The Master of Arts in Design and Technology is a one-year, 30-credit graduate program that integrates technology with advanced design practices. Students explore methodologies, research-driven processes, and hands-on studio work to create innovative, impactful projects in areas such as graphic design, game design, interior design, product design, and architecture. This program prepares designers to lead at the intersection of creativity and technology, advancing their expertise to address complex challenges in their fields. The program is designed for recent graduates and professionals and includes a streamlined 4+1 pathway for LTU undergraduates. The program features a flexible hybrid learning format that combines in-person studio work with online components to accommodate diverse learning needs and professional schedules.
Note: This program begins in the summer semester and requires a full cohort in order to run.
Minimum requirements for admission to the program are:
The application packet must include:
For specific program questions, contact the Chair of Design, Philip Plowright, at pplowrigh@ltu.edu.
Total Semester Credit Hours: 30
The information below is based on the Master of Arts in Design and technology Progression Flowchart for the 2025 – 26 academic year (last updated March 28, 2025). View our Course Catalog page for more information about our individual courses.
DES5013
3
DES5023
3
Total Credits:
6
This course addresses issues of data visualization and visual rhetoric for design project positioning. Focus will be on current innovation spaces in the visual realm stressing digital tools and processes while reinforcing and extending fundamental principles of graphic narrative, semiotic systems of meaning, and cultural nuances in visual interpretation.
DES5113
3
An advanced exploration into generative design methods including a deeper exploration and use of coherence systems, abstraction and knowledge transfer processes. The course focuses on force-based processes, pattern applications, concept alignments, rapid feedback loops, model-based inquiry, pre-relevance explorations, and material driven processes. Particular focus will be on technique and conceptual tool acquisition.
DES5413
3
The Studio brings together previous research and skill development to a point where it generates an outcome that manifests itself as a project with presence in the world. Students are provided with the opportunity to focus on either one significant project or a series of associated projects, both allowing experimentation and exploration around a theme. The studio is self-directed and supported by faculty mentorship and content experts. Final outcomes are expected to be intellectually and visually rigorous with final documentation determined by the intentions of the project.
DES5516
6
Total Credits:
12
Students will explore storytelling for video, from scripting and storyboarding to editing. Using Adobe Premiere Pro, they will create compelling visual narratives and develop an understanding of cinematic language.
Key Learning Outcomes
DES5123
3
This course focuses on issues and knowledge addressing what it means to be a creative director. The content focuses on interdisciplinary issues with which design managers work, addressing systems and team collaboration that links design processes with business, marketing, technology, and asset development. In this dynamic course, the student develops skills in leadership and management of creative practice, giving a critical overview of how to operate in the design industry.
DES5313
3
The Studio brings together previous research and skill development to a point where it generates an outcome that manifests itself as a project with presence in the world. Students are provided with the opportunity to focus on either one significant project or a series of associated projects, both allowing experimentation and exploration around a theme. The studio is self-directed and supported by faculty mentorship and content experts. Final outcomes are expected to be intellectually and visually rigorous with final documentation determined by the intentions of the project.
DES5526
6
Total Credits:
13