Overview of the Graduate Program in Design Studies

PhD, MFA, and MS Programs

The Human Ecology Graduate Program in Design Studies is an interdisciplinary, advanced program of Environment, Textiles and Design in the School of Human Ecology. Degrees are offered at the Masters and PhD levels. As a program that integrates aesthetic, cultural, historical, physical, social and technological knowledge, students in Design Studies may select a specialization in Interior Environments or Textiles with an emphasis in one or a combination of these knowledge bases. A strength of the Design Studies program lies in the opportunity to work with a diverse and distinguished faculty comprised of professionally active scholars, designers and artists dedicated to excellence in teaching..

Application Overview

Applicants to the Human Ecology: Design Studies program must meet all admission requirements for the Graduate School. In addition to these requiremenst they must submit a 500-word essay stating the applicant's reason for pursuing a graduate degree, a specific topic of interest, and future professional goals. The application must also include three letters of recommendation from former professors or others familiar with your ability to pursue graduate study.
TOEFL scores are required for all international applicants. Applicants to the master's degree in a studio design emphasis must include an annotated portfolio of 20 slides or equivalent images on PC compatible disk. Applicants to all other areas of emphasis should include a research paper that they have written as a single author.
GRE scores are not required for the design studies program option.

Overview of Areas of Study

The Interior Environments specialization offers up-to-date knowledge and training in subject areas critical to the design of interior places. Subject interests may surround the relationship of human environments and behavioral needs of people, the history of interiors and its influence on contemporary design, as well as design visualization, design communication and analysis using both manual and digital media.

The Textile Specialization in Design Studies integrates and emphasizes three dominant subject areas: textile art and design, historical and cultural textiles, and physical and chemical science of textiles. Students gain mastery of knowledge and skill as well as an appreciation for the larger relationships and whole of the textile field.

At the doctoral level, students approach their studies as basic or applied research. At the masters level, students approach their studies as research or as studio performance. Those students taking a studio approach can apply for study leading to the Masters of Fine Arts degree (MFA).

Research and Studio Facilities

Within the department, students have access to a wide variety of academic resources to aid them in their studies and research. Some of them are a computer lab supporting design visualization, the Gallery of Design, Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, and the Ruth Ketterer Harris Collection of textile and design-related materials. In addition, students and faculty may collaborate with other departments within the School and on campus, such as Art, Art History, Architecture (at UW-Milwaukee), Landscape Architecture, Engineering, Folklore, and Forest Ecology and Management.

The Larger Academic Community at UW-Madison

The School and design faculty are also members of the Arts Institute, a collaborative campus institute dedicated to developing, promoting and administering interdisciplinary artist residencies, fellowships and awards and public programming for the benefit of the university and public.