Interdepartmental Undergraduate Program
The Design Studies programs bring together courses that deal with the integrated study of the conceptualization, production, visible form, uses, and history of artifacts, buildings, and environments as well as the common qualities and connections among the design, art and planning fields.
Design Core Program
Design Core Program: 12 cr.
| DSNS 1020 | Design Studio I | 4 |
| DSNS 1150 | Design Collaborative Seminar | 1 |
| or DSNS 1100 | Design Exchange Seminar I | |
| DSNS 1310 | Drawing I | 4 |
| DSNS 1830 | Design in Context | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Undergraduate Minors
Minor - Critical Studies in Design
The undergraduate minor in Critical Studies in Design offers students opportunities to engage the history, theory and criticism of visual and material culture. In lectures and focused seminars, students explore historical and contemporary issues, including cultural production, the built environment, media and technology, design in everyday life, and models of professional practice. The minor is open to all undergraduates at Iowa State University.
Minor - Design Studies
The undergraduate minor in Design Studies is constructed to facilitate design awareness among interested students and to provide a vehicle for multi-disciplinary study within the College of Design. This minor is open to all undergraduate students at Iowa State University.
Minor - Digital Media
The undergraduate minor in Digital Media covers the knowledge and techniques for applying digital representations to generate designs and art. The body of knowledge specializes in the fields of design, art and planning. This minor is open to all undergraduate students at Iowa State University.
Minor - Geographic Information Science (GISC)
The undergraduate minor in Geographic Information Science (GISC) is an interdisciplinary program that provides students with opportunities to engage the theory, processes, techniques and tools that use spatial data and computational technology to create cutting-edge analysis and mapping approaches for a wide range of fields, such as urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, design, community development, agriculture, environmental sciences, natural resources, sociology, criminology, anthropology, political science, environmental studies and others. The minor is open to undergraduates in all university majors with a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 prior to enrolling.
Minor - Illustration
The undergraduate minor in Illustration is ideal for students interested in illustration for books, graphic novels, magazine articles, advertising and concept art for game design and film. This minor provides the ability to tailor a curriculum that serves these varied career interests, whether you want to work in the industry or freelance as an independent studio practitioner.
Minor - Preservation and Cultural Heritage
The undergraduate minor in Preservation and Cultural Heritage provides students with knowledge, skills, and credentials that complement undergraduate degrees in a wide variety of majors, but especially Architecture, Interior Design, Community & Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, and History. To these ends, the Minor has two major curricular objectives:
- Provide students with a holistic understanding of historic preservation that draws from the various departments involved, yet allows for the development of expertise within a student’s specific major.
- Provide a curriculum that conforms with the National Council for Preservation Education’s pedagogical guidelines and the Federal government’s Professional Qualification Standards for historic preservation under 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 61.
The Minor requires a minimum of 15 credit hours. At least six (6) credits need to be taken at the 3000 or above, and at least 9 of the 15 credits must not be used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement except the credit requirement for graduation.
Minor - Textile Design
The undergraduate minor in Textile Design allows students to focus specifically on the design and creation of textiles — a practice with applications in the fine arts, fashion and related fields. Open to undergraduates at the sophomore level and above enrolled in any College of Design major or in the Apparel, Merchandising and Design major in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
Minor - Urban Studies
The undergraduate minor in Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary program that emphasizes urban life in a variety of settings and from different disciplinary and methodological approaches. The Urban Studies minor will allow students to explore varied and multiple dimensions of urban and community life through differing conceptual and analytical frameworks. The minor is open to undergraduates in all university majors except Community & Regional Planning.
Additional information about minors is available in the Student Programs and Services Office, 297 College of Design.