Product Design Major (APDJ)

The Product Design program is designed for qualified students who intend to become professional product designers or pursue graduate study in product design. The program is a four-year course of study with an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration among Design, Art, Engineering and Business programs. Application details may be obtained from the Richmond Institute Office. Courses in the Product Design program are sequential beginning in the fall semester of each year and will take a minimum of four years to complete after admission.

The requirements of a B.F.A. curriculum of the Richmond Institute for Design Innovation and the College of Fine Arts must be satisfied. No minor required. Eighty-three hours in art, design, and related technologies, and nine hours in business related courses with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and management, satisfy the major requirements of this curriculum and are distributed as follows:

Basic Studies Requirement (6 hours)

RIDI 1040 - Drawing for Design II Credits: 3 hours
RIDI 1050 - Conceptual Sketching Credits: 3 hours

Cognate: Art History Requirement (15 hours)

RIDI 2420 - Design History of the Built Environment Credits: 3 hours
3000-4000 level Art History Topic Course Credits / Units: 3 hours
3000-4000 level Art History Topic Course Credits / Units: 3 hours
AND
ART 2200 - Caves to Cathedrals Credits: 3 hours
OR
ART 2210 - Modern and Postmodern Credits: 3 hours
ART 2220 - Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas Credits: 3 hours
OR
ART 2230 - Introduction to Asian Art History Credits: 3 hours

Product Design Sequence (43 hours)

PDDN 1500 - Product Design I Credits: 3 hours
PDDN 1550 - Product Design II Credits: 3 hours
RIDI 1600 - Design Seminar Credits: 1 hour
(repeatable for credit, minimum of 4 hours required)
PDDN 1610 - Drawing for Design Credits: 3 hours
PDDN 2500 - Product Design III Credits: 3 hours
RIDI 2550 - Product Design IV Credits: 3 hours
PDDN 2660 - Materials and Processes Credits: 3 hours
PDDN 3500 - Product Design V Credits: 3 hours
RIDI 3680 - Special Topics in Design Credits: 3 hours
PDDN 3550 - Product Design VI Credits: 3 hours
PDDN 4500 - Thesis Project Credits: 3 hours
PDDN 4550 - Thesis Project II Credits: 3 hours
RIDI 4640 - Design Internship Credits: 3 hours
IEE 3420 - Ergonomics and Design Credits: 3 hours

Art Studio Electives (12 hours)

ART 2310 - Sculpture I Credits: 3 hours
ART 2380 - Metals & Jewelry I Credits: 3 hours
ART 2300 - Ceramics I Credits: 3 hours
Art elective course in any art discipline Credits / Units: 3 hours

Supporting Engineering Requirement (7 hours)

EDMM 1450 - Introduction to 3D Mechanical Modelling Credits: 3 hours
EDMM 1500 - Introduction to Manufacturing Credits: 3 hours
EDMM 1501 - Processes and Materials in Manufacturing Laboratory Credits: 1 hour

Cognate: Entrepreneurial Studies Requirement (15 hours)

MGMT 2500 - Organizational Behavior Credits: 3 hours
Business or Entrepreneurial Elective Credits / Units: 3 hours
MGMT 2140 - Exploring Entrepreneurship Credits: 3 hours
FIN 2420 - Entrepreneurial Finance Credits: 3 hours
IEE 3010 - Entrepreneurial Engineering II: Product and Service Design Credits: 3 hours

Grading Requirement

Majors and minors receiving a grade below a “C” in a required course must repeat the course.