No. The department formally ended impaction in 2019. If you are admitted to the University, you can declare the major.
You can change your major completely online! Go to your Student Center through your Gateway. On the front page of your Student Center, click the drop-down menu and choose "Change Major." This can also be used to add and change minors. Please contact the Design@sfsu.edu if you have questions about this process.
We do not require a portfolio in the Undergraduate programs. A portfolio is required for the MA in Design and our 4+1 Scholars Programs.
Industrial Design relates to the design of industrially manufactured, tangible goods (i.e. physical, concrete objects like furniture, lighting, bicycles, consumer electronics, toys, etc.) and related services. Visual Communication Design is the design of visual communications for a variety of platforms including print, web, mobile, motion, games, spatial graphics, etc. All design fields involve user needs research, user experience design, aesthetics, technology, and creative problem solving. Reach out to a Faculty Advisor for more clarification, if you wish.
No, Interior Design is taught in FINA. They also have a department in Apparel Design.
Each summer session can be different, and we may not be offering the first classes that you need to enroll in. We recommend students wait until Fall to begin their Design studies.
Yes. You must apply through the graduate studies program as this is considered a post-baccalaureate degree. We welcome students joining us for a 2nd bachelor's degree!
The School of Design offers course credit for design internships with local companies and organizations. We offer workshops and opportunities to network with local companies through courses and our student chapters of AIGA and IDSA. We do not set up the internship for our students, you must apply for them on your own. But, we are building relationships with many companies, giving our students "first look" options in our very competitive fields. And, we offer tools to help you on your job search.
Design majors go on to find rewarding careers in diverse fields. Some graduates pursue design careers as graphic designers, web/mobile designers, UX designers, packaging designers, game graphics designers, model makers, or product designers and developers. From these areas, they move on to become Art Directors and Principle Designers. Other graduates find meaningful careers in marketing, advertising, or retail sales where their design background and problem solving skills are valuable assets. Still others find careers in the media, arts and entertainment fields. Some graduates even start their own businesses. Note that design is a dynamic field with new technologies and new professional opportunities emerging on a continuing basis.
As a Design major, you will be introduced to the research, design thinking, problem solving, organizational, conceptual, and practical skills of the design trade. Strong sketching and ideation skills, and fabrication or development skills will be important for all design fields. Todayall entry-level designers are expected to have a high level of digital media skills. For Visual Communication Design students, this includes mastery of such programs as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat, as well as prototyping tools such as Figma, Invision, and Sketch. Depending on your emphasis, you will also want front-end web coding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.) as well. Experience with motion graphics programs such as After Effects and Unity are a plus.
For industrial design, software skills include SolidWorks, Rhino, and other modeling programs in addition to the Creative Cloud basics of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesgin and Acrobat.