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FAQs

What is Industrial Design?

Students in an Industrial Design classroom

What is Industrial Design? The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) defines Industrial Design (ID) as: the professional service of creating and developing concepts and specifications that optimize the function, value and appearance of products and systems for the mutual benefit of both user and manufacturer.

Where can I get information about the Industrial Design program at BYU? A good place to start is the Industrial Design website; id.byu.edu Additional information can be obtained through School of Technology advisement center.

Who are the advisors for undergraduate students? Samuel Cardenas And Samantha Stinnett are the academic advisors for all undergraduate industrial design majors. https://sot.byu.edu/advisement-office

How many students are in the industrial design program and what is the acceptance rate? We have about 136 students in the Industrial Design program. Approximately 40 students apply to the professional program each year and we accept 15-18.

What are the requirements to be admitted into the pre-Industrial Design foundation courses? All incoming students must declare pre-Industrial Design program to be admitted into the foundation courses. They must also submit a pre-Industrial Design application.

What are the requirements for admittance in the Industrial Design professional program? Three criteria are reviewed when evaluating applicants; professionalism, portfolio, and foundation course accumulative grade point average. The portfolio is weighted double the other criteria.

What should the application portfolio consist of? The application portfolio should be a display of 3 to 5 samples of the student’s best work from each foundation course. The portfolio should not have more than 20 single sided pages. There may be multiple images on a page.

What are the deadlines for application / submission of portfolios? The pre-Industrial Design application is due August 1st by 4:00pm. For the professional program the date varies each year but will be posted on the website. All applications are to be turned into the School of Technology advisement office.

What are the industrial design classes like? Most courses in Industrial Design are project based studios where students work together and are responsible, in part, for their own learning where the professors mentor more than lecturer. The design courses have between 15 and 20 students and last 2 to 3 hours. There are no right answers so students tend to work on projects until due.

Can I audit Industrial Design courses? No

Are there any math requirements for the Industrial Design major? No

Does everyone stay in the program once admitted? We select our professional program students very carefully, trying to find students with talent and passion for design. Students may be removed for very poor academic progress or performance.

What scholarships does the Industrial Design program offer? Industrial design does offer a number of scholarships based on talent, need, and leadership.

Is an internship required? How can I find an internship? An internship is required for graduation but many students complete 2 or 3 internships by graduation. Internships are completed between sophomore and senior years. BYUID posts multiple internship opportunities each year usually more opportunities than we have students.

What is the job market like for graduates? The job market is good and our students have very good success finding opportunities, many with multiple offers.

Where do you place your graduates? Industrial designers are typically employed by corporations that develop products or by product design consultancies that service inventors, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers. We have graduates working in; furniture, appliances, housewares, transportation, electronic and medical equipment, tools, toys, user experience, exhibits, and packaging.

What is a designer’s average starting salary?This is dependent on three factors: the size of the hiring firm or company, the cost of living in the employer’s city, and the type of design job. Considering these three factors, an entry-level position could pay from $35,000 to $60,000