Campuses:
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Twin Cities Campus
Product Design B.S.Product Design
College of Design
The Product Design program is a creative, interdisciplinary major that blends elements of design, engineering, business, and humanities. This program provides methods and tools for inventing our future in the form of innovative objects, systems, and services. In addition to design fundamentals, this program is strengthened by the sciences. Combining these disciplines allows students to design desirable products and services (both physical and digital) that are also functional, marketable, and human-centered. This program enables students to take ideas from concept to reality and succeed in market.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
Admission Requirements
Freshman and transfer students are usually admitted to pre-major status
before admission to this major.
A GPA above 2.0 is preferred for the following:
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the
Office of Admissions
website.
Required prerequisites
Pre-major coursework
Courses to be completed prior to portfolio review to attain full major status.
DES 2701 - Creative Design Methods
(3.0 cr)
PDES 2702 - Concept Sketching
(3.0 cr)
PDES 2703 - Concept Visualization and Presentation 1
(3.0 cr)
PDES 2777 - Product Form and Model Making
(3.0 cr)
PHYS 1101W - Introductory College Physics I
[PHYS, WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHYS 1301W - Introductory Physics for Science and Engineering I
[PHYS, WI]
(4.0 cr)
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the
liberal education requirements.
Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Admission to the full major status program is determined by a competitive holistic review, which includes an interview, GPA, and a portfolio review after completion of pre-major coursework.
Product Design Core
DES 3131 - User Experience in Design
(4.0 cr)
DES 3201 - Career and Internship Preparation for Design
(1.0 cr)
ME 2011 - Introduction to Engineering
(4.0 cr)
MGMT 3015 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship
(4.0 cr)
PDES 2704 - Concept Visualization and Presentation 2
(3.0 cr)
PDES 2771 - Product Design Studio 1
(4.0 cr)
PDES 2772 - Product Design Studio 2
(4.0 cr)
PDES 3704 - Computer-Aided Design 1: Solid Modeling and Rendering
(3.0 cr)
PDES 3706 - Designing for Manufacture
(4.0 cr)
PDES 3711 - Product Innovation Lab
(4.0 cr)
PDES 3771 - Product Design Studio 3
(4.0 cr)
PDES 4701W - Product Design Studio 4
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
PDES 4702W - Capstone Design Studio
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
PHYS 1102W - Introductory College Physics II
[PHYS, WI]
(4.0 cr)
or
PHYS 1302W - Introductory Physics for Science and Engineering II
[PHYS, WI]
(4.0 cr)
CSCI 1103 - Introduction to Computer Programming in Java
(4.0 cr)
or
CSCI 1133 - Introduction to Computing and Programming Concepts
(4.0 cr)
ANTH 1003W - Understanding Cultures
[SOCS, GP, WI]
(4.0 cr)
Internships
Students perform two separate internships, one credit each term.
PDES 3196 - Product Design Internship
(2.0 cr)
Electives
Take 2 - 3 course(s) totaling 6 - 8 credit(s) from the following:
Interaction and Service
Take 0 - 3 course(s) totaling 0 - 6 credit(s) from the following:
·
ANTH 4035 - Ethnographic Research Methods
(3.0 cr)
·
CSCI 4611 - Programming Interactive Computer Graphics and Games
(3.0 cr)
·
CSCI 5127W - Embodied Computing: Design & Prototyping
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
DES 3309 - Storytelling and Design
(3.0 cr)
·
DES 4301 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
DES 5185 - Human Factors in Design
(3.0 cr)
·
GDES 2342 - Web Design
(3.0 cr)
·
GDES 3353 - Packaging and Display
(3.0 cr)
·
GDES 5341 - Interaction Design
(3.0 cr)
·
GDES 5386 - Fundamentals of Game Design
(3.0 cr)
·
HUMF 5001 - Foundations of Human Factors/Ergonomics
(3.0 cr)
·
HUMF 5874 - Human Centered Design to Improve Complex Systems
(4.0 cr)
·
PSY 3031 - Introduction to Sensation and Perception
(3.0 cr)
·
SCO 3051 - Service Management
(2.0 cr)
or
Entrepreneurship
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ANTH 4121 - Business Anthropology
(3.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4008 - Entrepreneurial Management
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4055 - Managing Innovation and Change In Action
(2.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4080W - Applied Technology Entrepreneurship
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4175W - New Business Feasibility and Planning
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4171W - Entrepreneurship in Action I
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4172 - Entrepreneurship in Action II
(4.0 cr)
or
Sustainability
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
CEGE 5571 {Inactive}
[GP]
(3.0-4.0 cr)
·
CEGE 5572 {Inactive}
