Product Design BS
Major: Product Design
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 191.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 11.0105
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 15-1255; 27-1021; 27-1024; 27-1029
About the Program
Product Design combines the fields of art, engineering, technology, psychology, business, and sociology to design the products, services, and experiences people interact with every day. The program in Product Design focuses on creativity and intellect, while preparing students for careers in a range of product design fields including corporate product design, design consulting, design research, experiential design, entrepreneurial endeavors, sustainable product development, and social impact design initiatives.
The major in Product Design is centered on teaching students the technical skills to develop and design products, services, and experiences for a vast array of industries as well as the strategic problem-finding and problem-solving skills that can be applied across a variety of contexts. Product Design majors will learn design research methods focused on product development, commercialization, and user experience. It will also encourage diverse collaboration to address opportunities in sustainability, social impact design, health, technology, and interdisciplinary product development and innovation.
Students have the opportunity to create products ranging from consumer products, furniture, and toys to medical devices, wearable technology, and interactive experiences through design studio courses, competitions, and campus design jams. Students learn in state-of-the-art facilities that include studios, a modeling shop, digital fabrication lab (laser cutters, 3D printers, and CNC routers), and a smart product lab. The shops, labs, and studios are collaborative, design-centered spaces, built to promote and sustain the studio culture students will enter upon graduation.
Students enrolled in the Product Design major are encouraged to pursue a minor outside of Product Design which allows them to apply their design capabilities toward a specific area of expertise.
Additional Information
For more information about this major, visit the College's Product Design page.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the following requirements for graduation, students enrolled in the Product Design major are encouraged to pursue a minor outside of Product Design that will allow them to apply their design capabilities toward a specific area of expertise.
General Education Requirements | ||
CHEM 201 | Why Things Work: Everyday Chemistry | 3.0 |
CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development * | 1.0 |
COM 220 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3.0 |
ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
IDM 214 | Human Factors Engineering | 3.0 |
MATH 101 | Introduction to Analysis I | 4.0 |
PHYS 170 | Electricity and Motion | 3.0 |
PHYS 171 | Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion | 1.0 |
PSY 101 | General Psychology I | 3.0 |
UNIV A101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
Required Arts and Humanities-students elect a minimum of 6.0 credits ** | 6.0 | |
Required Social Science-students elect a minimum of 3.0 credits *** | 3.0 | |
Required Art History-students elect a minimum of 9.0 credits † | 9.0 | |
Free electives | 27.0 | |
Visual Studies Requirements | ||
PHTO 110 | Photography | 3.0 |
PHTO 234 | Studio Photography | 4.0 |
VSCM 230 | Visual Communication I | 4.0 |
VSST 101 | Design I | 4.0 |
VSST 102 | Design II | 4.0 |
VSST 103 | Design III | 4.0 |
VSST 110 | Introductory Drawing | 3.0 |
VSST 111 | Figure Drawing I | 3.0 |
WEST 107 | Maker Workshop | 3.0 |
Select one of the following: | 4.0 | |
Multimedia: Performance | ||
Multimedia: Space | ||
Multimedia: Materials | ||
Product Design Requirements | ||
DSMR 100 | Computer Imaging I | 3.0 |
DSMR 201 | Analysis of Product | 3.0 |
ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4.0 |
MATE 120 | Modern Materials in Your World | 3.0 |
