Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design: Concentration in Product Design and Development

The Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design addresses the creation of industrial goods and services. The program is concentrated on three principle aspects of design – process, people, and product – and incorporates the study of user-centered needs, relative to the responsible and resourceful implementation of technology innovation, materials, marketing principles, and aesthetic values.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Students are able to apply a structured design process to varied problems of different scope and complexity.
  2. Students understand how design is shaped by and contributes to its contexts: social, cultural, technological, economic, and environmental.
  3. Students have an understanding of design vocabulary, visual literacy, design history, design professions, and adjacent topics.
  4. Students are able to apply critical thinking, research, and writing to the design problem at different stages of the process.
  5. Students have skills with contemporary tools, technologies, and materials relevant to the design professions, including 2D and 3D concept development and execution in physical and digital realms.
  6. Students can apply a variety of design methods, including user-centered approaches, universal design, usability testing, and collaborative design.
  7. Students are familiar with the professional practices common to design and can document, present, and manage their work in a professional manner.
  8. Collaborative learning approaches are encouraged, both within and beyond the classroom. This may include interdisciplinary collaborations with external partners such as community organizations, institutions, and industry partners.

Admission

At the time of admission to the University, all students may elect to be Industrial Design majors. No special permission, application, or portfolio is required. Before advancing to courses at the 300 level or higher, however, all majors must:

  • Complete the foundation (or equivalent transfer) courses DES 200, and DES 222 or DES 221 with a grade of C or better.
  • Have upper-division standing.
  • Complete the lower-division General Education requirements at SF State or the equivalent at another institution.

Industrial Design (B.S.): Concentration in Product Design and Development — 59 Units

All courses for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better, except for DES 305, DES 370, and DES 576, which must be completed with a CR grade.

General Education Requirements Met in the Major

The requirements below are deemed “met in the major” upon completion of the courses listed (even though the courses and their prerequisites are not approved for GE). This is true whether or not the student completes the major.

  • Upper-Division General Education, Arts and/or Humanities (UD-C) is satisfied upon completion of DES 356.

Foundation Requirements (6 units)

DES 200Visual Design Literacy3
DES 222Digital Design Foundations I3

Core Courses (13 Units)

DES 300Design Process3
DES 322Digital Design Foundations II3
DES 324GWResearch and Writing for Design - GWAR3
DES 356A History of Design and Technology3
DES 370Introduction to The School of Design1

Major Requirements (28 units)

DES 305Lab Safety Basics1
DES 310Product Design I3
DES 320Drafting and Sketching for Design3
DES 321Technical Drawing I: Introduction to CAD3
DES 340Design and Materials3
DES 360Model Development Laboratory3
DES 410Product Design II3
DES 420Rapid Visualization3
DES 421Technical Drawing II: 3-D Solid Modeling3
DES 460Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Systems3

Major Electives (6 units)

Note: Students may choose DES 576 or DES 699 but may not choose DES 576 and DES 699.

Select two:

DES 221Introduction to 3D Digital Design3
DES 325Graphic Design I3
DES 327Interactive Design I3
DES 332Electricity and Electronics3
DES 405How to Develop, Patent, and Market an Idea3
DES 475Topics in Design3
DES 521Technical Drawing III: Advanced Modeling and Rendering3
DES 523Information Design I: Data Visualization3
DES 560Prototyping Smart Devices3
DES 576Practical Experience: Internship3
DES 628Design Gallery: Exhibitions and Communications3
DES 685Projects in the Teaching of Design1-4
DES 699Independent Study in Design3
or Elective Approved by Advisement3

Culminating Requirements (6 units)

DES 505Senior Design Project (to be taken in the last semester)3
DES 570Professional Practices for Designers3

General Education Requirements

Requirement Course Level Units Area Designation
Oral Communication LD 3 A1
Written English Communication LD 3 A2
Critical Thinking LD 3 A3
Physical Science LD 3 B1
Life Science LD 3 B2
Lab Science LD 1 B3
Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning LD 3 B4
Arts LD 3 C1
Humanities LD 3 C2
Arts or Humanities LD 3 C1 or C2
Social Sciences LD 3 D1
Social Sciences: US History LD 3 D2
Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) LD 3 E
Ethnic Studies LD 3 F
Physical and/or Life Science UD 3 UD-B
Arts and/or Humanities UD 3 UD-C
Social Sciences UD 3 UD-D
SF State Studies
Courses certified as meeting the SF State Studies requirements may be upper or lower division in General Education (GE), a major or minor, or an elective.
American Ethnic and Racial Minorities LD or UD 3 AERM
Environmental Sustainability LD or UD 3 ES
Global Perspectives LD or UD 3 GP
Social Justice LD or UD 3 SJ

Note: LD = Lower-Division; UD = Upper-Division.

First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)

  1. The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
  2. In order to choose your English Composition A2 course and your QR/Math B4 course, please complete the online advising activities at writingadvising.sfsu.edu and mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.

First-Time Student Roadmap

SF State Scholars

The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.

SF State Scholars Roadmap

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

  1. Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
  2. The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
    • a course in U.S. History
    • a course in U.S. & California Government

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
  • Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.

Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.