Mailing Address: 375 South 1530 East , AAC, Rm 235, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Office Hours: M, T, W 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Website: https://www.uofu.design/program
Phone: 801-581-8254
Email: CAP-MDDesign@utah.edu
Mission Statement
Multi-Disciplinary Design cultivates a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to design practice that focuses on creative experimentation, innovative thinking, and critical problem-solving. By integrating design practices, technical skills, emerging technologies, and theoretical discourses, the program positions design as a mode of inquiry, synthesis, and action. The curriculum fosters a holistic design education, in which students develop specialized interests and expertise through critical research, hands-on making, and engagement with audiences and external partners—preparing them to navigate and shape evolving design careers and contexts.
Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Multi-Disciplinary Design is an undergraduate program centered on product design across three interconnected domains: physical, digital, and platform. The curriculum is organized around four integrated areas—Studio, Technical, History/Theory, and Practice—which together frame design as a critical, creative, and applied discipline. Through iterative studio exploration, technical development, historical and theoretical study, and engagement with professional contexts, students build conceptual depth, practical fluency, and hands-on problem-solving capabilities.
Graduates are prepared to navigate complexity with ethical awareness and social responsibility. The program equips graduates to respond thoughtfully and strategically to evolving technological, social, and environmental conditions within contemporary design practice.
Specific Program Concepts
The program prepares students to engage an increasingly complex professional landscape with ethical awareness and social responsibility. Through the following core concepts, students develop the intellectual, creative, and collaborative capacities necessary for contemporary design practice:
Experimentation with multiple modes of problem-solving
Visual strategy and communication
Innovation through critical and creative inquiry
Design leadership, team building, and collaboration
Identifying gaps, needs, and opportunities for impact
Design research methodologies
Human-centered design principles
Critical thinking skills
Project-based learning
Types of Degrees
Bachelor of Science
Minor
Undergraduate Programs
The BS Design is structured around a clearly articulated core body of knowledge and skills in design, providing a rigorous foundation in contemporary design practice. The curriculum prepares students to address complex challenges across physical, digital, social, and systemic contexts through design research, studio-based learning, and applied practice. All students complete a shared core emphasizing design process and iteration, research and inquiry, visual communication, making and technical fluency, ethical and socio-environmental responsibility, collaboration, and professional practice. Building on this foundation, students may choose to focus on one of three emphases: Physical Product Design, Digital Product Design, or Open Track.
The Physical Product Design Emphasis focuses on material systems, fabrication, and prototyping.
The Digital Product Design Emphasis focuses on interaction, systems, experience-driven design, and UI/UX.
The Open Track provides a structured, faculty-guided pathway for hybrid or emergent design practices, while maintaining equivalent rigor, oversight, and capstone requirements.
The curriculum culminates in a required capstone experience through which all students demonstrate synthesis of learning, independence, and professional readiness. This takes the form of a two semester sequence in which students develop a research focus and final design in their senior year.
In addition students are required to participate in an internship to develop professional experience and complement their education within the program.
Additional Information
Scholarship/Fellowship Opportunities
Department and College level resources can be found on the College of Architecture and Planning student resource site: https://www.cap.utah.edu/resources/. The College offers Scholarship opportunities each semester.
Financial Aid/ Support Information
Upper division students (juniors and seniors) may apply for TA/RA positions. For more information please contact:
Claudine Pungu
Multi-Disciplinary Design Administrative Officer
claudine@design.utah.edu
Facilities, Centers or Labs
A description of our Facilities can be found here: https://www.cap.utah.edu/facilities-home/