Study design in USA - 88 institutions

The study of design in the United States for Russian, foreign students opens up limitless creative possibilities - the choice of schools offering designer education in America is great. The best universities in the country include colleges, schools, faculties with training in design. Available training programs: bachelor's, master's, doctoral studies, short courses for industry professionals and beginners discovering the path in the design of the artistic properties of objects.

Design training is based on, among other things, the formation of problem-solving skills. It is this quality that attracts employers, so the demand for professional designers today is very high. Organizations are actively looking for new approaches to solving problems in the face of growing business, social and environmental problems, and designers who have received a multidisciplinary education in a field that responds faster than many others to the challenges of our time meet the complex demands of the time.

Design programs prepare graduates for jobs in leading companies and organizations, while learning how to design for future global trends. Graduates of design programs occupy some rating positions in multinational companies, design firms, and non-profit organizations. Some become researchers, design educators, and many start their own businesses. Career opportunities, the potential of university graduates with the study of artistic design is very wide, the percentage of employment among them is high. The most successful graduates work in Whirlpool, Volkswagen, Audi, Motorola, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Skype, Pinterest, IDEO, Isobar, museums, art galleries, theaters around the world.

Admission to the leading design schools in the United States requires compliance with formal requirements, deadlines for submitting documents. Experts in the field of foreign education will assist you in preparing for admission.

Studying design in US schools begins in high school. Preparatory programs for admission to leading universities in America allow to study the disciplines of the creative cycle. Obtaining a high school certificate in the USA increases the chances of a foreign student to enter the chosen university.

Nowadays, studying design at US universities for international students is considered one of the most prestigious educational areas. Leading design schools offer undergraduate, graduate, doctoral degrees, students study a wide range of academic disciplines, and collaborate with students of other programs. Thanks to interdisciplinary projects, students become “systemic thinkers,” able to see and solve complex problems in a globally connected and interdependent world. They master the work in project teams, learn a holistic, research-based approach to design.

Specialists with design education are actively looking for new approaches that meet the growing business, social and environmental needs of society. Design is an interactive interdisciplinary activity that is an integral part of the success of a business worldwide. Practice plays an important role in teaching design: students undergo internships in companies offering products and services. A significant influence on their experience is provided by work under the guidance of industry professionals in real projects.

Thanks to coursework, their own research, students study the process of documenting, analyzing materials and products, which allows them to offer optimal solutions for the future. The ability to understand design, design new products opens an opportunity for graduates to become active creators of the future.

The training is transdisciplinary in nature, closely related to illustration, photography, cinema, performance, visual research and material culture. Design is taught as the cultural embodiment of the social context, much attention is paid to production, craft, modern aesthetics. Students build a vision, form a new artistic language through conceptual programs, imagination, improvisation, play. They learn to transmit their vision through the skills of design, illustration, fluency in materials, traditional methods, digital technology. The work is based on a synthesis of classroom studies, interdisciplinary projects, practical tasks, meetings with experts, allowing students to master creative tools and methods of design work.

Leading US universities invite lecturers, practitioners from all areas of design to discuss the theory and practice of working with students.

Emphasizing the importance of individual creative work, universities with a study of design include a wide range of studio projects in their programs aimed at helping students develop their own creative and professional potential. Visiting factories, galleries, manufacturing enterprises, internships, opportunities to participate in creative contests allow students to get a holistic view of the design industry, future employment opportunities or the scope of opening their own project.

The programs provide students with key technical, artistic and social skills that promote creative development and have a positive impact on it. Graduates are ready to:

• Demonstrate the key features of design thinking, including deep practical knowledge of various ways to research and build concepts, sketching skills, presentations, and portfolio creation
• Use design technologies, demonstrate mastery in digital developments to the level required by modern industry
• Apply design knowledge in the field of material analysis, development, design of own samples
• Master the practice of product design in accordance with industry standards
• Use a design approach to develop effective communication, presentation, strategic planning, organizational skills methodologies.

Approximate requirements for candidates applying for design programs:

• Certificate of complete secondary education, extract from the test record
• SAT or ACT test results
• English tests: all candidates who speak English as a second, including US citizens, must submit the results of any of the tests: TOEFL, IELTS. 
• Portfolio. The requirements for all universities are different, but most ask for 10-20 examples of students' work, demonstrating their design ideas, creative solutions. The work should reflect the spectrum of the student’s own creative ideas, his interests, experience, abilities in art
• Some universities ask for an essay on a given or free topic with a volume of 600-650 words
• Recommendation letters. 

Design programs in the USA for foreign schoolchildren, students and specialists with experience in the industry can increase the level of knowledge, skills, get a diploma or certificate of an elite university, and expand your experience. Whether you are a student who wants a college loan, an adult student focused on creative progress, or a professional looking to make big changes, summer programs or short-term courses will help you achieve great results.

List of Academic Design Studies Programs in the USA