MDes Design at Illinois Institute of Technology

Programme overview

ID’s STEM-designated Master of Design program is a two-year degree for people who want to become strategic designers. Through collaborative projects, students learn to build offerings and service systems that address complex business, civic, and social challenges. Exploring options through rigorous prototyping and critique, students identify directions that provide value, prompt action, and support sustainable change.

Faculty: School of Design and Society | Department: Design | Duration: two years | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

Eighty percent of a student’s path through the full-time M.Des. curriculum is their choice—that is, electives make up the greater part of the educational experience. Guided by faculty advisors and their own interests, students create their own unique paths through the ID curriculum.

Career pathways

Our students enjoy more than a 90 percent placement rate within six months of graduation. Roles include: UX designer; Innovation consultant; Design strategist; Design researcher; Educator; Entrepreneur; Interaction designer; Product designer.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and are required to submit transcript(s), full mark sheets, and degree/diploma certificates from each institution attended—regardless of whether or not a degree was earned—as well as three letters of recommendation, a portfolio, statement of interest, and a resume or curriculum vitae. There is no minimum work experience requirement, although two to four years of professional experience is preferred. ID considers full-time internships, volunteer work, and freelance projects as formal work experience. TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for any applicant with an undergraduate degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction is not English. We do not require a GRE or GMAT score for any application. However, if you have a score you would like to submit we are happy to include that in your application evaluation. We will accept either the GRE or the GMAT. Justin Walker (M.Des. Candidate)

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall and Spring.

Fall term: priority deadlines January 31 and April 15; regular deadline July 15 (domestic and international students living in the U.S.) or June 15 (international students living outside the U.S.). Spring term: priority October 1, extended to October 15; regular deadline January 7 (domestic) or November 15 (international). The admissions application fee is $100. GRE is optional for master's applicants.

Chicago-Kent J.D.: no application fee for 2026 J.D. applicants; first-year entry is Fall, with transfer entry in Fall or Spring.

Apply through the official page: https://www.iit.edu/admissions-aid/apply

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