Undergraduate Graduate
Veterinary Medicine A-Z Courses
Registration and Policies Index
Schedule of Classes University Homepage
Archive Colleges and Schools
Faculty List Apply Now »

your adventure in

College of Design

Select a section...

This is an archived copy of the 2019-2020 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

View PDF

Luis Rico-Gutierrez - Dean
Cameron Campbell - Senior Associate Dean
Seda McKilligan - Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Kevin Kane - Associate Dean for Research and Outreach

www.design.iastate.edu/

Objectives of the Curricula in Design

The College of Design is among a small number of comprehensive design schools offering outstanding opportunities for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary education.

The College of Design strives to provide each student with a broad educational background and preparation in a specific design or art discipline. Each program is designed to develop knowledge and appreciation of the physical and cultural environment, to stimulate creative thinking and analysis, and to prepare students for participation in a wide variety of careers.

The college’s programs also encompass many opportunities for individualized study and extracurricular activities such as visiting lectures and symposia, workshops, gallery exhibits, practicum and internship programs, field trips, and international study programs.

Graduates of the college are employed in private firms, government, industry, and education, or are self-employed as designers or artists. Opportunities for graduates include careers as architects, landscape architects, community and regional planners, graphic designers, industrial designers, interior designers, studio artists, arts administrators and environmental designers.

Organization of Curricula

All undergraduate programs in the College of Design share a common foundation curriculum, the Core Design Program, followed by degree-specific curricula. The Core Design Program grounds the undergraduate degree programs and provides a rich, rigorous, inclusive base for the college's professional and non-professional programs. It creates a shared language, experience, and community for programs, faculty, and students and exposes students to all design disciplines, allowing them to make more informed degree choices, apply to multiple degree programs, and experiment with interdisciplinary work.

The intense, discipline-specific professional curricula that follow the Core Design Program focus on developing students’ ability and knowledge in their major. Within the major area, students advance creative and professional skills through classroom and studio work, critiques of student projects, discussion with professional practitioners, and field studies.

General education, contained in both the Core Design Program and the degree programs, is composed to ensure that students receive a well-rounded undergraduate education.

High School Preparation

Courses in fine arts and design that develop visualization and freehand drawing abilities are highly recommended, though not required for entrance. Students planning to enroll in an academic program in the College of Design must complete the following high school requirements:

  • 4 years of English, including coursework in composition and literature and up to 1 year of speech and/or journalism, to develop communication skills and critical reading/writing ability
  • 3 years of mathematics to develop problem-solving skills, including 1 year each of algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra
  • 3 years of science, including at least two of the following:
    • 1 year of biology, 1 year of chemistry, or 1 year of physics
  • 2 years of social studies, including at least 1 year of U.S. history and 1 semester of U.S. government

Admission Standards to Enrollment-Managed Professional Programs

Admission into the enrollment-managed professional programs of Architecture, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Integrated Studio Arts, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture requires a separate application after completing the Core Design Program, depends on available resources, and is subject to review by faculty committee. Applicants are reviewed on the basis of a portfolio of original work, academic performance, and a written essay.

Students may apply directly to the professional program in Community and Regional Planning and to the programs in Art and Design and Interdisciplinary Design. Transfer students from two-year institutions also may apply to these three programs.

Advising

Each student receives personal assistance from an academic adviser within the student’s curriculum area. Students enrolled in the college’s Core Design Program are advised by professional advisers. Once admitted to professional programs, students are assigned to faculty advisers within the student’s curriculum area. Advisers help students develop a program of study and access pertinent university resources, and provide information on career choice.

The college’s career services office works with students to develop their career goals as well as prepare and search for employment.

Honors Program

The College of Design participates in the Honors Program, which provides opportunities for outstanding students to individualize their programs of study. Honors students in the College of Design will work with the Honors Program chair or Honors academic adviser to choose from academic and co-curricular experiences that offer breadth and depth in their learning, as well as opportunities for personal, community, and professional development.
See Honors Program.

Departments of the College

  • Architecture
  • Art and Visual Culture
  • Community and Regional Planning
  • Graphic Design
  • Industrial Design
  • Interior Design
  • Landscape Architecture

Requirements in the College of Design

All students in the College of Design are expected to meet the following requirements.

Core Design Program

Cr. Fall/Spring

DSN S 102Design Studio I4
DSN S 115Design Collaborative Seminar *0.5
DSN S 131Drawing I4
DSN S 183Design in Context3
Social Science/Humanities Electives **6
Math/Science Electives ***6
Communications7
General Education
International Perspective: 3 cr.
U.S. Diversity: 3 cr.
Communications: 7 cr.
ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition3
LIB 160Information Literacy1
Total Credits7

(C- or better grade). Includes courses in the fields of English (composition) and speech communication (interpersonal and rhetorical). According to the university-wide Communication Proficiency Grade Requirement, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 250 (or ENGL 250H).

Mathematics, physical sciences, and biological sciences 6 cr.

Includes courses in the fields of agronomy, astronomy and astrophysics, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, geology, mathematics, physics, and statistics.

Humanities: 6 cr.

Includes courses in the fields of classical studies, English (literature), foreign languages, history, philosophy, religious studies, as well as history/theory/literature courses in dance, music, theater, journalism, African American studies, American Indian studies, environmental studies, Latino/a studies, women’s studies, and university studies.

Social Sciences: 6 cr.

Includes courses in the fields of African American studies, American Indian studies, anthropology, economics, environmental studies, geography, human development and family studies, Latino/a studies, psychology and sociology, women’s studies, and university studies.

General Education Electives: 9 cr.

9 cr. from any of the above areas, 6 cr. of course level 300-400.

Minor in 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 and the built environment. In lectures and focused seminars, students explore historical and contemporary issues, including cultural production, media and technology, design in everyday life, and models of professional practice. The minor is open to undergraduates in all university majors.

Total minor requirements: 15 cr.
ART H 292Introduction to Visual Culture Studies3
DSN S 183Design in Context3
or another 100-200 level History/theory course offered in the College of Design
Nine credit hours from approved list. 9
Total Credits15

At least six of the 15 credits must be taken at Iowa State University in courses numbered 300 or above. At least nine of the 15 credits must not be used to meet any other college or university requirements except the credit requirement for graduation.

Undergraduate Curricula

Majors

*The College of Design participates in this interdepartmental major.

Secondary Majors

Minors

*The College of Design participates in these interdepartmental secondary majors and minors.

Minor in 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 and the built environment. In lectures and focused seminars, students explore:

  • historical and contemporary issues
  • cultural production
  • media and technology
  • design in everyday life
  • models of professional practice

Minor in Design Studies

The undergraduate minor in Design Studies is constructed to facilitate design awareness among interested students and to provide a vehicle for interdisciplinary study within the College of Design. This minor is open to all undergraduate students at Iowa State University.

This minor requires fifteen credits of course work: three credits selected from College of Design history/theory course offerings and twelve additional credits selected from any College of Design course offerings.

At least six of the fifteen credits must be taken at Iowa State University in courses numbered 300 or above. At least nine of the fifteen credits must not be used to meet any other college or university requirements except the credit requirement for graduation.

Students enrolled in the College of Design may not use courses required in their major degree programs or in the Core Design Program to satisfy this minor.

Minor in Digital Media

Manipulation of digital media has emerged as an essential skill for design inquiry alongside traditional methods of building models and drawing sketches. To familiarize students with the use of digital media in the design process, the College of Design offers an undergraduate Minor in Digital Media. This minor is open to all undergraduate students at Iowa State University.

This minor requires fifteen credits of coursework from an approved list.  At least nine of the fifteen credits must be taken at Iowa State University in courses numbered 300 or above and may not be used to meet the requirements of the major.

Minor in Entrepreneurial Studies

 The College of Design is an active participant in the Entrepreneurial Studies Minor for undergraduate students.

MINOR IN Geographic Information Science

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 IN 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. Students can pursue interests in:

  • urban history
  • urban design
  • neighborhood revitalization
  • economic development
  • social movements
  • global urbanization

The minor is open to undergraduates in all university majors except Community & Regional Planning.

Graduate Curricula

The College of Design offers graduate study in the areas shown below. Graduate study is conducted through the Graduate College. Details are found in the Graduate College section of this catalog.

Majors

Double Degree Programs

  • Architecture / Business
  • Architecture / Community and Regional Planning
  • Architecture / Urban Design
  • Architecture / Sustainable Environments
  • Community and Regional Planning / Landscape Architecture
  • Community and Regional Planning/ Public Administration
  • Community and Regional Planning / Sustainable Agriculture
  • Community and Regional Planning / Business
  • Community and Regional Planning / Urban Design
  • Community and Regional Planning / Sustainable Environments
  • Integrated Visual Arts / Sustainable Environments
  • Landscape Architecture / Urban Design
  • Landscape Architecture / Sustainable Environments

Minor

  • Gerontology*

*The College of Design participates in this interdepartmental graduate program.

Certificate

Geographic Information Systems