masters in design in usa

Masters in Design in USA is a 1-2 year program offered by some of the top design schools in the US. The course aims at helping students learn the process and techniques involved in particular realms of designing. With a bachelor’s degree in design or cognate subjects and a strong portfolio, you can get admissions with any of the universities offering masters in design in the US. Applications of students are assessed on the basis of their portfolios and creative intellect. 

Offered as Master of Professional Studies (MPS), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS) in Design, and Master of Design (MDes), the course can cost anywhere from 53,000 to 111,000 USD. This for an Indian student can cost up from 39-82 lakhs INR. The cost may seem too high for a student on a budget. In such a case, you can apply for various scholarships available to study in US. 

When the investment involved is high, the student expects to earn cushy median salaries. Although the entry-level salary is comparatively low ie. 45,100 USD (33 lakhs INR) per annum, it can increase up to 144,000 USD (1.05 crore INR) per annum with experience.

Top Colleges for Masters in Design in USA

According to QS Art and Design Rankings of 2020, among the top 10 design colleges of the world, five are from the USA. The table below lists the popular universities offering Master of Design in this country: 

QS Ranking 2020	University	Programs Offered	Specializations	Duration	Total Program Fees (in USD)
3	Parsons School of Design at The New School	MPS	Communication Design; Fashion Management	1 year	54,300
MFA	Design and Technology; Fashion Design and Society; Industrial Design; Interior Design; Lighting Design; Transdisciplinary Design	2 years	108,600
MA	History of Design and Cultural Studies	2 years	76,020
MS	Design and Urban Ecologies;Strategic Design and Management	2 years1.5 years	108,000;65,160
4	Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)	MA	Interior Architecture; Teaching + Learning in Art + Design	1 year	53,820
Master of Industrial Design (MID)	Industrial Design	2 years	107,640
MDes	Interior Architecture	2 years	107,640
MFA	Graphic Design; Furniture Design	2 years	107,640
5	School of Art Institute of Chicago	MFA in Studio	Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Architecture; Design for Emerging Technologies; Visual Communication Design (Graphic Design)	2 years	107,880
MDes	Designed Objects; Fashion, Body, and Garment	2 years	118,668
10	Pratt Institute	MFA	Communications Design; Interior Design	2 years	114,514
Master of Industrial Design (MID)	Industrial Design	2 years	110,820
MS	Package Design	2 years	88,656
12	Art Center College of Design	MFA	Graphic Design; Media Design Practices; Transportation Systems and Design	2 years	96,760
MS	Transportation Systems and Design; Industrial Design; Environmental Design	2 years	96,760
16	Stanford University	MA	Learning, Design, and Technology	2 years	139,944
MS	Design Impact	2 years	149,080
17	Carnegie Mellon University	MDes/MA	Design	2 years	84,000
20	California Institute of Arts	MFA	Graphic Design; Scene Design; Costume Design	2 years	101,700
28	School of Visual Arts	MFA	Design; Design for Social Innovation; Interaction Design; Products of Design; Game Design	2 years	95,440
MA	Design Research, Writing, and Criticism	2 years	89,400
34	Columbia University	MA	Design and Development of Digital Games	1 year	53,040

Why Study Masters in Design in USA?

• There are 24 design colleges in the USA that rank among the top 100 art and design institutions in the world, according to the QS Ranking of 2020. 
• According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), art and design occupations are projected to grow by 3% between 2018 to 2028 adding about 96,800 new jobs.
• According to Statistica, graphic designers were the most employed professionals in the art and design industry followed by merchandise displayers.

Masters in Design in USA: Curriculum and Specializations

Design colleges in the USA offer multidimensional academic programs allowing students to choose the best option for them. There are a number of options available with different types of degrees. Mentioned below are some of the design specializations and the major courses covered during the coursework while studying in the USA:

Specializations	Curriculum
Interior Design	Furniture Designing; Interior landscaping; Art and Craft renovation and innovation; Accessory designing;
Graphic Design	Type design; Web design; Typography; Motion graphics; Design theory; Design history
Web Design	UX principles; Information Architecture and Web design
Industrial Design	NURBS Modelling; Solid and Modeling; Parametric Modeling; Developing Surfaces; Digital Sculpting
Art and Design	Survey of Design and Decorative Arts Iⅈ Curatorial/Museology
Game Design	2D Game design; 3D Arts; Game Analysis; Systems Literacy; Publishing Video Games; Art direction for art developers

Admissions to Masters in Design in USA 

Applications to universities in the USA are usually accepted during the spring and fall seasons. International students are required to complete their admission application at least 6-12 months before the start of the program. All admission applications can be completed online through the respective university website. 

Eligibility for Masters in Design in USA

To be eligible for admission in a graduate design program, applicants must have:

• Bachelor’s degree in a design or related field of study from a recognized university. 
• Strong excellence in the design field
• Professional experience in the related fields (varies with the university)
• Proof of English language proficiency through one of the standardized exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, etc. 

