Master of Arts in Design and Innovation (MDI) - Curriculum

Course List (10 courses, 33 units)

The Master of Arts in Design and Innovation program aims to provide the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the emerging creative economy.

The combination of skill students gain from the coursework and graduate project allows them to solve complex problems and develop design skills and practices to be competitive for a variety of industry employers. Each certificate is focused on a critical topic in design and innovation and can be taken together or separately to address each student’s unique career goals.

Our graduates are able to analyze methods for design strategy, apply design management and leadership skills, create inclusive design processes and products, and work hands-on with industry leaders in the field.

Certificate 1: Design & Strategy

• Art 564: Design Strategy
• Art 562: Design Systems
• Art 645 Design Strategy and Systems Practicum

Certificate 2: Design for Experiences and Interactions

• Art 566: Research for Designing Experiences and Interactions
• Art 567: Design for Inclusive Experiences and Interactions
• Art 646: Design for Experiences and Interactions Practicum

Certificate 3: Design Leadership & Impact

• Art 568: Design Leadership for the Creative Economy
• Art 569: Design for Intra/Entrepreneurship
• Art 647: Leadership and Impact Design Practicum

Culminating Experience for Master's Degree

• Art 698 DI: Graduate Project

 

 

Course Highlights

Courses are offered in the following sequence:

 

course	name	units	description
Certificate 1: Design & Strategy (can be taken as part of the master’s degree or individually)
Art 564	Design Strategy	3 units	Through in-depth research and exploration aimed at developing strategic design solutions for creative industries, students will gain insights into concepts and processes for crafting effective strategies in areas such as brand identity, content development, consumer research, design ethics, inclusivity, and the integration of advancing technologies.
Art 562	Design Systems	3 units	Prerequisite: Art 564. Analysis and methodologies for the development and implementation of design systems in creative industries. Students in this course will critically analyze successful and unsuccessful brand design to build a knowledge and understanding of effective design systems. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of design research, cultural relevance, and evaluation of solutions for the creative economy.
Art 645	Design Strategy and Systems Practicum	4 units	Prerequisite: Art 564 and Art 562. Application and demonstration of concepts and skills learned in Design Strategy (Art 564) and Design Systems (Art 562) to develop a viable project that is relevant to the needs of the local and global marketplace. Students in this practicum will work with industry collaborators to design creative brand strategies and implement them through an effective design system.
Certificate 2: Design for Experiences and Interactions (can be taken as part of the master’s degree or individually)
Art 566	Research for Designing Experiences and Interactions	3 units	Introduction and practice of research methodologies pertaining to the creation and design of user experience interactions. The course provides students with research skills for career advancement in the creative economy, specifically in the fields of User Experience Design (UX), User Interface Design (UI), and Interaction Design (IxD).
Art 567	Design for Inclusive Experiences and Interactions	3 units	Prerequisite: Art 566. Approaches to designing inclusive experiences and interactions for users. Students will learn to create inclusive, diverse, culturally relevant, and globally accessible experiences and interactions. Concepts explored include universal design, localization (L10n), globalization (g11n), accessibility (A11y), sustainable design, ethics, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the design process.
Art 646	Design for Experiences and Interactions Practicum	4 units	Prerequisite: Art 566 and Art 567. Application of user research methodologies and inclusive design practices to develop a viable project that is relevant to the needs of the local and global marketplace. Students in this practicum will work with industry collaborators to design solutions that address inclusivity, diversity and global accessibility by integrating Universal Design, Localization, Globalization, and Accessibility concepts and principles.
Certificate 3: Design Leadership & Impact (can be taken as part of the master’s degree or individually)
Art 568	Design Leadership for the Creative Economy	3 units	Overview, examination, and special emphasis on design leadership skills for the creative economy. This course introduces leadership principles, examines factors associated with successful leadership, and reviews case studies on leadership strategies for creative industries. Students gain knowledge by examining and learning the processes of art/design direction, creative team leadership, negotiation, pitching/presentation, designing for global/cultural relevance, and management of clients/stakeholders.
Art 569	Design for Intra/Entrepreneurship	3 units	Prerequisite: Art 568. In-depth study of the processes and procedures in design leadership to launch innovative impactful solutions within the creative economy. Concepts of creative strategy and design for internal organizational change (Intrapreneurship) and starting new businesses (Entrepreneurship) are explored. Emphasis on creative leadership to ensure success in navigating the unique challenges and opportunities for designers.
Art 647	Design for Leadership and Impact Practicum	4 units	Prerequisites: Art 568 and Art 569. Application of design leadership, intra/entrepreneurship knowledge, and skills to develop a project that is relevant to the needs of the local and global marketplace. Students in this practicum will work with industry collaborators to design solutions that demonstrate their expertise in leadership by managing a design team on an intra/entrepreneurial venture. This hands-on experience integrates theory and practice enabling students to refine their creative leadership skills and realize real world applications.
Culminating Experience for Completion of the MA in Design & Innovation
Art 698DI	Graduate Project	3 units	Prerequisite: Classified status and permission of MDI academic lead and director of graduate programs. This is a culminating graduate project. This course consists of student teams developing a comprehensive industry-sponsored client-based project under faculty supervision. Industry professionals along with faculty advisors will provide critique and insight leading to a showcase of proposed creative solutions. Exploration of career opportunities in various industries through collaboration, guest speakers, and site visits. This course satisfies the Culminating Experience requirement for an MA degree. (Credit/No Credit only)