Over the past fifty years, the designer’s role has shifted from a preoccupation with form and style to a focus on solving problems of communication and human interaction, and on the creation and support of human activities, services and processes through the mediating influence of products.

The Master of Design is a 42-credit program taken over a period of three semesters or one calendar year. At the core of the program are three graduate design studio courses in which the students work on real project with real clients through the NSCAD Design Lab.

Students complete the program by undertaking a Thesis Project, which should be a substantial piece of original research. The Division of Design considers "design research" to be rooted in the practice of design; Thesis Projects should have a theoretical foundation but will be primarily visual and practical, with an emphasis on the application of design thinking. An additional non-resident semester is available to students who require extra time to complete their thesis.

For Students whose First Language is not English

For qualified students whose English abilities are not at Canadian university level, we offer conditional acceptance to enable students to complete an ESL program before entering the Master of Design program.

How to Apply

Courses

Summer Semester (15 credit total)
Students do 15 credits of coursework. In addition, students will choose a thesis project topic and present a Thesis Project Plan.

MDES 6200 Graduate Design Studio 1 (6 credits)

MDES 6030 / 6000 (9 credits)
Topics may include:

• Graduate Design Seminar 1
• Research Design and Methodology
• Design and Rhetoric
• Design Issues [topic]
• Graduate Design Seminar 2
• Design Management and Entrepreneurship
• Typographic Workshop

Fall Semester (12 credit total)
Students complete 12 credits of coursework: A Thesis Project Advisory Committee is established for each MDES student and a Thesis Project Report is delivered to the Committee in the first week of December. The entire class applies for space in the Anna Leonowens Gallery for the Graduate Design Research Exhibition, which is held in early April.
Students choose one of two options for coursework:

1. Teaching
2. Professional Practice

Option 1:
For students interested in teaching design.

MDES 6600 Graduate Studio 2 (6 credits)
MDES 6500 / MFAR 6100: Pedagogy Seminar (3 credits)
MDES 6112 Thesis Project Research Methods (3 credits)

Option 2:
For students interested in the practice of design.

MDES 6600 Graduate Studio 2 (6 credits)
MDES 6650 Professional Practices (3)
MDES 6112 Thesis Project Research Methods (3 credits)

Please note that not all options may be available every year. Certain replacement courses may be prescribed at the discretion of the Director of the Master of Design Program and / or the Master of Design Committee.

Winter Semester: 15 CreditsStudents complete their final semester with 15 credits of coursework. The Thesis Project First Draft is delivered before the Winter Break, and before the end of the semester the Graduate Design Research Exhibition is held in the Anna Leonowens Gallery.

MDES 6800 Graduate Studio 3 (6 credits)
MDES 6900 Graduate Design Thesis Exhibition / Review (9 credits)