It's an age old question when one considers how best to get ahead in their career: should I just concentrate on getting more relevant experience? should I beef up my academic qualifications? do I need a bit of both? The answer is it depends, though it is also fair to say that having an associated masters degree in whatever field you're working would never do you any harm. The field of design (and all its associated sub-sections is no different) and one can add the crucial qualifier that a master's degree in design is essential if you're ever looking to teach your particular discipline at a University or College. This article will look at the various sub-categories of design in which one can pursue a design masters degree.
Those who pursue a career in design usually do so because they have a certain amount of visual flair and an interest in combining the aesthetic with the functional. Because our society is in a state of flux and always subject to new influences, there is a constant need for designers to create new designs (regardless of the field) which are reflective of the environment and the times in which we live - and at the same time deliver functionality that hopefully makes our lives a little easier.
There are various design fields in which one can specialize. The field of graphic design is aimed at adding visual impact to corporate communications; web design is about producing appealing and useful websites; industrial design is concerned with producing new products which are both functional and have aesthetic appeal; fashion design is an applied art relating to clothing and accessories whilst interior design and landscape design can loosely be described as the indoors and outdoors of design: landscape design being about creating functional and aesthetically pleasing outdoor spaces and interior design being about designing those spaces in which people live and work.
All of these fields will have an associated bachelor's or associate degree attached to them. Students who are looking for professional advancement and certainly people who are looking to teach within their given field - may want to check out the design masters degrees that are on offer. A design master's degree will be available at a number of different schools. A student should already have a bachelor's degree in the field in which they wish to pursue post graduate studies (or at least in a substantially related field) although there are some schools that will offer foundation courses with the aim of bringing a student up to speed before he/she enrolls in the masters program.
Design masters programs will take 1-2 years to complete if being pursued full time and obviously longer if being studied part time. Most post graduate courses have been developed in such a way that professionals can pursue their studies at night and on weekends.
There are an increasing number of schools that are now offering an online design degree via the Distance Education Network. The curricula on offer via online postgraduate programs are not substantially different than those on offer to those attending a campus. An online degree obviously gives a graduate greater flexibility in how they go about pursuing their studies and indeed a greater choice of schools.
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