MA/MS in Design and Applied Arts

Washington University's College of Art offers this two-year master's degree for students who want to shape digital products with attention to their wider consequences. Technology is treated as something with social and ethical weight, and coursework keeps those questions close to practical design work. Over four semesters on campus in St. Louis, students move between design and engineering studios and seminars covering critical methods, history, entrepreneurship and leadership. A research studio threads through every term and ties the other courses together. Each semester brings both solo and group projects, such as physical and digital prototypes and usability studies using qualitative and quantitative methods. Because the university is a major research institution, students can learn alongside faculty from other departments. Alumni pursue paths such as senior UX or product design, founding a company, joining an early-stage team or entering academia. Support includes partial or full tuition awards, fellowships, paid assistantships and loans.