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Industrial and Interaction Design B.I.D.

The industrial and interaction design (IID) program prepares you to embrace the complex challenges of creating innovative products, systems and services in the 21st century.

In this program, you develop skills and learn to address contemporary problems through creative and critical thinking guided by leading scholars and design practitioners.

Studio courses introduce you to diverse areas of practice within industrial and interaction design today. Through project-based learning (PBL), you experience industry-standard tools, processes and methods. You explore emerging technologies and apply best practices to create design solutions that respond to the needs of people and planet.

You enhance your IID studies with a range of elective studio and academic courses and minors from across Syracuse University.

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Through the University’s Blackstone LaunchPad, you gain entrepreneurial skills and partner with students in other disciplines to develop, pitch and launch your own seed-funded startup companies. You may also wish to engage in Intelligence ++, an innovative, interdisciplinary initiative at the University focused on inclusive entrepreneurship, design and community.

The IID program, which leads to a bachelor of industrial design (B.I.D.) degree, culminates in a year-long independent thesis project and exhibition. You emerge from the program ready to address contemporary global concerns and assume product design, user experience design, design research and product development roles at world-leading enterprises and consultancies.

Examples of jobs recent graduates have moved into include:

  • Product design for accessories, sporting goods, home appliances and manufacturing tools
  • User experience design for mobile applications, online retail services, semi-autonomous vehicles, unmanned aircraft and medical equipment
  • User research for financial services, healthcare and education

IID alumni are currently making an impact on design teams at companies like Ford, Amazon, Reebok, Google, IBM Design, Fjord/Accenture, IDEO, Frog Design, and Continuum Innovation.

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Admission and portfolio requirements
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Program Highlights

Curriculum

The 122-credit curriculum includes major and academic requirements as well as studio and academic electives. As one of our students, you will be assigned a professional academic advisor who will guide you through your academic career and help you navigate class schedules, course selection and more.

View degree requirements, courses and student learning outcomes
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Global Study

You may study abroad at Syracuse University's centers in London, England, or Florence, Italy, in the spring semester of your third year. Your advisor can discuss these options with you.

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Career Exploration

In addition to the career exploration opportunities offered by their major, industrial and interaction design students have access to career advisors and services through the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Office of Academic and Career Advising. The office connects VPA students with networking events, mentors and more.

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Program Faculty