Dear Mentor:

Where should I get a PhD in industrial design?

I am a student of M.Des.(Industrial design) studying at IIT Delhi. I have my earlier background in architecture from Punjab. I have a degree at 74% and my CGPA at present in the P.G. course is going 8.7 in IIT. I am interested in studying further in Design related courses i.e. Design management, or some other design related course. The course or the Ph.D. that I want to do has essentially to be design oriented i.e. Industrial design related. Thus, for the same, I am seeking your expert advice as to which are the best institutions in the world where I can apply and what should be my focus if applying for...i.e. GRE or TOEFL or portfolio etc. Please guide me.

Design Dude, India

Dear Design Dude:

Industrial Design related programs sometimes fall within the Engineering discipline, but they are not common. You can find the List of the US Engineering Colleges and Universities in the iMahal Education Section. The iMahal Education Section offers similar information for the UK and Canada. Here, you can also find rankings or ratings of colleges. You will have to do your own research to find target colleges.

Industrial Design as a degree is more often part of a multi-disciplinary program at an independent college. Some of the leading North American colleges with these design programs include:

  • Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California
  • Emily Carr Institute, British Columbia
  • Academy of Art College, San Francisco, California
  • Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
  • Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver, Colorado

Finding a college that has PhD-level programs requires that you find a college that supports research in your field. An international guide to college programs that support doctoral research in design is provided by the Institute of Design at IIT in Chicago: PhD Progams in Industrial Design.

Admission requirements vary across colleges within a country, let alone across countries. For the US, UK and Canada you would typically be required to take GRE but not TOEFEL. But again, each college has its own unique requirements, which demands some research personally on your part.


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