Career opportunities
Employers are hiring a broad scope of designers and visual communicators in a wide variety of industry sectors such as advertising, online business, food and beverage, finance, healthcare, government, publishing, IT, customer care, web, technology, manufacturing, marketing, media, insurance, telecommunications, military, consulting, education and much more.
There is no shortage of opportunities for employment with design-related skills, particularly skills that incorporate integrative thinking, leadership, management and critical thinking.
Job titles this degree is applicable to include: design thinking facilitator, integrative designer, creative director, art director, brand/product manager, design strategist, creative strategist, digital marketing manager, digital strategist, graphic designer, experience designer, information graphics designer, interaction designer, instructional systems designer, marketing director, marketing communications manager, media director, presentation specialist, proposal specialist, service designer, user experience designer and visual communication designer.
Career paths
- Creative Director
- Design Researcher
- Design Strategist
- Design Manager
- Experience Designer
- Communication Designer
- Design Thinking Facilitator
- Social Impact Designer
- Service Designer
- Creative Strategist
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Curriculum
The MDes in Integrative Design, as a terminal degree, in the design discipline and requires significant course work of design research, theory and methods through individual and collaborative projects addressing complex problem-solving through creating connective, human-centered design experiences culminating in an oral defense and thesis exhibition. The MDes curriculum is designed to graduate students with the types of skill required to be a successful design professional, ready for more complex roles, specifically design leadership.
Sample courses
- Integrative Design Studios I and II: Complex Systems, Context & Culture, Strategies and Theory
- Collaborative Design Studio I and II: Social Innovation
- Design Research + Methods
- Design for Social Impact
The flexibility of our hybrid curriculum accommodates working professionals by providing two-, three-, and four-year curricular models.
Quality classroom experiences
The interconnectedness of complex problems requires research, new methods, and collaborative approaches to create effective solutions. The MDes in Integrative Design provides a combination of theoretical and practical curriculum to develop adaptive, strategic, and collaborative designers, educators, innovators and leaders who address complex problems.
Many disciplines can be involved, requiring an “integrated” understanding of problem-solving. Solutions aim to create connective, human-centered design experiences. Subjects explored include design research and methods, design for complex systems, design in context and culture, integrative design strategies, design theory and implementation, and collaborative design studio intensives shape the focus of this program.
BGSU is the only university in Ohio and one of just nine in the nation to earn the Quality Matters Online Learner Support certificate for all of our seven-week online programs. The certificate recognizes that our programs provide the critical services needed for student success and that we use student feedback to continuously improve those services.
All candidates completing the application process will be evaluated by the Division of Graphic Design, the graduate coordinator and graduate faculty representatives from the School of Art. On the basis of the Admissions team’s evaluation of the applicant’s academic profile and assessment of the applicant’s likelihood for success in the MDes degree program by reviewing transcripts, resume, personal statements and recommendation letters in a holistic manner, and a portfolio of work, the program’s graduate coordinator will make a recommendation for admission to the Graduate College, and the Graduate College would then grant admission if all requirements are met.
Applicants will submit a letter of intent; digital portfolio consisting of 10-15 recent works/examples/contributions; resume; and three letters of recommendation denoting competencies in creative thinking, problem-solving and leadership skill sets. The letter of intent should draw a correlation between applicant’s work, thinking and processes to illuminate their ability to develop creative work through visual and critical research and the motivation to explore and experiment while focusing on their studies. Prospective students should ideally demonstrate an ability to develop creative work through extensive visual and critical research and motivation to explore and experiment while focusing on their studies.
The Master of Integrative Design program is part of the BGSU Graduate College and BGSU College of Arts and Sciences
Updated: 09/25/2024 03:25PM