In the School of Design, faculty and students form an inquisitive and intelligent community that is concerned with the world around it. Many of the school’s professionally oriented programs Fashion, Environmental and Interiors, Industrial and Interaction, and Communication Design, are top-ranked in the United States and have a long history at Syracuse University. Our diverse programs across the spectrum of design practice, share a commitment to professional excellence and use of socially conscious and sustainable design practices.

 

The School of Design maintains a special relationship with the Syracuse community through the activities of its various student groups-including chapters of professional design organizations-that continually work on projects with not-for-profit agencies as well as funded research design collaborations. One of our core values that prepares our students for professional life is interdisciplinary collaboration, we are continually looking for ways for the disciplines to work together. This is further facilitated by all of our majors being housed together in The Nancy Cantor Warehouse in downtown Syracuse, which allows students and faculty to benefit from a city atmosphere and interactions with local design firms.

 

The School of Design first year experience provides a focused design studio-based education critical to the development of a solid understanding of the fundamental elements of the design disciplines. Students learn basic visualization and making skills as well as an ability to apply iterative thought and action processes to a given problem.  In addition, students receive a focused introduction to the ethical and philosophical grounding of the various design professions.

 

Design students enrolled in one of the B.F.A. programs or the B.I.D. program may study abroad for a semester in our specially designed spring semester-long experiences at Syracuse University campuses London and Florence, open to all students during their junior year (fourth year for students in industrial and interaction design). Courses offered are designed to take the place of required courses in Syracuse. This program offers participants the opportunity to take courses in Collaborative Design, Design Ethnography, and Contemporary Design History, complemented by studio and academic electives. A direct placement program with the London College of Fashion offers students majoring in the B.F.A. program in fashion design a professional semester in London during their junior year. In addition to classes they would normally take on the SU campus, students may take courses in such areas as millinery design, shoe design, and electronic machine embroidery. Additional opportunities include Hong Kong, Madrid, Beijing, Santiago, and other World Partners locations. Short-term opportunities for study abroad over the summer or school breaks are also available to a variety of places around the world. Contact SUAbroad at 315-443-3471, or online at suabroad.syr.edu for details about the programs. Students who elect to spend a semester abroad may find that some program adjustments are necessary. Students should discuss these opportunities well in advance with their academic advisors and contact the Office of Student Success, 200 Crouse College, 315-443-2517.

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