The Master of Science in Design + Innovation (MD+I) program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a unique, interdisciplinary degree that equips students with the skills and perspectives to address complex challenges through innovative solutions. As a collaboration between five UW–Madison schools and colleges—Engineering, Human Ecology, Business, Art Department, and the iSchool — MD+I integrates diverse disciplines into a one-year intensive curriculum. 

The MD+I program aims to cultivate designers equipped with the skills and mindsets necessary to address complex, real-world problems. We prioritize inclusive design, ensuring that diverse perspectives are integral to the design process, and we promote socially engaged innovation that aligns with the Wisconsin Idea—extending the benefits of the university's work to the broader community. Our commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration involves breaking down traditional disciplinary silos to foster holistic and integrative approaches to design challenges.

The program emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world impact, teaching students to navigate complex systems and design life-centered solutions that benefit both human and more-than-human stakeholders. Students engage with community and industry partners while honing skills in engineering, business strategy, user experience, and creative problem-solving.

The MD+I program is dedicated to shaping the future of design through inclusive, collaborative, and socially engaged practice. We strive to empower our students to become innovative leaders who are capable of addressing the world's most pressing issues with empathy, creativity, and a commitment to making a positive impact on society.

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Applicant Considerations

Applications cannot be edited/updated after submission. Make sure all documents are complete prior to submitting the application. Applicants to our program should have the following:

1. Degree
   1. ​Bachelor degree.
   2. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited US bachelor's degree. Review the Graduate School webpage to learn more about comparable degrees by country. 
2. GPA​
   1. The minimum required GPA is 3.0/4.0 on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours from the most recent bachelor's degree or a completed master's degree with a minimum of 3.0/4.0. 

Application Materials

In addition to the items listed in the table above, a complete application includes the following uploaded to the online application. The submitted application and all application items are due by the deadline above. 

1. Unofficial Transcripts (PDF)
   1. ​Most up-to-date unofficial transcript(s) from all previous higher education institutions, regardless of whether a degree was earned. Official transcripts are only requested of recommended applicants.
   2. International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation.  Review the minimum requirements link above to learn more. 
2. Resume
3. Two Letters of Recommendation
   1. ​These letters are required from people who can accurately reflect on the applicant's academics and/or work performance. 
   2. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically through the online application.
   3. See the Graduate School FAQs regarding letters of recommendation. 
4. Creative Brief
   1. ​See the 'Creative Brief' section below for document requirements. ​
   2. The Creative Brief should be uploaded into the Statement section of the application. 
5. Application Fee
   1. ​Application submission must be accompanied by the application fee. See the Graduate School FAQs regarding fees. 
   2. Fee grants are available through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School.
6. Personal Interview (if necessary)
   1. A personal interview with program staff (in the form of a telephone call or video chat) may be required.

Creative Brief

The MS-Design + Innovation program requires the submission of a Creative Brief. The creative brief is a multi-page document that conveys why you want to attend the Design + Innovation program, what you hope to achieve as a designer and examples of your work, so that we can understand the experience you bring with you and your potential as a student. 

We recommend that you think of the creative brief as a design project. This document is like a short magazine, portfolio or booklet that gives us a chance to get to know you, why you want to join the program, how you have worked in the past and what you are dreaming of in the future. It consists of three parts, which you should compose as a single, multi-page PDF for upload. The three parts are: Experience Statement, Re-design Prompt, and Work Samples.

1. Experience Statement (max 500 words, or about 1 page): Tell us about a work, school or life experience where you had to make a decision or deliver an outcome but you didn't know the answer, the expectations, or even the question. How did you move forward? What choices did you make to learn, navigate, sense, or co-create? What did that situation teach you about your own design process?

2. Re-design Prompt (max 500 words, or about 1 page): If you could re-design one thing that is currently not working in your home, what would it be? How would you begin? What early questions and experiments would help you navigate the unknowns and imagine possibilities?

3. Work Samples (maximum 10 pages): What projects, collaborations, works of art, experiments or ideas are you the most proud of? Using a consistent design approach to all pages and an emphasis on visual representation of your work, show us 2-3 recent projects. We are interested in seeing your best work – whether that be design, research, art, collaborative, professional or team projects, experiments, prototypes, class projects, independent passions, installations, community work and more. There is no standard approach and your work samples will be uniquely yours.

