College of Design
Designed to be the best
The College of Design is one of the most comprehensive design institutions in the country, with ten undergraduate majors and collaborative opportunities that mirror professional design experiences.
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What can I study?
The College of Design's mission is to educate students to become successful designers, planners, artists, and scholars who improve the quality of life, enhance human experience, and advance environmental sustainability; and to serve as a resource for Iowa and beyond through research, creative endeavors, extension, and outreach.
Majors, minors and certificates
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Architecture
Major
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Art and Design
Major
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Biological/Pre-Medical Illustration
Major
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Community and Regional Planning
Major
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Critical Studies in Design
Minor
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Design Studies
Minor
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Digital Media
Minor
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Entrepreneurship
Minor
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Environmental Studies
Major, Minor
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Geographic Information Science
Minor
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Gerontology
Minor
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Graphic Design
Major
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Illustration
Minor
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Industrial Design
Major
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Integrated Studio Arts
Major
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Interdisciplinary Design
Major
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Interior Design
Major
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International Studies
Major, Minor
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Landscape Architecture
Major
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Preservation and Cultural Heritage
Minor
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Sustainability
Minor
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Textile Design
Minor
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Urban Studies
Minor
Research
Design students have the opportunity to work with faculty as undergraduates. Research project examples include adapted environments for aging populations, young adults on the autism spectrum, youth in residential treatment and shelter care, and safe places to play; affordable 3D-printed housing technologies; how shrinking communities continue to thrive; and cultural heritage and historic preservation.
Tackling affordable housing challenges
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Create and innovate in the College of Design with design studios, interdisciplinary teamwork tackling global challenges, real-world projects with industry partners and communities, and entrepreneurial pitch contests and fellows programs.
Start Something in the College of Design
Opportunities
As part of the Core Design Program, first-year students explore all College of Design undergraduate majors and experiment with interdisciplinary work. In your degree program, you'll get hands-on, practical experience, and work collaboratively with different majors and design professionals.
Get a global perspective
Students can study abroad almost anywhere, with semester, summer and spring break options. The College of Design also has a fully established program in Rome with facilities in the historic city center.
Success at Iowa State
The annual Design Career Fair is focused only on design majors. It attracts more than 125 firms recruiting for jobs and internships, with College of Design alumni making up more than half of the recruiters in attendance. Students graduate career-ready with internships, capstone projects, professional practice and portfolio classes integrated into the Design programs, and support from the Design Career Services Office.
Design career paths
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Accessibility consultant
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Architectural designer
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Art director
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Artist
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BIM designer
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City/community planner
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Conservation specialist
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Design researcher
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Design technician
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Digital designer
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Footwear designer
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Gallery associate
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GIS analyst
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Graphic designer
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Hospitality designer
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Human-centered design strategist
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Industrial designer
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Interior designer
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Jeweler
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Landscape architect
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Landscape designer
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Multimedia designer
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Planning and development assistant
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Product designer
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Project coordinator
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Technical illustrator
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Transportation planner
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User experience designer
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Web designer
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Zoning coordinator
Featured story
From intern to full-time design strategist
Olivia Larson
'21 Industrial Design
Olivia Larson
'21 Industrial Design
From intern to full-time design strategist
Olivia Larson put her final year of college on hold for a dream internship in user experience design and human factors engineering with Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology and services.
"The internship allowed me to test the waters of both a corporate company and the medical technology industry while giving me the opportunity to improve the lives of patients through the human-centered design practices taught within the ISU industrial design program," she said.
Larson's academic advisor and faculty members helped ensure she could postpone her senior year to take advantage of the exceptional opportunity and return to complete her degree. After receiving her bachelor of industrial design, Larson joined the Medtronic Innovation Lab as a full-time human-centered design strategist. She works on a team of designers, researchers and strategists that functions as an internal design consultancy for the larger Medtronic company.
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