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Design

College of Arts & Sciences

The Division of Design in the School of Art + Art History + Design educates and trains designers to create and develop concepts that optimize the function, value and appearance of communications, products and systems for the benefit of both industry and society. The Design Division offers three Bachelor of Design degrees. Industrial Design is a professional program aimed primarily at industrial design practice in the corporate and institutional innovation sector, where new technologies lead to the development of new forms of products, processes and service from a human-centered design perspective. Interaction Designers define the structure and behavior of interactive products and services, creating compelling relationships between people and the interactive systems they use. In the Visual Communication Design program, emphasis is placed on the conception, creation, planning and realization of visual solutions to complex problems in contemporary culture through the development of strategies and responses that give form to print, screen and the built environment.

Major category: Capacity-constrained

Curricular options: B.D. Industrial Design , B.D. Interaction Design , B.D. Visual Communication Design

Topic(s): Arts, Humanities and Design, Computing

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Degree requirements

Applicant type

Applicant type

Freshmen can apply to the UW to begin autumn quarter or winter quarter (U.S. applicants only)

Read more about applying to the UW as a freshman, including details for programs that provide high school students with college credit (like Running Start).

Design is a capacity-constrained major. An additional application is required after you enroll at the UW, and admission may be competitive. Visit the department website for more information.

Quarters of general admission to UW: autumn / winter (U.S. applicants only) / spring / summer

Preparation for the major is a factor in transfer admission.

  • Use the information below to help you prepare for this degree
  • Visit MyPlan to run a degree audit.
  • Use the UW Equivalency Guide to find out how courses taken at a Washington state community or technical college will transfer to the UW.
  • UW college and school graduation requirements

Department admission information

Departmental application deadline: May 31
Please contact the department for details about the application process.

These majors are capacity-constrained. Completion of prerequisites does not guarantee admission.
  • Prospective students must apply for admission to the UW for autumn quarter only and participate in the design application process in the previous spring quarter.
  • It is highly recommended that prospective transfer students attend a preview information session, where they can meet with an academic adviser prior to applying to the UW to discuss the design workshop and selection process.
  • Prospective students may email questions to: uaskart@u.washington.edu.

Read more about applying to the UW as a transfer student.

Courses required for the major:

  • Introductory Art classes OR Introductory Design classes
  • Transfers who apply for admissions to UW autumn quarter may not enroll in DESIGN 166 on the UW Seattle campus

Entering transfer information:

Total undergraduates: 158
Total from Washington community colleges: 13

Entering transfer GPA (from WA community colleges):

3.75 – 4.00: 7
3.50 – 3.74: <5
3.25 – 3.49: <5
3.00 – 3.24: <5
2.75 – 2.99: <5
2.50 – 2.74: <5
2.49 and below: <5

Career outcomes

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