Master of Arts in Design with Concentration in Design Management & Strategy

The Department of Design advances the professional work of thoughtful, creative, and meaningful design to delight, inspire, and serve the needs of people. Design is the planning that lays the basis for creation and development of every object or system people use. Design programs train students to be problem solvers who consider the aesthetic, functional, and user-focused aspects of an object or a process. This requires considerable integrative research, thought, modeling, interactive adjustments, and redesign.

The M.A in Design with a concentration in Design Management and Strategy explores in depth the design function in business as an important integrative, and often interdisciplinary, area. The curriculum couples a rigorous, practical understanding of business with design’s natural capacity for handling diverse input, creative problem-solving, and human-centered understanding.

The Design Management and Strategy program is for prospective students who already hold design-related baccalaureate degrees and are seeking specialized study in management. Applicants should have at least 2 years of full-time professional work experience in design or a design-related field.

The master’s student in design management and strategy should demonstrate an advanced ability to solve design problems, manage teams and processes, communicate clearly, and produce excellent goal-directed outcomes. The graduate will have completed significant course work and a thesis that documents independent discovery and research and will have passed an oral examination on that work. For more information about the program M.A. in Design Management and Strategy.

The design department offers 2 Master of Arts degrees, which share a core curriculum.

The M.A. in Design Management and Strategy educates students in the theory, methods, and practices relevant to managing design in an organizational and business context. The program gives students the requisite knowledge to augment their professional skills and abilities, perform as effective design managers, and advance their careers.

The M.A. in  Interaction and User Experience educates students in the theory, methods, and practices of interaction design. It gives students the requisite professional knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform as interaction designers.

KU is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The entrance and graduation requirements in this catalog conform to the published guidelines of that organization.