Design education, powered by an entire research university.
The UC San Diego Master of Design is a two-year graduate program for designers ready to move from making things to shaping systems, and from contributing to leading.
➔ Degree |
Master of Design (MDes) |
➔ Duration |
2 years · 6 quarters · Full-time · On campus |
➔ Location |
Design Lab at UC San Diego |
➔ Pathways |
Capstone or Thesis |
➔ First Cohort |
Fall 2027 |
Why a Master of Design?
The biggest problems worth solving today, equitable healthcare access, climate change, social justice, and socio-political polarization, don’t fit inside a single discipline. They need designers who can think at the level of systems, lead across teams, and bring ethical clarity to decisions that affect millions of people.
The MDes is a cross-disciplinary degree built to develop those leaders. It pairs the research depth of a top public university with the studio culture of serious design education, on one of the most collaborative campuses in the world. Graduates leave ready to lead in startups, companies, government, and nonprofits.
A degree here is more than its courses. Students join a community and a network: a close, cross-disciplinary cohort, faculty mentors, and industry partners, with the credibility of the Design Lab. Much of what shapes a career happens as part of an ecosystem, not with any single class.
Why UC San Diego?
Design as a common language.
Design brings cognitive scientists, engineers, physicians, economists, and urban planners to the same table. The MDes teaches you to use design to make sense of complex systems and turn understanding into action.
Over a decade of design excellence.
Founded in 2014 by Don Norman, the Design Lab is now globally recognized for interdisciplinary design research spanning healthcare, urban systems, AI, and climate.
The university behind the program.
UC San Diego ranks among the world’s top research universities. The MDes span arts, humanities, engineering, social sciences, public health, and medicine—giving you access to that full breadth.
The market is ready.
Design roles are growing faster than average—roughly 14,500 openings annually through 2034. Employers need designers who lead at the systems level, not just screens. The MDes prepares you for that.
Curriculum Preview
Six quarters. One clear arc. The MDes moves from foundations to depth to real-world application, culminating in a capstone project or a faculty-mentored thesis.
Faculty Highlights
Edward Jay Wang
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Wearable biosensors, physiological monitoring, and personalized healthcare through continuous sensing and preventive medicine.
Elizabeth V. Eikey
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Sciences
Digital mental health interventions, health equity, technology-based mental health for underserved and diverse populations.
Teo Wickland
Urban Studies & Planning
Participatory planning, affordable housing policy, community-centered design, and urban equity.
Parinaz Naghizadeh
Electrical & Computer Engineering
AI ethics and governance, algorithmic transparency, network economics, and incentive design in networked systems.
Upcoming events
Virtual Info Session
Online · Zoom · Fall 2026
An hour with the program team: an overview of the MDes, how admissions works, and open Q&A. A good first step when deciding whether to apply.
Campus Open House
In person · Design and Innovation Building, La Jolla · March 2027
Tour the studios and makerspace, meet faculty and current researchers, and see where the learning will happen. Discover what’s great about living in San Diego.
Ready to take the next step?
Applications for the Fall 2027 cohort open in mid-September 2026, with a priority deadline of December 1, 2026. In the meantime, join our interest list for updates, event invitations, and application guidance.
