Sustainable Design: Degree Information

Through a blending of theory, practice, and leadership concepts and skills, MCAD’s master of arts in sustainable design program educates individuals to become collaborative designers, global innovators, and creative leaders in the field of sustainable design.

MCAD defines sustainable design as traditional design that takes a truly integrated systems-thinking perspective. This means:

Balancing the important factors of environment, ethics, and economy in every design.
Designing appropriately for the system in which the design will exist for its entire life cycle.
Designing with global and positive changes in mind: where the design leads to more opportunities, better conditions, and more innovative solutions, no matter what the design challenge may be.

This program culminates in a student-driven Graduate Sustainability Thesis Project, which allows you to make this program your own by focusing your time and energy where your passions lie. With the support and direction of a dedicated thesis committee assembled to guide your work, you will conduct independent research on a sustainability-focused project of your choice.

MCAD is proud to be the only Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) school to offer a fully online graduate degree program in sustainable design.

Online Learning

MA courses at MCAD are completely online with no on-campus requirements. Courses are asynchronous, meaning you will not have set class meeting times—you can choose a time and place that works best for you to complete your work. Course activities may include readings, video demonstrations and tutorials, discussions, projects, and critiques, and assignments are project-based with two to three deadlines per week.

Online class sizes are small. That way, you get to know your instructors and receive the same personal attention you would find in a physical classroom. You will also have plenty of interaction with your classmates—other professionals that will expand your network.

Sustainable Design Program Outcomes

Define the term sustainability and summarize the history of its usage.
Identify all currently applied sustainability frameworks and describe examples of their application. Use and apply sustainability frameworks to solve real-world sustainability challenges.
Demonstrate the ability to work in collaborative groups to produce sustainability-focused work and deliver professional presentations. Connect coursework learning to professional development through the creation of a professional web-based portfolio.
Formulate a clear and concise thesis work proposal and evaluate achievements of their proposed work.
Create a self-driven, sustainability-focused thesis project and presentation.
Discuss sustainability-focused thesis project, paper, and research during the final thesis review with a committee of practicing sustainability professionals.

Course Descriptions:

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Core Degree Requirements 12

SD 6500 Fundamentals of Sustainable Design 3

In this foundational course students are introduced to hands-on and holistic approaches to sustainability. This course covers current sustainability frameworks, principles, and materials assessments, as well as the history and logic behind them, providing students with useful research tools to apply to the ever-changing demands of sustainable design, business, development, and policy-making.

SD 6510 Systems Thinking 3

We are transitioning from the age of design for the part to the age of design for the whole. Systems thinking, languages of design, and product life cycles are integrated and they form the solid foundation for innovative products. This course provides students with the tools required to succeed in today's dynamic market and a world of uncertainty. Actionable theory is absorbed through market-specific projects.

SD 7020 Graduate Sustainability Thesis Project 6

Course content is the completion of the graduate project in the field of sustainable design and innovation determined by the student and a mentor in consultation with the sustainable design program office.

Specialization Courses 12

Select four of:12

SD 6750 Creative Leadership 3

Economic, environmental, and ethical crises present leaders with new and complex challenges. Effective, resilient, and agile leaders employ a diversity of skills, experience, and resources to respond to humanity's greatest challenges with creative, innovative, and humane solutions. Students build their capacities to become creative leaders and to work constructively as part of dynamic and collaborative teams through the integration of an ecological perspective for their work, organizations, communities, and the planet.

SD 7010 Graduate Sustainability Practicum 3

This professional practicum provides an opportunity for students to gain practical experience in the evolving field of sustainable design and innovation. The practicum may be arranged by the director of career development, the sustainable design program office, or initiated by students, and all practicums must be preapproved by the sustainable design program office. For a practicum to be approved, a mentor relationship and learning experience must exist beyond a simple employment opportunity. Three-credit professional practicums require working 120 hours toward the practicum project (can be accomplished remotely) and keeping a journal or blog to document hours, activities, and learning process.

SD 7530 Making the Business Case for Sustainability 3

How do market forces shape the way we live, work, and even play? Students in this course look at business through a designer’s eye to understand the interplay between producers and consumers, governments and people, stockholders and stakeholders, man and the environment, and how all of these factors interconnect and ultimately direct how our products, processes, and systems are created. Students gain an understanding of the implications of their decisions, how to identify risk areas, long-term thinking strategies, and best practices for sustainable business models through weekly exercises, special projects, and the creation of a business plan.

SD 7620 The Practice of Sustainable Design 3

How do we actively design to create truly sustainable results? In this course students examine this question and apply leading-edge practice methods for innovative sustainable and regenerative design solutions. Recommended for novice and veteran designers and innovators alike, this course explores the theoretical frameworks, green standards, and practice techniques used by leading sustainable designers, thinkers, and architects. The design methods applied in this studio course fit any discipline at any scale, from the smallest object to the most complex system. Through studio projects and exercises, students learn to integrate the theory of sustainable design frameworks into their practices (i.e., systems thinking, life-cycle analysis, material health, green standards, eco-labels, supply chain topics, etc.).

SD 7630 Collaborative Product Design 3

How do we design real products for real companies, benefiting customers, the companies themselves, and the rest of the world? And how do we know they are better? This studio course provides tools for sustainable design innovation and metrics to measure success. Students use creative and analytical skills, generating new ideas and 3D CAD renderings and evaluating designs with screening-level life-cycle assessments and two eco-labeling systems (Cradle to Cradle and EPEAT). Green innovation tools taught include systems thinking, energy effectiveness, lightweighting, design for lifetime (repair, recycling, etc.), material choice, biomimicry, and persuasive design. Some assignments are individual and theoretical, but the bulk of the course is spent working in groups, using tools such as message boards and screen-sharing video chats.

Electives 6

Select two of:6

Elective options from other MCAD departments may be acceptable with the approval of the MA program director. Elective courses are subject to change.

SD 6600 Innovation Tools and Techniques 3

Innovation is applied creativity. Designers need to know personal practice, innovation techniques, and how to implement their ideas. This course teaches all three techniques through a combination of reflection, focused exercise, and the creation of plans. Each week, students learn one technique for idea generation along with one technique for sustainable innovation. Students reflect on their personal practices (e.g., how they reflect sustainability, what their best practices are, and how they can improve) and engage in ongoing dialog with fellow students to learn and critique their practices. The course projects stress multiple approaches to design situations, focusing on the design customer and implementation of ideas.

SD 6610 Biomimetic Design 3

In this course students learn how to abstract functional strategies from nature to apply to the process of innovative design. This project-oriented studio course covers core biological principles, astounds students with the wealth of design solutions available in nature, and provides numerous case studies of innovative designs inspired by natural models. Overall, this course provides powerful metaphors and methods for looking to nature as model, mentor, and measure in our designs.

SD 6700 Visual Communications for Sustainability 3

We are increasingly surrounded by data, and information is collected and categorized in the smallest of increments. Data on sustainability is no exception. How do we use and present data in a way that is relevant for consumers? In this course students learn about the growing field of information design and critically evaluate how it relates to communicating sustainability. Customized project-based assignments take students deeper into real-life situations.

SD 6810 Packaging Sustainability 3

We handle packages every day and they account for a third of our waste stream. Using the format of a product-repositioning study, students in this course examine the core ideas of consumer perception and market triggers, material selection, environmental impact, and long-term strategic thinking. By the end of this course, students are able to maximize a package's appeal while minimizing environmental impact.

Total Credits:

Sustainable Design: Degree Information
Online Master of Arts

Online Learning

Sustainable Design Program Outcomes

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