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
- Students are able to apply a structured design process to varied problems of different scope and complexity.
- Students understand how design is shaped by and contributes to its contexts: social, cultural, technological, economic, and environmental.
- Students have an understanding of design vocabulary, visual literacy, design history, design professions, and adjacent topics.
- Students are able to apply critical thinking, research, and writing to the design problem at different stages of the process.
- 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.
- Students can apply a variety of design methods, including user-centered approaches, universal design, usability testing, and collaborative design.
- Students are familiar with the professional practices common to design and can document, present, and manage their work in a professional manner.
- 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)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DES 200 | Visual Design Literacy | 3 |
| Select One: | 3 | |
| Introduction to 3D Digital Design | ||
| Introduction to 2D Digital Design | ||
Core Courses (13 Units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DES 300 | Design Process | 3 |
| DES 322 | Computer Graphic Imaging | 3 |
| DES 324GW | Research and Writing for Design - GWAR | 3 |
| DES 356 | A History of Design and Technology | 3 |
| DES 370 | Introduction to Design | 1 |
Major Requirements (28 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DES 305 | Lab Safety Basics | 1 |
| DES 310 | Product Design I | 3 |
| DES 320 | Drafting and Sketching for Design | 3 |
| DES 321 | Technical Drawing I: Introduction to CAD | 3 |
| DES 340 | Design and Materials | 3 |
| DES 360 | Model Development Laboratory | 3 |
| DES 410 | Product Design II | 3 |
| DES 420 | Rapid Visualization | 3 |
| DES 421 | Technical Drawing II: 3-D Solid Modeling | 3 |
| DES 460 | Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing Systems | 3 |
Major Electives (6 units)
Note: Students may choose DES 576 or DES 699 but may not choose DES 576 and DES 699.
Select two:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DES 325 | Graphic Design I | 3 |
| DES 327 | Interactive Design I | 3 |
| DES 332 | Electricity and Electronics | 3 |
| DES 475 | Topics in Design | 3 |
| DES 510 | Product Design III | 3 |
| DES 521 | Technical Drawing III: Advanced Modeling and Rendering | 3 |
| DES 523 | Information Design I: Data Visualization | 3 |
| DES 560 | Prototyping Smart Devices | 3 |
| DES 576 | Practical Experience: Internship | 3 |
| DES 699 | Independent Study in Design | 3 |
| or Elective Approved by Advisement | 3 | |
Culminating Requirements (6 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| DES 505 | Senior Design Project (to be taken in the last semester) | 3 |
| DES 570 | Professional Practices for Designers | 3 |
General Education Requirements
| Requirement | Course Level | Units | Area Designation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Communication | LD | 3 | A1 |
| Written English Communication I | 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 |
| Social Sciences: US & CA Government | LD | 3 | D3 |
| Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (LLD) | LD | 3 | E |
| 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)
Find the correct roadmap (A, B, C, or D):
- Select the row that matches your English Course choice for A2.*
- Select the column that matches your QR Category (found at your student center under Math Alert).
- Click the Roadmap that lines up with your row and column.
For example, if you are taking ENG 104 as your first English course and your student center math alert says you are QR Category III, you should choose Roadmap D.
| Pathway | QR Cat I/II | QR Cat III/IV |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 114 | Roadmap A | Roadmap C |
| ENG 104/ENG 105 | Roadmap B | Roadmap D |
*Composition for Multilingual Students: If taking ENG 209 as your first English course, choose the ENG 114 row. If taking ENG 204 for your first English course, choose the ENG 104/ENG 105 row.
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.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- 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.
All Students Must Meet the Transfer Eligibility Requirements Outlined Below for Admission.
For more information, visit the Undergraduate Admissions section.
- Complete 60 or more transferable semester units or 90 or more quarter units.
- Earn a college grade point average of 2.0 or better in all transferable courses. Non-local area residents may be held to a higher GPA standard.
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended.
- Complete 30-semester units (45-quarter units) of General Education, including four basic skills courses:
- One course in oral communication (same as CSU GE Area A1)
- One course in written composition (same as CSU GE Area A2)
- One course in critical thinking (same as CSU GE Area A3)
- One course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning (same as CSU GE Area B4)
- The four basic skills courses and a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (90-quarter units) must be completed by the spring semester prior to fall admission, or by the fall semester prior to spring admission. Earn a C- or better grade in each basic skills course.