Ranked 7th in the U.S. and 4th in the East by DesignIntelligence, our MS in Industrial Design program is a professional program based on interdisciplinary project work. 

In the MS in Industrial Design program, you will learn to design effectively at the collaborative and chaotic “front end” of the product-development process. You will work with product users, researchers, businesspeople, engineers and manufacturers to create products and systems that are better at serving their users, societies and the world at large.

Our program will prepare you for entrepreneurial work in the field, or for a position in a corporate design department or design consulting firm. If you’re currently working in design, this program can help you move from tactics to strategy, going from working on problems you’re given, to finding untapped new opportunities and new clients. 

Our Four Focus Areas

  1. Informing design through creative research into user needs.
  2. Working closely with business, engineering and other disciplines to design platforms and systems — not just isolated objects.
  3. Designing intelligent products for the "internet of things," integrating hardware, software and electronic interactivity.
  4. Understanding and designing for global societies.

Why Jefferson

Our students are smart, curious and diverse, with undergraduate backgrounds as disparate as economics, philosophy, technology education, mechanical engineering and architecture, as well as some with undergraduate Industrial Design degrees. International students are warmly welcomed.

We like busy people, because busy people are ambitious, curious people. Many of our courses are taught in the afternoon and evening, to allow flexible scheduling for students who have outside obligations.

Enjoy our video below, which offers a glimpse into the world of Industrial Design at Jefferson and how students can make the most of their experience.  

Watch: I Am ... An Industrial Design Major

Hear firsthand from our students and faculty about what it's like within Jefferson's Industrial Design program. For more "I Am ..." videos, visit our YouTube channel to watch the full playlist.

Collaboration & Partnerships

Our MS in Industrial Design program is different from studying Industrial Design in an isolated art or design school. The University's medical, engineering, architecture, sustainability and business programs work with us to take on real-world problems with an understanding of how to serve people better.

Our MS in Industrial Design students have worked with the following nonprofits and corporations:

  • Verizon
  • Aalto University, Helsinki
  • Vaisala Instruments
  • Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Philips Medical
  • Konecranes
  • Midwives for Haiti
  • Nathan Sports
  • Johnson & Johnson
  • Philadelphia Science Leadership Academy and Franklin Institute
  • Dunmore Corporation (polymer films)
  • Construction Specialties Inc.
  • Comcast
  • Unifi Manufacturing
  • Federal-Mogul Systems Protection

If you represent a company with an interesting problem, we'd love to hear from you.

STEM Eligibility

Our MS in Industrial Design Program is Now STEM Eligible. STEM eligibility allows international students on an F-1 student status to apply for an additional two years of work authorization after an initial 12-month period of Post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT) in the United States if they meet the required criteria.

For more information about OPT and F-1 student status, please visit Jefferson Office of International Services website.

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