Are you interested in developing products that are innovative, useful, safe, aesthetically appropriate, ecologically sound and socially beneficial? Then the industrial design profession might be for you. Come join world class professors and learn to serve the needs of consumers, manufacturers and the environment.
Industrial designers are responsible for the design of product and service systems that people use in their everyday lives. The BSD in industrial design at ASU focuses on a new model of transdisciplinary product development called integrated innovation. Using this model of innovation, students systematically work through a matrix of four questions:
- What is valuable to users?
- What is possible through engineering?
- What is desirable to business?
- What is good for society and the environment?
Students learn how to create product and service systems that benefit society while minimizing impacts on the environment, that can be realized through appropriate technology and engineering, that create measurable value for business, and which satisfy people's needs.
All students who are admitted to the major must pass a degree milestone to continue in the major at the end of the first year. For more information on the milestone process, students should visit https://design.asu.edu/resources/students/milestones.
This is an eight-semester program requiring sequential completion of studio coursework or approved equivalent at any point of entry.
At A Glance
Industrial Design, BSD
- Offered by: Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Location: Tempe
- First Required Math Course: MAT 170 - Precalculus
- Math Intensity: Moderate
Required Courses
A major map outlines a major's critical requirements, courses, and optimal course sequence and aids students in remaining on track to graduation.
While circumstances vary between students and their paths towards graduation (utilizing placement testing to fulfill required math or foreign language courses, fulfilling multiple General Studies requirements with one course, etc.), completing the courses listed in a major map fulfills all of the requirements for graduation.
Application requirements
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements:
Affording college
Scholarships
Find and apply for relevant scholarships.
Financial Aid
ASU has many financial aid options. Almost everyone, regardless
of income, can qualify for some form of financial aid. In fact,
more than 70 percent of all ASU students receive some form of
financial assistance every year.
Career outlook
After completing the program successfully, graduates have the option of working as designers in several capacities:
They may obtain employment as members of in-house design teams at corporations in a variety of industries including, but not limited to:
- consumer goods
- furniture
- health care and medical products
- packaging design
- sports and outdoor goods
- toys
- trade show and exhibit design
- transportation and mobility device design
- user interface design
Graduates may obtain employment with consulting firms that design products and services for a variety of clients. They may obtain employment with nonprofit institutions or nongovernmental organizations addressing specific social or environmental problems. They may pursue entrepreneurship opportunities; some graduates have established their own design and manufacturing ventures. Or, graduates may pursue teaching a variety of courses in art and design schools, colleges or universities, part time or full time.
Example careers
Students who complete this degree program may be prepared for the following careers. Advanced degrees or certifications may be required for academic or clinical positions. Career examples include but are not limited to:
| Career | *growth | *median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Special Effects Artists and Animators | 4.1% | $77,700 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 5.6% | $69,690 |
| Electrical and Electronics Drafters | 0.5% | $62,100 |
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.8% | $65,440 |
| Graphic Designers | -3.8% | $53,380 |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers | -3.5% | $71,640 |
| Mechanical Drafters | -8.3% | $58,270 |
| Manufacturing Engineers | 10.1% | $88,950 |
| Set and Exhibit Designers | 1.2% | $58,180 |
| Web Developers |
* Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
- Bright Outlook
- Green Occupation
What are Accelerated Programs at ASU?
ASU students may accelerate their studies by earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years (for some programs) or by earning a bachelor’s degree in 2.5 or 3 years.
Accelerated bachelor's and master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving undergraduate students who want the opportunity to combine undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master’s degree. These programs, featuring the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty, allow students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years.
Accelerated bachelor’s degree programs allow students to choose either a 2.5- or a 3-year path while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students can opt to fast-track their studies after acceptance into a participating program by connecting with their academic advisor.