M.F.A. Curriculum & Courses

Curriculum Overview

At UT, we offer an array of different courses to ensure our graduates are well-rounded designers. Courses are reviewed regularly and updated as needed to reflect emerging themes, faculty expertise, and the latest design thinking. In addition to coursework, students may also pursue Teaching Assistantships and Assistant Instructor opportunities.

Design Core

Learn design history, design theory, criticism, pedagogy and instruction, research, and professional methodologies to broaden your skills and expose you to new ideas.

Thesis Studios

Apply advanced principles and techniques of design across disciplines through project work in a studio setting as you work toward defining and crafting your final thesis project.

Design Studios

Hone your making skills with rigorous studio-based courses exploring visual design, service design, interaction design, and industrial design taught by award-winning practitioners.

Electives

Pursue a secondary area of study in an emerging area of design or a complementary field such as business, anthropology, creative technologies, engineering, or art that aligns with your interests and career goals.

M.F.A. Courses

DES 380 Core Course in Design

Introduction to design process, research, and methodologies. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional laboratory hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

DES 384C Design Criticism

Thinking, writing and talking about design. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing; consent of the graduate adviser; consent of instructor.

DES 384J Design in Context

Explore the social, political, historical, legal and economic contexts of design. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing; consent of the graduate adviser; consent of instructor.

DES 398R Master’s Report

The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in design and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

DES 398S Master’s Exhibition

The equivalent of three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in design and consent of instructor or the graduate adviser.

DES 392 Professional Communication of Research

Seminar addressing strategies for communicating design research processes and results to a variety of audiences through vehicles such as exhibitions, scholarly reports, and video recordings. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional laboratory hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

DES 397C Design Pedagogy and Instruction

Covers theory and research related to the pedagogy of design. Explores creation of design learning experiences. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 385C Thesis Studio I

Explore principles and techniques of design across disciplines through project work in a studio setting. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 385D Thesis Studio II

Build upon principles and techniques of design across disciplines through project work in a studio setting. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser; Design 385C or 685C.

DES 385E Thesis Studio III

Refine and apply advanced principles and techniques of design across disciplines through project work in a studio setting. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser; Design 385D or 685D.

DES 385F Thesis Studio IV

Culminate previous knowledge of principles and techniques of design across disciplines through project work in a studio setting. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser; Design 385E or 685E.

DES 184 Design Documentation & Storytelling

Covers portfolio creation and other tools related to documenting and communicating design work. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of the graduate adviser, and consent of instructor.

DES 184D Design Perspectives

Explore design approaches, subfields, practices, and media through workshops, projects or lectures led by industry professionals, visiting instructors, and/or University faculty and graduate students. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of the graduate adviser, and consent of instructor.

DES 184E The Art of Critique

Explore methods, frameworks, and practice in giving and receiving feedback in a design studio setting. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of the graduate adviser, and consent of instructor.

DES 184F Materials Exploration

Consider materials in design applications. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 184G User Research

Explore generative and evaluative methods for design research, research synthesis techniques, and the design of research field studies for design applications. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 185L Topics in Interaction Design Studio

Studio-based exploration of techniques and concepts specific to interaction design. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate advisor.

DES 185M Topics in Industrial Design Studio

Studio-based examination of techniques and concepts specific to industrial design. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate advisor.

DES 352 Service and Systems Design

Studio course. Students design effective user-centered systems and services. One lecture and three studio hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Credit with a grade of at least C in each or registration for Design 326, 334, and 335, and credit or registration for Design 336 or 337 (Topic 1).

DES 382 Critique Studio

Context and structured dialogue regarding areas of, and the student's own direction in, graduate research. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week, with additional studio hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 385K Topics in Visual Design Studio

Studio-based exploration of techniques and concepts specific to visual design. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 385T Topics in Design Studio

Develop studio projects focusing on specialized or advanced topics or methods. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 385V Visiting Designer Studio

Projects developed by visiting designer on technique and concepts related to their practice in a studio format. For each semester hour of credit earned, the equivalent of one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 394 Topics in Advanced Design

Examine design practices in all areas, and their relationship to research. For each semester hour of credit earned, one lecture hour a week for one semester, with additional studio hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, consent of instructor, and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 395 Fieldwork in Design

Students conduct fieldwork as part of a collaborative research team and/or under the direction of a project supervisor. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with additional laboratory hours to be arranged. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

DES 388 Introduction to Design Thinking

Restricted to graduate students in design. A preliminary foundation in the emerging practice of human-centered design, the methodology driving design thinking as a way of achieving innovation across sectors. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Offered on the letter-grade basis only. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of the graduate adviser.

DES 383 Graduate Projects

Independent study. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Graduate standing, and consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.

 

Additional electives are selected by the student depending on their unique thesis topic with consult from the Graduate Advisor.

Navigating Your Courses

The M.F. A. in Design curriculum is delivered over five semesters starting in early August and concluding in May. The M.F.A. in Design program is offered on a full-time, in-person basis only. Classes are typically scheduled Monday through Thursday between the hours of 9am and 5pm. You should consult with your advisor if you have any questions before registration.

Contact M.F.A. Design Advisor

Design Your Thesis

Purple and yellow graphic for "Over Under," the 2022 M.F.A. in Design Exhibition at The University of Texas at Austin

In the first fall semester, you’ll explore topics for your thesis pursuit that align with your research interests. Additional coursework over the next four semesters will guide you in articulating the scope of your project, outlining your design-led research, and developing prototypes. Our experienced faculty will work with you every step of the way as you craft a final thesis project for an exhibition on UT campus.

Learn More About the M.F.A. Exhibition