Master of Science in Industrial Design

3 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Houston

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Industrial Design at the University of Houston is an advanced, research-focused program centered on design research, innovation, commercialization, and interdisciplinary approaches to product, system, service, and environmental design. It suits students seeking to deepen their industrial-design expertise or enter the field from another background, with a personalized curriculum connecting design to Houston’s medical, energy, aerospace, computer, and entertainment industries.

Curriculum Structure

Foundation Year: Students without an industrial-design background may complete additional foundation coursework to develop fundamental design-thinking and visualization skills, while the official degree plan includes INDS 6322 Visual Communication, INDS 6397 Foundation Studio I, and INDS 6331 CAID II. The foundation sequence builds the visual, technical, and design capabilities needed for advanced graduate industrial-design study.

Year 1: Students progress into advanced design development through INDS 6350 Design Studies, INDS 6360 Graduate Studio I, INDS 6345 Advanced Human Factors, and INDS 6330 3D Visualization. The curriculum combines design research, studio-based development, human factors, and three-dimensional visualization, while electives allow students to personalize their study around their interests.

Year 2: The final stage centers on independent research and commercialization, with INDS 7300 Design Thesis I, INDS 7301 Design Thesis II, and related options such as ENTR 7381 Technology Commercialization and ENTR 7383 Technology Commercialization Project. Students bring their design research into a substantial thesis project while developing an understanding of how innovative ideas can move toward commercialization.

Focus areas: Design research, healthcare design, product and system development, services, environmental design, human factors, visualization, innovation, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and foresight.

Learning outcomes: Students develop advanced design-research, visualization, human-centered design, product-development, interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and commercialization capabilities through a personalized 36-credit-hour program and culminating design thesis.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The University of Houston states that its Industrial Design program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), with full accreditation granted in November 2023.

Reputation (employability rankings): The University of Houston reports that DesignIntelligence does not currently rank Industrial Design programs, so an official current employability ranking specifically for the MS in Industrial Design is not stated. The university does report multiple Industrial Design student achievements, including graduate IDSA Student Merit Awards and international design competition recognition.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Science in Industrial Design at the University of Houston is supported by a studio-centered learning environment where students develop ideas through making, material investigation, applied research, and digital fabrication. Graduate students have access to the Hines College’s fabrication facilities, computing resources, materials research resources, and specialized industrial-design research environments, allowing them to move from concepts and digital development to physical prototypes and product-system exploration.

Studio-based projects: The Hines College integrates coursework with project-based learning, material investigations, and applied research, giving Industrial Design students opportunities to develop and test design solutions rather than relying only on theoretical study.
Digital design software: Industrial Design students have access to program-specific software including SOLIDWORKS for 3D modeling and product development and KeyShot for visualization and rendering.
Keeland Design Lab: The Burdette Keeland, Jr. Design Exploration Lab provides more than 50 machines covering woodworking, metalworking, and digital fabrication, giving students hands-on experience in prototyping, fabrication, and model building.
Digital fabrication: Students can use digital fabrication technologies as part of the College’s making-oriented design environment, connecting digital design development with physical prototyping and fabrication.
Product Experience Design Lab: The PXD Lab explores experience-driven product and systems design through AI, spatial computing, AR/MR/XR, and sustainable systems thinking, with an emphasis on user-centered innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Research opportunities: The PXD Lab gives students and researchers opportunities to investigate emerging technologies and new approaches to product-system design, particularly where physical and digital experiences intersect.
CRAFT Lab: The College’s Construction Robotics and Fabrication Technology Lab is designed as a research facility focused on emerging technologies such as machine learning, robotics, augmented reality, and additive manufacturing, with Industrial Design explicitly included among the disciplines supported by the facility.
Materials Research Collaborative: Graduate students have access to the College’s Materials Research Collaborative (MRC), providing a resource for materials-focused investigation alongside the College’s fabrication and computing facilities.
Collaborative design research: The College’s designLAB brings faculty, students, alumni, and external partners together in teams to undertake research and development projects across industrial design and other design disciplines.
Architecture & Art Library: Graduate students have access to the College’s in-house Architecture and Art Library, supporting research alongside the program’s studio, fabrication, materials, and computing resources.
Houston as a design environment: The program benefits from its location in Houston, where the University identifies access to NASA, the Texas Medical Center, and diverse industrial entities as part of the wider context for industrial design education and practice.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Master of Science in Industrial Design can apply their design research, product development, systems thinking, and interdisciplinary skills across healthcare, consumer products, furniture, advanced technology, automotive design, and UX/UI. The University of Houston specifically connects the program with Houston’s medical, energy, aerospace, and entertainment industries, while its industry-sponsored projects and professional network provide opportunities to develop work relevant to professional practice.

Career roles: Industrial Designer, Product Designer, UX/UI Designer, Design Strategist, Product Developer, Design Researcher.

Career services: The Hines College provides dedicated career and internship resources, including University Career Services drop-in appointments, employer connections, Cougar Pathway job and internship postings, recruiting events, and alumni career services.
ID Career Center: The Industrial Design program has identified a dedicated career-development focus that includes faculty mentorship and a searchable database of industry partners intended to support internship and job opportunities for ID students.
Employment examples: UH highlights graduates working across healthcare, consumer products, furniture, advanced technology, automotive design, and UX/UI, demonstrating the range of sectors connected to industrial design training.
Industry partnerships: The Industrial Design program lists collaborations with organizations including NASA, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Medical Center, Dell, HP, IGLOO, Collings Guitar, Wilsonart, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Wet Sounds, among others.
Industry-sponsored projects: Sponsored studios enable students to interact directly with companies during the design process and publicly present their work; previous projects have included healthcare, automotive, and transportation design.
Professional networking: The annual IDesign Conference brings industry speakers and alumni to the Hines College and includes portfolio reviews and networking opportunities, helping students connect their academic work with professional practice.
Alumni progression: UH documents graduates moving into professional industrial-design roles; one Hines College alumnus, after an internship with RKS, joined the California-based design and innovation firm as a full-time industrial designer.
Entrepreneurship pathway: Students can incorporate the Entrepreneurship Certificate offered through the UH Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship into their personalized graduate study, supporting progression toward design entrepreneurship and commercialization.
Foresight pathway: The program also offers access to a Foresight Certificate through the UH Foresight Graduate Program, allowing students to develop skills in anticipating and preparing for future change.
Salary & employment statistics: The official UH Industrial Design sources reviewed do not publish a program-specific graduate employment rate or salary figure for the M.S. in Industrial Design, so a salary or employment percentage is not stated here.
Long-term professional value: The M.S. develops expertise in design research, innovation, commercialization, product and system development, services, and interdisciplinary design, providing a foundation for continued professional development across multiple design sectors.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into advanced research or doctoral-level study in areas related to industrial design, design research, human-centered design, sustainability, healthcare design, technology, or interdisciplinary design. Within UH, the personalized M.S. structure also allows students to take graduate electives across other colleges and departments, creating a pathway toward deeper interdisciplinary specialization.