MDes in Design (Design for Interactions)

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 in design 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: https://help.liaisonedu.com/GradCAS_Applicant_Help_Center. International transcript(s) that cannot be sent electronically must include a certified statement of the academic record. They 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). If your school does not use an electronic transcript service, your official transcript must be sent by mail from your school’s registrar

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 a personal statement of intent via the application. Describe your reasons for pursuing graduate studies, your educational and professional objectives, your specific interest in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University, and any other information that you believe will aid the admissions committee in reaching a decision. For applicants planning a sequence of degree combinations, for example MA+MPS/MDes or PhD, please indicate this in your statement. 750 words maximum.

Whether your background is in design or not, you're required to 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.

IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo

Upload your introductory video to Slideroom from GradCAS. You may link to media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud. Upload a one-minute video that describes your interests in design and your fit in our program. 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 stop after one minute.