   1. Here are a few file and format guidelines to help you achieve consistency and legibility in your creative brief. File requirements, denoted with an asterisk (*), and recommendations follow:

      1. Format: PDF*

      2. File size: 4MB max*

      3. Pages: 15 max (including all parts of the creative brief, cover and table of contents) 

      4. Page layout: 12” x 18” or A3, two-page spreads should be combined into one page.

      5. Color format: RGB

      6. Resolution: 150 dpi

      7. Project info: Always note the date and context (professional, academic or personal). If you worked on a team, describe your role and contributions. If you include any images that are not your own original work, you must cite your sources.

Note on links: We do not accept links to portfolio websites in lieu of an uploaded document, designed to the specifications above. If you include links to time-based media (such as video, performance or podcast work) within your creative brief, review is at the discretion of admissions committee members and may not be taken into consideration. It is in your best interest, therefore, to include all of your work in a visual or written format in the creative brief document.

Resources for creative brief design: The UW-Madison DesignLab has many resources, including these design tips and tricks that will help you put your best foot forward. Don’t know how to start? Questions about how it’s going? Our enrollment coach (see contact box) is here to answer your questions and give feedback while you are developing your creative brief.

Funding

Graduate School Resources

The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Students enrolled in this program are not eligible to receive tuition remission from graduate assistantship appointments at this institution.

Additional Resources

Office of Student Financial Aid

For information regarding student financial aid, scholarships, and more, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid website. 

International Student Services Funding and Scholarships

For information regarding international student funding and scholarships, visit the International Student Services website.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Major Requirements

Mode of Instruction

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

Required Courses

¹

These specializations are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Specialization names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

²

Course may be counted towards a specialization area only if it was not taken as a Core Requirement. Students may NOT double count this course for the Core Requirement and the Specialization.

Other Policy

Students in this program may not take courses outside the prescribed curriculum without faculty advisor and program director approval. Students in this program cannot enroll concurrently in other undergraduate or graduate degree programs.

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures and are updated continuously. Note some policies redirect to entries in the official UW-Madison Policy Library. Programs may set more stringent policies than the Graduate School. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior Coursework

Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions

In extremely rare or exceptional circumstances, the MS-Design + Innovation program may permit transfer credits from previously earned graduate coursework. With advisor/program approval, students may transfer up to 14 credits numbered 300 or above (UW-Madison equivalency number) toward the degree specialization areas (not the core degree requirements). No credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement.  Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements. The use of prior graduate credits in the MS-Design + Innovation program is extremely unlikely to occur. 

Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison

• Undergraduate credits from UW-Madison: With advisor approval, students may transfer up to 7 credits numbered 300 or above toward the degree specialization areas (not the core degree requirements). These credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement if numbered 700 or above.  No credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement.  Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
• Undergraduate credits from other institutions: In extremely rare or exceptional circumstances, the MS-Design + Innovation program may permit transfer credits from an undergraduate degree from other institutions. With advisor/program approval, students may transfer up to 7 credits numbered 300 or above (UW-Madison equivalency number) toward the degree specialization areas (not the core degree requirements). These credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement if numbered 700 or above (UW-Madison equivalency number). No credits may be counted toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement.  Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission is not allowed to satisfy requirements. The use of prior undergraduate credits from an outside institution in the MS-Design + Innovation program is extremely unlikely to occur. 

Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Probation

Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.

Advisor / Committee

All students will be assigned an advisor who assists them in planning a course sequence that meets degrees requirements and who will discuss career objectives with the students.

Credits Per Term Allowed

15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests policy.

Time Limits

Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
  • Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances.

Other

Students are strongly discouraged to pursue positions as Project Assistants, Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants during their time in this program, as the rigor and accelerated nature of this program may not accommodate those work time commitments. Students in this program will not receive the tuition remission that is typically part of the compensation package for a graduate assistantship.

Professional Development

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

Program Resources

Please visit our program website for more information.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate creative, independent problem solving skills and entrepreneurial thinking.
2. Apply design tools and strategies on interdisciplinary teams and projects.
3. Communicate effectively both visually and orally.
4. Implement an iterative design thinking process.
5. Demonstrate a hands-on, iterative process that includes making, creating and designing.
6. Gain depth in a field of study that can be applied in a social, global and design context.
7. Apply principles of ethical and professional conduct in a field experience.

Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Art and Design

Accreditation status: Not accredited. Planned 2026-2027