(1.0-2.0 cr)
·
CEGE 5573 {Inactive}
(1.0-5.0 cr)
·
ESPM 3603 - Environmental Life Cycle Analysis
(3.0 cr)
·
ESPM 3605 - Recycling: Extending Raw Materials
[TS]
(3.0 cr)
·
GCC 5005 - Innovation for Changemakers: Design for a Disrupted World
[GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
MM 4311 - Sustainable Lean Manufacturing: Eliminating the Waste
(3.0 cr)
or
Design as Craft
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ANTH 5221 - Anthropology of Material Culture
(3.0 cr)
·
ARTS 1802 - Introduction to Sculpture: Understanding the Fundamentals of the Practice of Sculpture
[AH]
(4.0 cr)
·
ARTS 1801 - Introduction to Ceramics: Wheel-Throwing and Hand-Building Techniques
[AH]
(4.0 cr)
·
DES 3309 - Storytelling and Design
(3.0 cr)
·
DES 3321 - Furniture Design: Exploration
(3.0 cr)
·
DES 4322 - Furniture Design, Practice
(4.0 cr)
·
DES 3341 {Inactive}
(3.0 cr)
·
GDES 3353 - Packaging and Display
(3.0 cr)
·
MM 3305 - Advanced 3D Printing for Innovative Business Practices
(3.0 cr)
·
PDES 3705 - History and Future of Product Design
(3.0 cr)
·
PDES 3715 - Design and Food
(4.0 cr)
·
PDES 3704 - Computer-Aided Design 1: Solid Modeling and Rendering
(3.0 cr)
or
PDES 5704 - Computer-Aided Design Methods
(3.0 cr)
or
Marketing and Merchandising
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ADES 3217 - Fashion: Trends and Communication
(3.0 cr)
·
ANTH 4035 - Ethnographic Research Methods
(3.0 cr)
·
ANTH 4121 - Business Anthropology
(3.0 cr)
·
ANTH 5221 - Anthropology of Material Culture
(3.0 cr)
·
DES 3309 - Storytelling and Design
(3.0 cr)
·
GDES 3353 - Packaging and Display
(3.0 cr)
·
MKTG 3001 - Principles of Marketing
(3.0 cr)
·
MKTG 3011 - Marketing Research
(4.0 cr)
·
MKTG 3041 - Buyer Behavior
(4.0 cr)
·
RM 2215 - Introduction to Retail Merchandising
(3.0 cr)
·
RM 3243 - Visual Merchandising
(2.0 cr)
or
Production
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
MM 3001W - Manufacturing in the Global Economy
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
MM 4039 - The Science of Sourcing: Partnerships for Success
(3.0 cr)
·
MM 4201 - Quality Engineering and Management
(3.0 cr)
·
SCO 3001 - Sustainable Supply Chain and Operations
(3.0 cr)
·
SCO 3061 {Inactive}
(2.0 cr)
Upper Division Writing Intensive within the Major
Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
·
MGMT 4080W - Applied Technology Entrepreneurship
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4175W - New Business Feasibility and Planning
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4171W - Entrepreneurship in Action I
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PDES 4701W - Product Design Studio 4
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
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Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phys 1101W/Phys 1107 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phys 1201W/1301W/1401V/1501V |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Math 1271/Math 1381/Math 1571/ |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Math 1271/Math 1381/Math 1571/ |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 1.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | IBUS 3010/MGMT 3010/MGMT 3015 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | PDes 3711/PDes 5711 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | PHYS 1102W / PHYS 1108 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Phys 1202W/1302W/1402V/1502V |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | CSci 1133/CSci 1133H |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Anth 4121/Anth 5121 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Anth 1003W/Anth 1003V |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | DHA 4384/GDES 5341 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | HumF/Kin 5001 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Madr 3031/Psy 3031 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Anth 4121/Anth 5121 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | IBus 4050/Mgmt 4055 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Mgmt 4170/Mgmt 4177/Mgmt 5177 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | 03099 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | ESPM 3603/ESPM 5603 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | ESPM 3605/ESPM 5605 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | CEGE 5571/GCC 3005/GCC 5005 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Des 3321/DesI 3040 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Anth 4121/Anth 5121 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Mktg 3001/Mktg 3001H |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Mktg 3040/Mktg 3041 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Mgmt 4170/Mgmt 4177/Mgmt 5177 |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | 03099 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |