Important Dates
- Completed application and portfolio due by March 1
- Student notification Last Monday in March
Program Description
The minor program provides an overview of the field of Design. It is intended to enable students from other majors to understand Design well enough so they can interact effectively with professional designers. Entry into the program and course registration is contingent upon the student's ability to demonstrate an acceptable level of design skills and aptitude, as well as space availability in the program. Students must receive approval and course counseling for a minor in Design from the School of Design Academic Advisor before beginning the sequence of required and elective courses. Through this advising system, a curriculum sequence will be chosen to meet the student's specific needs and fit within the School of Design's current course capacities. Students will receive email notification of acceptance into or rejection from the Design minor program by the end of March. The reasons for acceptance or rejection are held in the strictest confidence and are not available to the applicants.
Application requirements
- The completed application form, which will include below. Please be sure to include the name and email of your home department advisor.
- Your unofficial transcript. You can include a PDF with the application form below or you may print out an unofficial copy of your transcript from your SIO.
- Portfolio Submission. Including a link to your online portfolio is preferable and can be found in the application below. For those who do not have a Portfolio, the Design Project may be substituted. The Design Project may be downloaded here and completed prior to the due date. Alternatively, the Portfolio or Project may be dropped off at the Design Office in Margaret Morrison 110 on or before the review date listed above.
Evaluation Criteria
- Your demonstrated design abilities in your Portfolio, or in the Design Project review.
- Your personal statement.
- Your academic transcripts.
Portfolio Guidelines
Work may be submitted in its original form, online with a provided URL, or via a shared CMU Box folder.
- Include 10-15 examples of your best work from a variety of media. Any medium is acceptable, but variety is important.
- Include your name and a brief description of each piece.
- Include a sketchbook if you have one. The sketchbook can count only as one piece.
Note - Faculty conduct portfolio reviews without students present. Be sure your work can be interpreted in your absence.
Courses and Scheduling
You need 54 units in Design courses to complete a minor. There are three 9 unit required courses in the Design minor track (for a total of 27 units).
Required Courses:
51-261 or 262 Design Center: Design for Interaction for Communications (9 units)
51-264 Design Center: Design for Interaction for Products (9 units)
51-173 Design Center: Human Experience in Design (9 units)
Three Design Electives:
51-xxx (9 units)
51-xxx (9 units)
51-xxx (9 units)
The balance of coursework (27 units of Design Electives) is drawn from Design courses that are scheduled in consultation with the Design Advisor. You must have Design Advisor approval before registering for these courses.
Registration
A limited number of spaces are held for minors. It is the student's responsibility to submit an instructor permission form for each requested course before Registration Week. After Registration Week, the reserved spaces will be given to other students