Graduate Admissions

Upload your portfolio as a single pdf of no more than 20 pages, with a file size of 10mb or less. If your file exceeds the size limit, you may upload a second multipage pdf. You can also upload individual image (jpg) and/or video (mov) files. Images should be no larger than 1280 by 1280 pixels at 72 pixels per inch; video files should be no larger than 20mb.

We look for evidence of work that demonstrates and articulates an emerging and serious interest in design. Successful applications have included self-initiated art and design projects, art or design work produced in extension courses, professional work wholly designed by the applicant, photography showcasing thematic perspectives or aesthetic approaches, and past degree projects that illuminate the application in specific ways.

Strong applications connect portfolio images with ideas and visions expressed in the essay. The essay should also clearly indicate your interest in and path to design. How do you understand design? What do you want it to accomplish? What do you want to help to accomplish through design?

Students applying to the MDes Industrial Design Three-Year Program may submit two at-home design exercises in lieu of a traditional portfolio. Applicants may submit additional portfolio materials, but the portfolio requirement is fulfilled by the two exercises.

No. For students who do not have a design degree or design portfolio, we offer a three-year option in both Graphic Design and Industrial Design. Applicants who do not have a design degree but are able to meet the portfolio requirements for the two-year degree will be considered for the two-year degree.

No. Any student who is able to meet the portfolio requirements for the two-year program will be considered for that program.

Our program is not structured for part-time study. MDes students take no fewer than 16 credits (4 classes) each semester while enrolled.

No.

Students who meet the January 15 deadline should receive an admission update by the second week of March.

All applicants are considered for available School of Design funding as part of the regular application review. Applicants who submit before January 15 receive priority consideration for funding allocated to incoming students.

Typically, students seek additional funding from UIC in the form of graduate assistantships, which cover the cost of tuition and some fees, and/or graduate hourly positions on campus. Many of our students are able to obtain on-campus employment during their graduate studies.

Yes. During the final year of study, all students are considered for limited and highly competitive teaching assistantships in the School of Design’s Foundation program.

While the university offers some centralized student employment resources, the recruitment and hiring process for teaching or research assistants and support positions in other departments is typically conducted through those individual departments. While the process is not always straightforward, School of Design students have often had very rewarding experiences seeking out and finding positions across campus. Some students even find that their experiences in other departments inform research related to what becomes a thesis project. The first place to start looking for positions is the UICJob Board and via Handshake, UIC’s student employment platform.

No. Currently, neither of our MDes degrees is STEM-designated. Our programs do not qualify international graduate students for extended Optional Practical Training (OPT).