The University of Texas at Austin

Mission Statement

To transform lives for the benefit of society. (University mission statement)

International Role

While the University is extremely relevant and connected internationally, the School of Design and Creative Technologies is very new and still seeking international connections, partnerships and reputation.

National Role

We a regular participant in the national dialog about how design education is changing and could continue to be changed in the US. SDCT leaders Kate Canales and Doreen Lorenzo founded the group The Future of Design in Higher Education (FDHE), a burgeoning group of design educators looking to make progress and change. Our publishing faculty have notable national reputations and our practicing faculty enjoy clients and projects that span from local to global. Students regularly graduate to take jobs all over the US. We offer multiple studio courses which partner with local businesses and non-profits to take on real-world design challenges.

Main Focus

Design (graphic design, industrial design, interaction design, and design ethnography) and Arts and Entertainment Technology (game design, digital visualization, performance lighting and interactivity, and music and sound). We have one sector-specfic degree in Design in Health (MA). Most of our students are undergraduate students seeking one of three degrees (BA, BFA or BS). Most of our faculty members maintain their own practice in design or technical art alongside their teaching and are not focused on research or publishing in the traditional academic sense. The exceptions are two notable design historians who do publish regularly.