Head of the School of Design
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Mission Statement
The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University believes that design and designers have a critical role to play in the 21st first century in addressing the complex problems confronting society and in solving problems for the near, mid and long-term future.
The School's approach acknowledges the social and natural worlds as the greater context for all design problems. Designers can no longer think about products or communications in isolation; to practice ethically and effectively, they must also consider interactions within broader social and environmental contexts. The programs are unified by a framework that responds to changes in design, while also seeking to shape the future of the discipline and advance the field as it matures.
Through coursework and research, our students learn a rigorous process for documenting, analyzing, and understanding the past and present—in order to propose more desirable systems and interactions for the future. We encourage students to take a broad view of design and engage in radical invention as they become active creators of a better future.
International Role
The School of Design has a broad international network that includes exchange partnerships, regular participation in academic networks and conferences and research collaborations between faculty from other institutions. Student exchange partnerships include: Victoria University of Wellington, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e), Ecole Bleue, KAIST, Design School at Politecnico di Milan.
The School is a member of both the Design Resarch Society (DRS) and the Service Design Network (SDN) and faculty regularly present at these conferences. In addition, the School has been leading the formation of a Transition Design Network that now informally includes 14 partner universities in 11 countries and plans to host a gathering to formally constitute the network in summer of 2020.
National Role
The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon is routinely ranked in the top 5 design programs in the United States and maintains active membership in organizations such as the AIGA and IDSA as well as the Service Design Network and Design Research Society. It also maintains close partnerships with a wide variety of both industry and non-profit partners and its annual student job fair, Confluence, sees 75-100 companies travel to campus each February to interview undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. These same organizations frequently sponsor classroom and faculty research in many of the focus areas mentioned above. Faculty frequently partner with peer institutions on research projects both in the discipline of design as well as inter and trans-disciplinary collaborations.
Main Focus
The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University is one of the oldest and most renowned design schools in North America. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, the University is recognized worldwide for its advances in research and for its unique fusion of arts, engineering, sciences, humanities and social science, and public policy.
Education at the School of Design is an exploration of humanity and sustainable systems. With a focus on interdisciplinary learning, our programs prepare students for real-world design challenges by working collaboratively across fields as varied as journalism, engineering, fine arts, social work, computer science, anthropology, psychology, and business to develop a holistic understanding of design.
Our programs attract students from all over the world who want to develop their innate creative talents, conduct research, and launch or advance their design careers. This rich and diverse learning environment enables them to learn from each other and build strong professional networks and social connections.
School of Design graduates enter the field with the technical and collaborative skills and perspectives to confront real problems, recognize opportunities, and create innovative propositions and solutions that have impact and purpose in the world.
Faculties and Departments
The School of Design is one of five schools within the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University. In total, Carnegie Mellon University has seven colleges.
Bachelor Level Programs
Bachelor of Design (BDes): 4 year program with tracks in communication, product or environments design
Master Level Programs
Master of Arts in Design (MA): 1 year program in introduction to Design for Interactions
Master of Design (MDes): 2 year program in Design for Interactions
Master of Professional Studies (MPS): 1 year program in Design for Interactions
Research Activity and Main Areas
Look around. Almost everything you experience physically, spatially, visually, or through interactions or services has been designed, including those by alumni of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design.
Businesses and institutions continue to embrace the value of design because of its unique ability to reframe humanity-centered problems and provide creative contributions that drive innovation. As a result, the demand for design professionals has never been greater, and the potential impact on the world through design is limitless.
For nearly a century, the School of Design at CMU has advanced the study of the discipline and offered hands-on learning experiences that have firmly established the School as a leader in design education. We excel at preparing successful graduates who have studied the design of communications, products, and environments at the undergraduate level; design for interactions at the master's level; and transition design at the doctoral level.
Our alums are placed in some of the most desirable positions in the field where they are leading, practicing, researching, or teaching design in small and large organizations worldwide. We are successful and respected because of our extraordinary faculty, students, and alumni — and our ability to adapt and remain at the leading edge of design education.
Design for interactions is an overarching theme that runs throughout our programs. Born out of research and teaching in the School over the past several decades, it remains a core component of how we approach design education today.
In response to the demands of our rapidly changing world, design for interactions reaches beyond form and basic function. Instead, it holistically considers the quality of design-mediated interactions among people, systems, and the built and natural worlds with the goal to leverage opportunities and help solve complex problems facing humanity.
Doctorate Level Programs
PhD in Transition Design: 4 year, full time, residential degree in Transition Design
Subject Areas for Exchange Students
The School of Design is only able to accept exchange applications from students who attend our exchange partner schools. Exchanges are most often for students in their third year of Design studies, with a focus on Communications, or Products or Environments.
Application Deadlines
October 1 for the spring semester
March 1 for the fall semester
Teaching Languages
English only.
Semester Dates
Fall semester: late August – mid-December
Spring semester: January – mid-May
Cost of Living Per Month (Studying and Living)
Exchange students pay tuition to their home school. Living expenses in Pittsburgh can vary widely depending primarily on accomodation. On average, students can expect to spend $1700/month.
