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)
DES 2101 - Design and Visual Presentation
(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)
or
PHYS 1401V - Honors Physics 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.
At least 19 credits upper division credits in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
Product Design Core
DES 3201 - Career and Internship Preparation for Design
(1.0 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 3705 - History and Future of Product Design
(3.0 cr)
PDES 3706 - Designing for Manufacture
(4.0 cr)
PDES 3711 - Product Innovation Lab
(4.0 cr)
PDES 3737 - Product Design Portfolio
(2.0 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)
DES 5185 - Human Factors in Design
(3.0 cr)
EE 1301 - Introduction to Computing Systems
(4.0 cr)
or
CSCI 1103 - Introduction to Computer Programming in Java
(4.0 cr)
Internship
Students must perform one internship, 2 credits.
PDES 3196 - Product Design Internship
(2.0 cr)
Electives
Take a minimum of 4 classes and a minimum of 13 credits from the following list of electives. You can choose electives from the same category if you want to focus your educational experience or you can choose electives across multiple categories. Some electives are listed in multiple categories. Some categories do not have enough credits to meet the minimum and require you to select from multiple categories.
Take 4 or more course(s) totaling 13 or more credit(s) from the following:
Traditional Industrial Design
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ARTS 3140 - Figure Drawing
(4.0 cr)
·
DES 3131 - User Experience in Design
(4.0 cr)
·
DES 4322 - Furniture Design, Practice
(4.0 cr)
·
PDES 3714 - Computer-Aided Design Methods 2: Surface Modeling and Rendering
(3.0 cr)
·
Wearable Technology
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ADES 4215 - Product Development: Softlines
(4.0 cr)
·
ARTS 3140 - Figure Drawing
(4.0 cr)
·
DES 5901 - Principles of Wearable Technology
(2.0 cr)
·
DES 5902 - Wearable Technology Laboratory Practicum
(2.0 cr)
·
User Experience
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ARTS 3140 - Figure Drawing
(4.0 cr)
·
DES 3131 - User Experience in Design
(4.0 cr)
·
DES 3132 - Service Design Studio
(3.0 cr)
·
GDES 2342 - Web Design
(3.0 cr)
·
Design Research
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
ANTH 4035 - Ethnographic Research Methods
(3.0 cr)
·
ANTH 4121 - Business Anthropology
(3.0 cr)
·
DES 3132 - Service Design Studio
(3.0 cr)
·
ESPM 3603 - Environmental Life Cycle Analysis
(3.0 cr)
·
Product Engineering
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
CSCI 5127W - Embodied Computing: Design & Prototyping
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
ESPM 3603 - Environmental Life Cycle Analysis
(3.0 cr)
·
ME 2011 - Introduction to Engineering
(4.0 cr)
·
SCO 3001 - Sustainable Supply Chain and Operations
(3.0 cr)
·
Entrepeneurship
Take 0 or more course(s) from the following:
·
GCC 3005 - Innovation for Changemakers: Design for a Disrupted World
[GP]
(3.0 cr)
·
LAW 5026 - Intellectual Property In Practice
(1.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4080W - Applied Technology Entrepreneurship
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4171W - Entrepreneurship in Action I
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4172 - Entrepreneurship in Action II
(4.0 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:
·
CSCI 5127W - Embodied Computing: Design & Prototyping
[WI]
(3.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4080W - Applied Technology Entrepreneurship
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
MGMT 4171W - Entrepreneurship in Action I
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PDES 4701W - Product Design Studio 4
[WI]
(4.0 cr)
·
PDES 4702W - Capstone Design Studio
[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 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: | Phys 1201W/1301W/1401V/1501V |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
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] |
Course Equivalencies: | AnSc 3011/ESPM 3012/Stat 3011/ |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 1.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
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: | 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 Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | PDes 3711/PDes 5711 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
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 |
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 or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 12.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | ArtS 3140/ArtS 3112 |
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 & 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 or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 12.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | ArtS 3140/ArtS 3112 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 12.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | ArtS 3140/ArtS 3112 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & 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 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] |
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: | Every Fall |
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] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | ESPM 3603/ESPM 5603 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
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 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | CEGE 5571/GCC 3005/GCC 5005 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Summer |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 1.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Law 5026/Law 6926 |
Grading Basis: | S-N only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Mgmt 4170/Mgmt 4177/Mgmt 5177 |
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 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 & Spring |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 1.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Law 5026/Law 6926 |
Grading Basis: | S-N only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
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: | 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] |
Typically offered: | Fall Even Year |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | Mgmt 4170/Mgmt 4177/Mgmt 5177 |
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 |