MA in Design

Upload your CV/resume via the application, which should clearly outline the location, nature, and duration of your educational and work experiences, as well as any related noteworthy accolades.

Hold a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, with a strong record of academic achievement.

Please request an official electronic transcript from schools you attended when completing your application in GradCAS. Select the appropriate electronic transcript vendor and follow the instructions for Sending Transcripts Electronically found in the GradCAS help center. GradCAS accepts electronic transcripts from Credentials Solutions, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse. International transcript(s) must include a basic evaluation of the academic record from WES or ECE. Transcripts and evaluations should be sent directly from the registrar to the GradCAS address below. If the transcript is not in English, there must be an original or certified translation as part of the transcript(s).

Request three letters of recommendation via the application. Choose a variety of individuals, if possible, all of whom should be familiar with your work. Ask each of them to write a substantive letter about your qualifications for graduate study in design, mentioning your previous study, research, and professional experience. Once you have saved the recommendation request, an email will be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out. Please note: All references submitted within this section of your application are program specific. If you choose to remove this program from your application, please understand that your letters will be deleted along with the program.

Submit short responses to questions posed via the Questions tab in the Program Materials section. Through your writing, we aim to gain an understanding of your interests in pursuing graduate study in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon.

Upload a portfolio of your work via the application. Regardless of whether you have a design background or not, you must submit a portfolio that includes 5-9 pieces or projects. Recognizing and appreciating the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our applicants, we welcome the submission of a range of work. Include samples of recent work that represent the strengths of your professional, creative, or academic experience. Your portfolio might be filled with design projects, writing samples, or summaries of other original projects you have undertaken. You may use photography, video, writing, or interactive presentations to demonstrate your work. Upload your Portfolio to the GradCAS application as (1) a pdf including 5-9 pieces or projects OR (2) a single pdf that lists a url for your portfolio website and any necessary passcodes. For each piece submitted, provide a brief description of the project’s content, and context, and duration. We encourage you to upload pdfs of your process work, where possible, to help us understand your creative and problem-solving approaches and learn about your interests. For long works – theses, book designs, software applications – please select excerpts that best represent your strengths. If you include a collaborative project, be sure to identify your specific role and contributions. Your portfolio will be evaluated from multiple viewpoints including visual and/or verbal communication skills, critical/analytical thinking, craftsmanship, and creativity.

IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo

Upload a one-minute video via Slideroom, which can be accessed through the online application, that answers the question: Imagine that you have completed your masters degree and as you reflect on the experience you are pleased. What makes you deem it a success? You are welcome to include any visuals that support your story. Keep in mind, this piece is intended to provide us with some insight into who you are and what excites you so we encourage you to have fun with it and be yourself. Note, the video will be cut off after one minute. Upload your introductory video to Slideroom from GradCAS. You may link to media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud.