BA in Design in Philadelphia United States | University of Pennsylvania

The Fine Arts department is dedicated to nurturing visionary thinkers in Art and Design. The Design Major program meets the demand for cutting-edge teaching methods that investigate the broad scope of modern design and its connections to humanities, sciences, and new technologies. The program fosters a holistic approach to design, merging diverse disciplinary perspectives to tackle intricate societal, cultural, and ecological issues. Learners will develop modern visualization, prototyping, and production techniques while engaging with theoretical models that drive sophisticated research and knowledge creation. The Design Major starts with two essential core studios, teaching foundational design principles, digital fluency, technical fabrication, and modern digital culture studies. Students then choose from various theoretical and historical courses that deepen their grasp of design approaches, including data-centric, conceptual, and research-oriented methods. Additionally, majors can select from a wide array of art and design electives to broaden their cross-disciplinary skills. The program concludes with a yearlong design initiative, a researched proposal, a public showcase, and an evaluation by industry-leading professionals.