Design Strategies Bridging Disciplines Program Certificate
Department website: https://undergraduates.utexas.edu/academics/bridging-disciplines-programs/programs/design-strategies
Creativity and problem-solving have become necessary skills in today’s world. Businesses, non-profits, and entrepreneurs have embraced human-centered design to solve product, systems, service, and social problems. This program provides a multidisciplinary framework for undergraduate students to master design thinking skills outside of traditional departmental programming to better prepare them to tackle real-world wicked problems. The curriculum engages students in a design process that includes research and insights; creative problem solving; prototyping and testing; and implementation and presentation—all while learning to apply a critical lens to the social context within which design takes place.
Through a multidisciplinary foundation, students in the program develop a design thinking toolbox and learn about the social context of design. In Strand hours, students enhance their understanding of various disciplinary approaches to human-centered design. The program culminates in a capstone project in which teams of students from different majors work together to apply what they’ve learned and present their work.
This program is offered in collaboration with the Center for Integrated Design in the College of Fine Arts.
Total Hours Required: 19
Requirements
Requirements are listed in the table below. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum. Students should also review the University's Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ITD 101 | Introduction to Integrated Design | 1 |
| ITD 301D | Introduction to Design Thinking | 3 |
| Approved Hours chosen from: Skills Foundation | 3 | |
| Sketching for Thinking and Communication | ||
| Design in Business | ||
| Presentation and Improvisational Skills in Design Thinking | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Hours chosen from: Multidisciplinary Strand | 6 | |
| Audience Development and Engagement | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Engineering Design and Problem Solving | ||
| Introduction to Design for Health | ||
| Access Designed | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Approved Hours chosen from: Connecting Experiences (requires approved Capstone; additional research or internship is optional. See advisor) | 6 | |
| Capstone in Integrated Design | ||
| Connecting Research Experience | ||
| Connecting Research Experience | ||
| Connecting Internship Experience | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies | ||
| Total Hours | 19 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
- A three to four page essay in which students reflect on what they have learned and accomplished through their experience is required. The essay is reviewed and must be approved by a member of the faculty panel in order to complete the certificate requirements
- To create an interdisciplinary experience, students must choose courses from a variety of disciplines. Only one of the strand courses may come from the student's major department(s) or from same as with the student's major department(s). The certificate as a whole must represent a variety of disciplines; the advisor can help ensure that the coursework will meet the certificate requirements for interdisciplinarity.
- In courses taken for a letter grade, the student must obtain a grade of at least C- .
- A cumulative certificate GPA of at least 2.0 is required.
- Only one BDP course, including connecting experience, may be taken pass/fail. Any exceptions will be considered by the faculty panel on an individual basis.
- The student may be able to count courses toward the certificate that are not listed, if enough of the course content relates to the BDP topic. Consult with the advisor to petition a course to count towards the certificate.