES Dehradun, Dehradun, India, offers M.Des degrees in Industrial Design, Product Design, Interior Design, and Transportation Design.
University of Washington, Seattle, United States, awards a Master of Design degree in a two-year program.
Some European institutions award an undergraduate MDes degree. Like all European master degrees, this usually requires a four-year program with a research project or dissertation.
Coventry University, Coventry, UK, awards MDes in various Industrial Design courses including Transport and Automotive design, in four-year programs.
University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, awards a Master of Design degree specializing in Product Design, in a 4-year undergraduate program. Students are awarded a BDes after 3 years and can continue to a 4th year after which they receive a MDes.
De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, awards a Master of Design degree specialising in Design Products, in a 4-year undergraduate program. It also offers part-time study opportunity to complete in 7 years. Students are awarded a MDes. after the successful completion of the programme.