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Professional industrial designers (product designers) work at the intersection of art, business, and technology to provide innovative vision for companies, services, and individuals. Using research and experience as catalysts, designers translate our psychological, social desires and aspirations into improved products and systems for better enjoyment of our world.
As a graduate, you will have opportunities to create products for all levels of production. Areas of possibility include consumer electronics, education, toys, sports, medical equipment, footwear, housewares, furniture, and exhibit design. Many graduates begin their careers immediately, designing either as a consultant, or as an in-house designer for some of the nation’s leading brands. As they continue to grow professionally, graduates often end up in leadership roles within their respective companies, making top-level decisions as a design director or creative manager.
Much of your educational experience will consist of experiential project-based studios, as well as courses in drawing, model making, manufacturing technologies (such as computer-aided design and rapid prototyping), user research, and design history. Classroom and studio experiences are complemented by two required cooperative work experiences. The co-op experience reinforces curricular goals and accelerates an understanding of professional practice.
Wentworth’s Industrial Design program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design. It is a four-year program, fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
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Industrial designers are artists, makers, creative problem solvers, and anyone who wants to make the world a better place. By understanding how people interact with the physical world, we create products, services, and solutions to improve peoples lives every day. Imagine an education where art and technology come together—a world where people are wearing shoes, riding bikes, playing with toys, and interacting with the digital devices you designed.
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The Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design is a four-year program, which begins in the fall semester of the student’s first year and is planned to end after the summer semester of the student’s fourth year. Much of your educational experience will consist of experiential project-based studios, as well as courses in drawing, model making, manufacturing technologies (such as computer-aided design and rapid prototyping), user research, and design history. Classroom and studio experiences are complemented by two required cooperative work experiences. The co-op experience reinforces curricular goals and accelerates an understanding of professional practice.
View the Course Catalog below for information about program requirements.
For an overview of the year-by-year experience in the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design program, see "What You'll Learn" below.
Total credits for degree: 136
This is a four-year program, which begins in the fall semester of the student’s first year and is planned to end after the summer semester of the student’s fourth year.
Special Grade Requirement
The Industrial Design academic unit has a special grade requirement that applies to all design studio courses from the sophomore year onward:
Final grade must be C or better if the final grade in the previous design studio is less than a C. Students who receive a final grade below C for two consecutive semesters are not permitted to continue in the program until they successfully repeat the 2nd studio for which they received a sub-standard grade.
Plan of Study Grid Freshman Year Fall Semester Credits DSGN1000 VISUALIZATION I/DRAWING I 3 DSGN1100 DESIGN MAGIC 2 INDS1000 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO 1 4 INDS1750 VISUAL COMMUNICATION 4 English Sequence 4 Credits 17 Spring Semester DSGN1200 COLOR & COMPOSITION 4 INDS1500 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO 2 4 INDS1850 VISUALIZATION 2: ADVANCED PERSPECTIVE 3 MATH1020 PLANE & SOLID GEOMETRY 4 English Sequence 4 Credits 19 Sophomore Year Fall Semester INDS2000 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO 3 4 INDS2300 3D REALIZATION I 4 INDS2350 VISUALIZATION 3: DRAW & THINK 3 INDS2600 CAD 1: SURFACE MODELING 3 HSS Elective 4 Credits 18 Spring Semester INDS2500 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO 4 4 INDS2850 VISUALIZATION 4: PRESENTATION & ILLUSTRATION 3 INDS2800 3D REALIZATION 2 4 INDS3100 CAD 2: SOLID MODELING 3 HSS Elective 4 Credits 18 Summer Semester COOP3000 PRE CO-OP WORK TERM (OPTIONAL) Credits 0 Junior Year Fall Semester INDS3000 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO 5 4 INDS3200 HUMAN FACTORS IN DESIGN 3 INDS3300 INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE 1 3 PHYS1010 CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS 4 HSS Elective 4 Credits 18 Spring Semester COOP3500 COOP EDUCATION 1 Credits 0 Summer Semester INDS3500 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO 6 4 INDS3600 MANUFACTURING IN DESIGN 3 HSS Elective 4 Technical Elective 3 Credits 14 Senior Year Fall Semester COOP4500 COOP EDUCATION 2 Credits 0 Spring Semester INDS4000 INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO 7 4 INDS4011 DESIGN PERSPECTIVES: TOPICS IN HISTORY 4 INDS4300 INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE 2 3 INDS5000 RESEARCH: SENIOR STUDIES 3 HSS Elective 4 Credits 18 Summer Semester INDS4500 BUSINESS IN DESIGN 3 INDS4750 SENIOR SEMINAR 3 INDS5500 SENIOR STUDIES 4 HSS Elective 4 Credits 14 Total Credits 136 ENGL/HSS Note
Students are required to complete:
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At least one course in Humanities: CSAS, HSSI, HIST, HUMN, LITR and PHIL
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At least one course in the Social Sciences; CSAS, HSSI, COMM, ECON, ENVM, POLS, PSYC, and SOCL
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The remaining course from either the Humanities or Social Sciences category.
Students with a three English course sequence may use the third English course to satisfy a Humanities requirement.
A minimum of 28 credits total, including English, humanities, and social science credit, is required to complete the humanities and social sciences graduation requirement.
Of the six humanities and social science electives, BIND students must include the following HSS Directed Electives:
- A Design History Elective
- An Art History Elective
- PSYC/SOCL Elective
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Student Testimonials
Kolbe Correia
"The program has changed the way I perceive reality. Knowing the work that goes into the design of everyday items, I now approach everything I see either critically or trying to pull inspiration from it. I appreciate every little detail in the world around me more, and it's opened this whole new world to me that I want to dive into and do my best to learn from and conquer."
What You’ll Learn
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Year 1
You’ll establish a foundation for your Industrial Design program by taking introductory courses in visualization, color & composition, and visual communication, which will instill core design concepts that you’ll use throughout the program. You’ll begin work in the studio, which advances an understanding of design principles through a thematic series of three-dimensional projects.
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Year 2
Second-year industrial design students continue their studio work and expand their knowledge with courses like Conceptual Physics, which surveys physics and its applications to modern life. You’ll also work with CAD and continue to establish a firm understanding of visualization concepts.
An optional pre co-op work term is available to students during the summer semester.
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Year 3
In the fall and summer semesters of your third year, you’ll take courses like Information Architecture, which is a studio-based design course that develops each student's awareness and understanding of the visual language that designers use to graphically communicate information and meaning. In Human Factors in Design, you’ll delve into how humans interact with products and how design can affect those interactions.
In the spring, you’ll begin the first of two required co-ops.
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Year 4
In the fall, you’ll go on your second required co-op to gain more hands-on industry experience.
The remainder of your program includes Business in Design, which examines the business of design practice by focusing on client/project management, marketing, professional communication, and entrepreneurship. You’ll also finish your program with your senior capstone project.