MATE 121 | Mechanical Behavior of Materials for Product Design | 1.0 |
MGMT 260 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 4.0 |
PROD 101 | History and Analysis of Product Design | 3.0 |
PROD 205 | Applied Making I | 3.0 |
PROD 210 | Introduction to Product Design | 3.0 |
PROD 220 | Product Design Form Studio | 4.0 |
PROD 225 | Computer Aided Imagining in Product Design | 3.0 |
PROD 230 | Product Design Process Studio | 4.0 |
PROD 235 | Applied Design Visualization | 3.0 |
PROD 245 | Seminar Professional Landscape | 3.0 |
PROD 255 | Applied Materials in Product Design | 3.0 |
PROD 265 | Introduction to CAD Product Design | 3.0 |
PROD 275 | Visual Communication for Product Design | 3.0 |
PROD 340 | Interdisciplinary Product Design Studio | 4.0 |
PROD 345 | Applied Human Centered Design | 3.0 |
PROD 425 | Applied Design Research | 3.0 |
PROD 460 | Research Synthesis Studio | 4.0 |
PROD 470 | Create Build Studio | 4.0 |
PROD 475 | Professional Practice in Product Design | 3.0 |
PROD 480 | Exhibition Studio | 4.0 |
Optional Product Design Electives | ||
Design Thinking in Product Design | ||
Smart Product Design | ||
Special Topics in Product Design | ||
Special Topics in Product Design | ||
Special Topics in Product Design | ||
Special Topics in Product Design | ||
Independent Study in Product Design | ||
Independent Study in Product Design | ||
Independent Study in Product Design | ||
Independent Study in Product Design | ||
Total Credits | 191.0 |
- *
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
- **
Select 6.0 credits from 100-499 level, including T380-T480 in AFAS, ARCH, ARTH, COM, DANC, ENGL, FMST, GST, HIST, INTR, IST, JWST, LANG, LING, MENA, MUSC, PHIL, PHTO, PPE, PBHL, RELS, SCRP, THTR, TVST, VSCM, WGST, WRIT
- ***
Select 3.0 credits from 100-499 level courses, including T380-T480 in AFAS, ANTH, CJS, CS, ECON, ENSS, ENVS, PSCI, PSY, PBHL, SOC, WGST
- †
Select 9.0 credits from 100-499 level courses, including T380 and T480, in ARTH
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
4 year, 1 coop
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | VACATION | |
PROD 101 | 3.0 | DSMR 100 | 3.0 | MATH 101 | 4.0 | ||
UNIV A101 | 1.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | VSST 103 | 4.0 | ||
VSST 101 | 4.0 | VSST 102 | 4.0 | VSST 111 | 3.0 | ||
VSST 110 | 3.0 | WEST 107 | 3.0 | Art History Elective | 3.0 | ||
Art History Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
14 | 17 | 17 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
PROD 205 | 3.0 | MATE 120 | 3.0 | CHEM 201 | 3.0 | COOP 101* | 1.0 |
PROD 220 | 4.0 | MATE 121 | 1.0 | DSMR 201 | 3.0 | PHTO 110 | 3.0 |
PROD 235 | 3.0 | PROD 210 | 3.0 | ECON 201 | 4.0 | PROD 225 | 3.0 |
VSST 201, 202, or 203 | 4.0 | PROD 265 | 3.0 | PROD 230 | 4.0 | PROD 245 | 3.0 |
Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | VSCM 230 | 4.0 | PROD 275 | 3.0 | PROD 255 | 3.0 |
Arts and Humanities Elective | 3.0 | Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||
17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
PHYS 170 | 3.0 | COM 220 | 3.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
PHYS 171 | 1.0 | IDM 214 | 3.0 | ||||
PROD 340 | 4.0 | PHTO 234 | 4.0 | ||||
PSY 101 | 3.0 | PROD 345 | 3.0 | ||||
Free Elective | 3.0 | Free Elective | 3.0 | ||||
Social Science Elective | 3.0 | ||||||
17 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
PROD 425 | 3.0 | PROD 470 | 4.0 | MGMT 260 | 4.0 | ||
PROD 460 | 4.0 | PROD 475 | 3.0 | PROD 480 | 4.0 | ||
Art History Elective | 3.0 | Free Electives | 6.0 | Free Electives | 6.0 | ||
Free Electives | 6.0 | ||||||
16 | 13 | 14 | |||||
Total Credits 191 |
- *
COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.
Co-op/Career Opportunities
Product designers have careers in a wide range of industries including consumer electronics, housewares, furniture, fashion accessories, medical devices, toys, automotive and transportation. The work of product designers improves the usefulness and appearance of countless products that contribute to the quality of our work and personal lives.
Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.