The table below denotes the requirements for the top colleges in the USA offering Master of Design: 

Universities/Colleges	TOEFL (iBT) Scores	IELTS Scores	Additional Requirements
Parsons School of Design at The New School	92	7.0	Resume; SOP; LORs; Portfolio
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)	93	6.5	Portfolio; SOP; LORS; Writing sample
Institute of Chicago School of Art	85	6.5	SOP(500-700); LORs; Resume/CV; E-Portfolio
Pratt Institute	88	6.5	2 LORs; SOP(500); Additional Writing samples; Resume
Art Center College of Design	100	7.0	Portfolio (Sketchbooks); Written essays (2000 words); Resume
Stanford University	100	—	Portfolio or book with 12-24; DVD works in the show
Carnegie Mellon University	102	7.5	Statement of Intent; Letters of Recommendation; GRE test scores; Link to the Portfolio; 2 years professional or teaching experience
California Institute of Arts	100	7.5	Resume/CV; 2 LORs; Portfolio; Personal Essay
School of Visual Arts	68	5.5	Narrative Statement; LORs; Creative Portfolio
Columbia University	100	7.5	GRE scores; Statement of Intent (500 words); Resume; 3LORs

Documents Required for Masters in Design in USA Admission

International applicants are required to submit the following documents while applying for a masters in design in USA: 

• Evaluated academic transcripts and certificates by NACES/WES or other evaluation agencies
• Submission of non-English transcripts with their English translations.
• Proof of standardized test scores required to study in USA
• Statement of Purpose of 250-500 words 
• Professional CV./Resume 
• 2 or 3 letters of recommendation 
• Portfolio is a mandatory part of the admission application while applying for a graphic design or any other design program.
  • It can be submitted in the form of a comic book or DVD with 15-25 images denoting the work in the field.
  • Some universities ask for the SlideRoom portfolio or list Vimeo links.
• Interview

Student Visa to USA

An F-1 visa is required for studying in USA. It also allows international students to stay back in the country for a period of 12 months under Optional Practical Training (OPT). Requirements for visa application are as follows:

• Passport with validity of 6 months
• Form I-20
• Application fee payment receipt
• Original mark sheet of previous academic studies
• Proof of sufficient funds for studying and living in USA at least for a year.

Masters in Design in USA: Cost of Study

Studying abroad can be pretty costly for the pocket. Therefore, international students must estimate their budget in the USA beforehand and arrange for the costs. The section below caters to these estimated expenses while studying masters in design. 

Pre-arrival Cost

The pre-arrival costs include one-time expenses such as fees for a student visa to the USA, application fees, IELTS/TOEFL fees, and GRE fees, etc. The following table denotes the usual pre-arrival expenses:

Categories	Cost (in USD)
Visa registration fee	160
SEVIS Fee	350
IELTS fee	240
TOEFL fee	180
GRE fee	205
Airfare (one way)	700

Tuition Fees for Masters in Design in USA

The tuition fees for studying a Masters in Design in USA from top universities range from 38,010 USD to 70,000 USD annually. Parsons School of Design which ranks at 1^st in the country among design schools has the lowest tuition fees among them. The tuition fees for masters in design in USA for Indian students are:

University	Total Program Fees (in INR)
Parsons School of Design at The New School	40-80 lakhs
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)	40-80 lakhs
School of Art Institute of Chicago	80-88 Lakhs
Pratt Institute	66-85 lakhs
Art Center College of Design	72 lakhs
Stanford University	~1 Cr.
Carnegie Mellon University	62 lakhs
California Institute of Arts	75 lakhs
School of Visual Arts	66-71 lakhs
Columbia University	39 lakhs

Cost of Living in USA

The living costs vary greatly with the city, type of student housing in the USA, the standard of living, etc. The average monthly cost of living for a single person in New York is USD 1,100 whereas San Francisco is 1,114. 

Types of Expenditures	Annual Costs (in USD)
Hostels or room rent	5,000-7,000
Cost of food	2,500
Public transport	350-800
Entertainment cost	1,000-1,200

Masters in Design in USA with Scholarships

To help with the expenses, students are provided with various international scholarships to study in the USA. These are awarded by the respective universities, government, and even some private organizations and agencies. 

The following table states the eligibility and award of design-specific scholarships. 

Scholarship	Eligibility	Awards (in USD)
Print and Graphics Scholarships Foundation	Academic records; Recommendations; Biographical records	1,000-5,000
CFDA Design Scholar Award	MFA/MA first-year student in fashion design;	25,000
Two Ten Footwear Design Scholarship	Enrolled in a US university;3 design drawings from a portfolio.	3,000
National Costumers Association Creative Event Scholarship	PG degree with 2.5 GPA; Must be 17 years or more	1,000
Mary Abdoo Fashion Memorial Scholarship	UG/ PG degree enrolled in fashion designing	1,000
VCUarts Talent Scholarships	Academic merit; artistic talent	5,000-12,000

For other scholarships to study in the USA, Click Here. 

Scope of Masters in Design in USA

There are a number of job opportunities in the USA for design graduates. Graphic Design graduates can work as architects, industrial designers, landscape architects, and interior designers. Fashion Design is also a popular vocational course. Almost 28% of fashion designers work as apparel, piece goods, and notions merchant wholesalers.

Industrial Designers work as Designers, Business Directors, Project Manager, Senior Designer, and Lecturers. As of 2018, there were 43,900 jobs in this sector. Interior Designers work as Corporate designers, Healthcare designers, Kitchen and bath designers, Sustainable designers, and Universal designers. Game Designers can work as software developers. 

The table below shows the median annual salary of art and design professionals in the USA, according to BLS:  

Occupation	Annual Median Salary (in USD)
Art Directors	94,760
Craft and Fine Artists	48,760
Fashion Designers	73,790
Floral Designers	28,040
Graphic Designers	52,110
Industrial Designers	68,890
Interior Designers	56,040
Multimedia Artists and Animators	75,270

Design and its specializations is a popular field of study. Interior designing is expected to see a projected growth of a minimum of 4% by 2028. The skills acquired by a master in design graduate in the USA can