Undergraduate program

Undergraduate education in industrial design at Georgia Tech leads to the Bachelor of Science degree in industrial design that is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The undergraduate education prepares students for a career in design practice as well as for graduate education in industrial design and in related fields.  The industrial design program at Georgia tech is the only industrial design program in the Georgia University system.

Industrial design is the professional practice of creating products that enhance the function, usability, value and appearance of products with the goal of benefiting the user, manufacturer, community and the environment. Also known as product design, the industrial design education prepares students to design systems and tangible artifacts including consumer and recreational products, business and industrial products, medical and computer equipment, and transportation and environments. Both generalist and specialist, industrial designers tend to part artist, part entrepreneur and part engineer.

Cross disciplinary education is the primary focus of the four year industrial design program. The university education provides: 1) an understanding of the arts (liberal and visual arts), technology (engineering and sciences), humanities (sociology and psychology) and management (marketing and branding), 2) a collaborative and shared education through an emphasis on the design studio, and 3) an opportunity to periodically participate in real life design projects through sponsored studio projects. The program offers a well rounded course of study with an emphasis on critical thinking, basic design, design skills and design communication. There are six industrial design studios after the two common freshman year studios. The industrial design studios focus on a sequential learning path which begins with form making to product design to post design that involves development and manufacturing. Design projects stress on developing a well rounded education through an exposure to academic and professional considerations. The program encourages students to develop a diverse background in order to expand individual talents and respond to the emerging opportunities in the field. Faculty members are scholars and design practitioners, giving students the opportunity to learn about both.

All work executed in the college becomes the property of the college and will be retained or returned at the discretion of the faculty. The faculty also reserves the right to refuse credit for any project executed outside the precincts of the college or otherwise executed without proper coordination with the instructor.