Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

Master of Design (On Hold)


Plan Description


This post professional degree  leads to a Master of Design (M.Des.) with a concentration in Health and Wellbeing.  The program provides an interdisciplinary and research/innovation-driven educational experience that is responsive to current and projected modes of professional practice that focus on human health and wellbeing.  Their educational experience enables them to effectively participate in the integrated design and project delivery processes of environments that are increasingly being considered as one of at least three modalities - pharmacologic, behavioral, and environmental - for improving the quality of human life and health. They are also prepared to practice in a variety of related positions within the broader healthcare industry.

The 4+2 Year Program of study consists of 48 credit hours of graduate course work for those who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree in in a design field within the last five years.  At least 27 credits must be earned from 700-level courses. The first year of studies is organized around the foundational courses in human health and behavior, research and research methods, and comprehensive interdisciplinary studio projects. The second year of studies is focused on the development of creative and innovative design strategies that can support the transformation of health promoting environments that serve to prevent, rehabilitate or accommodate a person’s individual needs. In the final semester, students are required to complete an independently researched and developed design project as their culminating capstone.

The 4+3 Year Program of Study consists of an additional 24 design foundation courses. This 72 credit hours of graduate course work is for applicants of varied backgrounds in a degree recognized by UNLV. At least 39 credits must be earned from 700-level courses.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements


Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

Applicants to the Master of Design program must meet the following admission requirements:

  1. Overall minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 (B average) in undergraduate work. Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 but not less than 2.75 may be admitted as provisional students.
  2.  A Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), or Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) accredited degree if applying into the 4 + 2 Year Program.  Applicants holding other accredited degrees recognized by UNLV may be admitted into the 4+3 Year Program.
  3.  Submission of a portfolio of design work if applying into the 4 + 2 Year Program.
  4. Three letters of recommendation from former instructors and/or employers that speak to the applicant’s potential as a graduate student. 
  5. A statement of the student’s professional goals and reasons for seeking admission into the program (200 words maximum).
  6. International applicants whose native language is not English must show competency in the English language. A satisfactory score (minimum 550 on the written version or 213 on the computerized version) on the “Test of English as a Foreign Language” (TOEFL) or comparable evidence of competency in English must be submitted as part of their application.
  7. All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements. 

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Subplan 1 Requirements: 4 + 2 Year Track


Total Credits Required: 48

Course Requirements


Degree Requirements


  1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above each semester enrolled.
  2. Receive a grade of B (3.0) or above (or satisfactory, where applicable) in all courses. If less than a B (or unsatisfactory) is earned, the course may be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course, and any course may be repeated only once.
  3. Complete a minimum of six semester hours in each calendar year. The total number of credits required for graduation may vary as transfer credits may be applied towards graduation.

Graduation Requirements


  1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing degree requirements.
  2. The student must submit and successfully present and defend an evidence-based and research-informed thesis design project by the posted deadline. The presentation must be advertised and is open to the public.
  3. Unanimous approval by the thesis examination committee of the defense is required for graduation.
  4. The student must submit a bound copy of his/her thesis to the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee chair and to the Architecture Studies Library. The school reserves the right to retain any or all student projects for the program’s future use and exhibition.
  5. The student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted thesis to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Subplan 2 Requirements: 4 + 3 Year Track


Total Credits Required: 72

Course Requirements


Degree Requirements


  1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 or above each semester enrolled.
  2. Receive a grade of B (3.0) or above (or satisfactory, where applicable) in all courses. If less than a B (or unsatisfactory) is earned, the course may be repeated. The student must be in good standing to repeat a course, and any course may be repeated only once.
  3. Complete a minimum of six semester hours in each calendar year. The total number of credits required for graduation may vary as transfer credits may be applied towards graduation.
  4. Students must take and successfully complete HID 700,  200 hours of comprehensive work experience to be satisfactorily completed under the supervision of licensed/registered practitioners in a pre-approved design business entity.

Graduation Requirements


  1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing degree requirements.
  2. The student must submit and successfully present and defend an evidence-based and research-informed thesis design project by the posted deadline. The presentation must be advertised and is open to the public.
  3. Unanimous approval by the thesis examination committee of the defense is required for graduation.
  4. The student must submit a bound copy of his/her thesis to the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee chair and to the Architecture Studies Library. The school reserves the right to retain any or all student projects for the program’s future use and exhibition.
  5. The student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted thesis to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Plan Graduation Requirements


Refer to your subplan for Graduation Requirements.

Subplan 1 Requirements: 4 + 2 Year Track

Subplan 2 Requirements: 4 + 3 Year Track