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that of the student body, creates a vibrant
community of visual researchers
re-defining the role of industrial design
in society.
At Pratt, Industrial Design students
and faculty share a common goal: to
encourage individual growth to its highest
potential. The many courses offered at
Pratt enable students to fully develop
their interests and talents. Students
choose core studio courses—focusing on
product, furniture, strategy, exhibition,
and tabletop design—to develop a clear
understanding of aesthetics, creating
objects and experiences of enduring
value and meaning that embody respect
and sensitivity for people and their
environment. Our mission is to teach
aesthetic value through abstraction and
form development as well as pragmatism,
focusing on the principles of accessibility,
responsibility, and creativity.
Design projects and problems—
including those that focus on social
responsibility, universal accessibility,
marketing, production, cultural heritage,
and aesthetic content—represent the
varied texture of Pratt’s New York City
location. Pratt also maintains strong ties
to industry through corporate-supported
programs. Fortune 500 companies are
regular sponsors of Pratt ID competitions
and studios, offering subjects from
re-thinking the user experience to
business strategy, bringing essential
industry knowledge into the classroom.
Internships in design consultancies and
corporate offices are encouraged, and
have proved to be valuable learning
experiences that cannot be duplicated in a
purely academic setting.
The Program’s Structure
A minimum of 48 credits of study is
required for a Master of Industrial
Design degree. An additional 11 credits
and enrollment beyond four semesters is
required for applicants who do not have a
background in industrial design.
The Industrial Design program’s
first year provides a specified curriculum
of required courses, while later study is
a blend of structured courses, elective
study in areas of specialized interest,
core studio courses, and design research,
culminating in a master’s thesis. The
thesis provides the greatest possible
freedom and opportunity for pursuit of
a selected topic and is done under the
direction of a faculty advisor. Thesis
candidates are expected to demonstrate
the full range of design skills, including
drawing, rendering, computer modeling,
3-D modeling, color, and design
methodology, as well as historical and
contemporary issues, participating in
the critical dialogue of designed objects
and environments in their final projects.
Topics have ranged from social and
environmental responsibility to urban
living; form, structure, and aesthetic
development and mathematics to
biochemistry and bio-mimicry; from
design curricula for developing nations
to the impact of emerging philosophies,
materials, and technologies on world
cultures.
Students register for six credits of
thesis over one year, which culminates in
a formal presentation and exhibition of
work accomplished.
All work for the degree must
be completed within seven calendar
years after initial registration as a
graduate student.
Right: Cappellini Showroom exhibition of Furniture Studio
designs by grad students of Professor Mark GoetzPage 148: Top: Mahtab Pedrami; Bottom: David HsuPage 149: Chris Richard