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2024-2025 University Catalog
Design Studies, BA
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 Return to: College of Liberal Arts (Undergraduate)
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About the Program
The Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies is an interdisciplinary program that equips students with the skills, knowledge, and an ethical foundation necessary for success in the field of design studies. Through the program, students develop fundamental design skills, apply design thinking methodologies, understand design history and theory, and gain proficiency in design software and technology. They learn to communicate effectively, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork, stay current with industry standards and trends, and prepare for advanced study or professional practice in the design business. This comprehensive program also emphasizes the enhancement of design skills, demonstrating students’ creativity, problem-solving capabilities, and acumen in design marketing. Thus, graduates are well-prepared for dynamic careers in the design field.
College of Liberal Arts Major Change (CODO) Requirements
Degree Requirements
120 Credits RequiredDepartmental/Program Major Courses (54 credits)
A. Art & Design Required Courses (9 credits)
B. Art History courses (9 credits)
C. Design-oriented Studio Courses (21 credits)
Choose one sequence of courses from the following options: Visual Communication Design
D. Marketing and Entrepreneurship (9 credits)
Choose 9 credits from one of the two options: E. Art & Design Selective Courses (6 credits)
Other Departmental - Liberal Arts Core For BFA, Professional, & Education (25-34 credits)
The College of Liberal Arts Other Departmental area is designed to be experiential, informative, and relevant to life in a rapidly changing universe. It combines courses that fulfill University Core foundational outcomes, discipline diversity, social diversity, and other languages to produce a well-rounded background for students. Coursework is integrative and collaborative and fosters insight, understanding, independence, initiative, and the desire to reach across divides and redefine our relationship to the peoples and the worlds that surround us.
LA Core III: Linguistic Diversity (3-4 credits)
Proficiency through level IV in one world language Foundational Requirements (21-30 credits)
Students must complete approved coursework that meet the following foundational outcomes. - Humanities - all approved courses accepted.
- Behavioral/Social Science - all approved courses accepted.
- Information Literacy - all approved courses accepted.
- Science #1 - all approved courses accepted.
- Science #2 - all approved courses accepted.
- Science, Technology, and Society - all approved courses accepted.
- Written Communication - all approved courses accepted.
- Oral Communication - all approved courses accepted.
- Quantitative Reasoning - all approved courses accepted.
Notes
- Double counting of courses is allowed across the various categories.
- All accredited programs whose accreditation is threatened by CLA Core requirement, both professional BAs and BFAs, are exempt from Liberal Arts Core I & II in order to meet accreditation standards and requirements. Liberal Arts Core III: Linguistic Diversity is still required for such programs.
- “Degree +” students (students with a second major outside of Liberal Arts) are exempt from the CLA Core.
Electives (32-41 credits)
College of Liberal Arts Pass/No Pass Option Policy
- P/NP cannot be used to satisfy Liberal Arts Core, Liberal Arts major, minor, or certificate requirements.
Liberal Arts GPA Requirement
- 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Arts degree.
Liberal Arts Curriculum
Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.
Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.
University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (HUM)
- Information Literacy (IL)
- Oral Communication (OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
- Science #1 (SCI)
- Science #2 (SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
- Written Communication (WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry. For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiency website.
To obtain the Civics Literacy Proficiency, students will complete an educational activity as part of their chosen Civics Literacy Pathway and pass the Purdue Civics knowledge test. The knowledge test can be completed at any time while the pathway is being perused. There are three different pathways:
- Civics Event pathway - Attend six approved civics-related events and pass the required exam; or
- Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required exam; or
- Approved course pathway - Complete one of the following approved courses and pass the required exam.
More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue.
Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Fall 2nd Year
- AD 39500 - History Of Design Credits: 3.00
- Major Requirement - Area C: Design-oriented Studio Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Major Requirement - Area C: Design-oriented Studio Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- World Language Level III - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Quantitative Reasoning - Credit Hours: 3.00
Spring 2nd Year
- Major Requirement - Area C: Design-oriented Studio Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Major Requirement - Area C: Design-oriented Studio Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Major Requirement - Area E: Art & Design Selective Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- World Language Level IV - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Behavioral/Social Science - Credit Hours: 3.00
Fall 3rd Year
- Major Requirement- Area C: Design-oriented Studio Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Major Requirement - Area D: Marketing and Entrepreneurship - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Major Requirement - Area E: Art & Design Selective Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Humanities - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Information Literacy - Credit Hours: 3.00
Spring 3rd Year
- Major Requirement - Area C: Design-oriented Studio Courses - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Major Requirement - Area D: Marketing and Entrepreneurship - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science 1 - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
Fall 4th Year
- Major Requirement - Area D: Marketing and Entrepreneurship - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Science 2 - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
Spring 4th Year
- Science, Technology, and Society - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Elective - Credit Hours: 2.00-3.00
Notes
- 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Arts degree.
- 32 credit hours of Purdue coursework at the 30000-level or higher required for Bachelor of Arts degree.
- Liberal Arts offers a streamlined plan of study for students pursuing a second degree outside of CLA.
- Contact the CLA Advising Office for more information. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student.
Learning Objectives
- Develop fundamental design skills: Students will demonstrate proficiency in the core principles of design, including graphic composition, typography, and spatial organization.
- Apply design thinking: Students will apply design thinking methodologies to solve and analyze complex problems, creating and evaluating innovative solutions.
- Understand design history and theory: Students will have a thorough understanding of the history and theory of design, including its social, cultural, political, and technological contexts.
- Analyze ethical issues in design: Students will discuss and analyze ethical issues in design practice as they relate to a variety of topics including sustainability, accessibility, inclusion, representation, discrimination, appropriation, and social responsibility.
- Gain proficiency in design software and technology: Students will be proficient in the use of digital and traditional tools, software, and materials used in design practice.
- Communicate effectively: Students will articulate their design ideas effectively through verbal, written, and visual communication.
- Foster collaboration and teamwork: Students will work collaboratively with other designers, engineers, and professionals from different disciplines to produce successful design solutions.
- Understand the structure of marketing or entrepreneurship: Students will gain an overview of the functional area of marketing and acquire the knowledge and experience of design from the business management perspective.
- Stay current with industry standards and trends: Students will stay aware of current and emerging trends in design practice, including technological advancements and industry standards. They will be prepared for further study in design or related fields, or for professional practice in design business.
World Language Courses
World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor. (ASL-American Sign Language; ARAB-Arabic; CHNS-Chinese; FR-French; GER-German; GREK-Greek(Ancient); HEBR-Hebrew(Biblical); HEBR-Hebrew(Modern); ITAL-Italian; JPNS-Japanese; KOR-Korean; LATN-Latin; PTGS=Portuguese; RUSS-Russian; SPAN-Spanish)
Pre-Requisite Information
For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here.
Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical.
In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”
Disclaimer
The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.
Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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Return to: College of Liberal Arts (Undergraduate)
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