About This Program
The Master of Arts in Design and Innovation program at CSUN is a fully-online program that provides you with the skills and knowledge necessary for the transformative creative economy. The program is comprised of three certificates where each certificate can be earned independently or “stacked” together for a personalized degree that best fits your professional and educational goals.
...Certificates are offered in Design Strategy & Systems, Design Experiences & Interactions, and Design Leadership & Impact. Both together and separately the certificates in the program teach you to:
- Analyze methods for design strategy, user experience and design leadership for creative industries
- Apply design management and leadership skills to create influential change
- Conduct research, design frameworks, to develop design systems
- Explain contemporary issues in design including design ethics, inclusivity in design, globalization, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.
Along with engaging coursework, students will complete a collaborative graduate project where they develop an industry-sponsored client-based initiative. With a Master of Arts in Design and Innovation from CSUN, you’ll earn a customized degree with expert skills to excel in diverse design fields.
Program Highlights
The fully-online program is comprised of three stackable certificates and a collaborative graduate project. The program empowers mid-career professionals to master and excel in three key areas, each highlighted by a specialized certificate.
Our program was specifically created for the fully-employed student and mid-career professional with each certificate consisting of six course units in the first semester, four units in the second semester, and culminating with a three-unit graduate project.
Throughout the program, you’ll receive the one-on-one support of a team dedicated to your personal and professional success. Whether it’s enrollment, grading or financial aid, our team of experts will help you stay on track and graduate on time.
On our convenient online platform, you can earn your professional experience and credentials without ever leaving the comfort of your home. This platform allows flexibility for working professionals and students interested in enhancing their careers in the data science field.
At the end of our program, student cohorts come together to complete a graduate project. Each team collaborates with industry professionals, and faculty advisors provide valuable feedback, resulting in a showcase of innovative solutions.
Job Outlook: Design and Innovation
About the Master of Arts in Design and Innovation Program at CSUN
To provide you with the flexibility to obtain the skillset most relevant to you, your interests and career goals, the certificates can be earned independently or in any order. Our program was specifically created for the fully-employed student and mid-career professional with each certificate consisting of six course units in the first semester, four units in the second semester, and culminating with a three-unit graduate project.
Our program follows a cohort-based structure for a truly team-oriented environment. The integrated curriculum ensures that each course builds on the previous one, with assignments designed to connect and enhance learning across the entire program. View the course curriculum and schedule here.
What do MDI graduates do?
The current creative economy is a vibrant and exciting workforce. Leading industries include:
- Advertising
- Architecture
- Art and crafts
- Design
- Fashion
- Film and music
- Performing arts
- Publising
- Other branches of creative industries
Design and Innovation Certificates
Design for Strategy & Systems
The Design for Strategy & Systems certificate focuses on the basic concepts of design and innovations and practices creative strategy, design systems and analytic methods to measure the success of design solutions.
This certificate also includes topics on:
- Brand psychology and consumer research
- Legal aspects related to license tools and intellectual property including brand audits
- Ethical use of AI tools in design and creative industries
- Implementation strategy
- Trends in design
- Skills in evaluation, influence and analysis.
Design for Experiences & Interactions
The Experiences and Interactions certificate focuses on user-centered design principles and processes to develop inclusive creative solutions to complex human problems in real-world environments.
This certificate includes topics on product design and HCI concepts, user interface research, inclusive design, ergonomics, and risk assessment.
Design for Leadership & Impact
The Design Leadership & Impact certificate focuses on design management and leadership to innovate and create influential change across organizations and creative economies.
This certificate includes topics on intra- and entrepreneurship, team management, hiring and retaining talent, stakeholder management and governance.
Three choices, one competitive degree
By combining the skills learned through each certificate and completing the graduate project, students have the potential to advance in creative industry fields like marketing, branding, communication design, public relations, entertainment and interactive software.
Students can leverage the skills and insight learned in this program to advance their careers into creative-adjacent fields such as education, job training, and health and wellness, where creative design is transforming these industries.
