Curriculum
The focus of the first year of study is threefold—on design as subject matter, on criticism as a literary genre and on the range of tools with which to practice design criticism. The second year offers the opportunity for specialization both in subject matter and format. Students participate in medium-specific workshops devoted to topics such as producing a radio program or documentary, curating an exhibition, or editing a magazine or blog. They then research and develop a large-scale thesis project that must include a substantial written component, and which may be realized in any format.
The program culminates in an annual public conference, conceived and organized by graduating students, in which they present papers based on their theses, alongside professional design critics and thinkers. Students are required to complete and present the thesis research, which must be reviewed and approved by the thesis committee and the department chair, in order to be eligible for degree conferral.
Degree candidates must successfully complete 64 credits, including all required courses, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. A residency of two academic years is required.
First-year Fall Courses |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Time | Course | Instructor |
| Monday | 4:00 pm | Program Meeting |
Alice Twemlow |
| Monday | 5:00 pm | Urban Curation (15 weeks) | Karrie Jacobs |
| Tuesday | 1:00 pm | Working Lunch (5 weeks) | Various |
| Tuesday | 4:00 pm | Writing: Style, Voice and Process (9 weeks) | John Cantwell |
| Tuesday | 6:00 pm | Lecture Series (15 weeks) | Various |
| Wednesday | 4:00 pm | Design History (15 weeks) | Russell Flinchum |
| Thursday | 1:00 pm | Architecture and Urban Design Criticism (15 weeks) | Alexandra Lange |
| Thursday | 5:00 pm | The Art of the Interview (15 weeks) | Adam H. Levy |
First-year Spring Courses |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Time | Course | Instructor |
| Tuesday | 6:00 pm | Lecture Series II (15 Weeks) | Various |
| Wednesday | 9:00 am | Researching Design (15 weeks) | Steven Heller |
| Thursday | 1:00 pm | Criticism Lab/Thesis Development/Cultural Theory (15 weeks) | Alice Twemlow and Andrea Codrington |
| Thursday | 5:00 p.m. | Radio and Podcast Workshop (15 weeks) | Leital Molad and Kurt Andersen |
| Friday | 3:00 pm | Reading Design (15 weeks) | Akiko Busch |
Second-year Fall Courses |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Time | Course | Instructor |
| Monday | 4:00 pm | Typologies (8 weeks) | Phil Patton |
| Monday | 5:00 pm | Reporting Tools (7 weeks) | Robin Pogrebin |
| Tuesday | 1:00 pm | Working Lunch (5 weeks) | Various |
| Tuesday | 3:00 pm | Thesis Consultation | Andrea Codrington Lippke |
| Tuesday | 6:00 pm | Lecture Series III | Various |
| Wednesday | 6:00 pm | Online Publishing | Elizabeth Spiers/ Chappell Ellison |
| Thursday | 5:00 pm | Video Essays (7 weeks) | Adam H. Levy |
Second-year Spring Courses |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Time | Course | Instructor |
| Tuesday | 3:00 pm | Design Criticism Conference Lab (10 weeks) | Alice Twemlow |
| Tuesday | 6:00 pm | Lecture Series IV (15 weeks) | Various |
| Wednesday | 5:00 pm | Exhibition Collection and Curation (6 weeks) | Paola Antonelli |
| Thursday | 1:00 pm | The Design Book Workshop (6 weeks) | Karen Stein |
| Thursday | 4:00 pm | Thesis Writing (8 weeks) | Andrea Codrington Lippke |
| Thursday | 4:00 pm | Applied Thesis Production (7 weeks) | Alice Twemlow |
Course List
- Architecture and Urban Design Criticism
- The Art of the Interview
- The Blogging Workshop
- Collecting Design
- The Critical Imperative
- Criticism Lab
- Cultural Theory Meets Design
- Design Criticism Conference Lab
- Design History
- Exhibition and Collection Curation
- Lecture Series I & II
- The Longest Form: The Design Book
- Radio and Podcast Workshop
- Reading Design
- Reporting on Design and Social Change
- Researching Design (No Google)
- Restaurant Design Review
- Thesis Development
- Taste
- Thesis I: Research and Writing/Thesis Consultation
- Typologies
- Thesis II: Applied Thesis Production and Presentation
- Urban Curation
- Writing: Style, Voice and Process
