Design Engineering

a student looks through a lens attached to several wires, in a classroom setting with a person at a desk in the background

A partnership between RISD and Brown University, the Master of Arts in Design Engineering (MADE) is an intensive program that fosters innovation at the intersection of design and engineering.

Collaboration is central to the program, as you work with a range of experts to envision alternative frameworks for addressing public health, education, climate change and more. Here you develop effective solutions through iterative making and testing and express ideas through the objects you create, towards an ultimate goal of improving lives.

Iterating with intention

two students look at a pair of glasses with square black lenses, with a large monitor in the background

In this intensive, 11-month program, MADE students use creativity, analytical reasoning and research skills to produce work that responds to small- and large-scale challenges. You work primarily in studios and shops, including a well-equipped maker space for prototyping, and form strong connections within a close-knit cohort of designers and engineers. Additionally, you engage in project-based work with professionals in diverse fields such as science and technology education, healthcare, user experience design, human computer interaction, HAI and more.

In the studio

In MADE you engage in hands-on experimentation and iterative problem solving, collaborating in the studio with peers and experts from a range of diverse fields. Using thorough design research and advanced fabrication techniques, you transform your ideas into functional designs, while challenging your assumptions, refining your skills and pushing the boundaries of the synergy between design and engineering.

a student points at presentation images on a whiteboard as an audience looks on to the left
three students stand at a table laughing, with a student on the right holding their arms up high, looking at something outside the frame
a student wearing virtual reality goggles holds a large robotic arm inside a dark studio space, with an active projector screen behind him

Inspiring community

three students stand alongside R I S D faculty member Paolo Cardini on the green lawn of a college campus

MADE students benefit from the complementary strengths of RISD and Brown, neighboring world-class institutions on Providence’s East Side. Close academic ties make it easy for you to broaden your knowledge through elective coursework or access to campus resources.

The program lets you collaborate with faculty who support you in synthesizing the perspectives and contexts you will encounter in practice. Iterating with intention, MADE students create and refine work according to real-world needs.

Student work

several colorful toys shaped like food products atop a lit surface
a schematic illustration of a robotic arm made by Design Engineering alum Dan Rapoport
four white pillars, each sprouting green plant life, sitting atop a grass-and-turf surface in a white studio space

Admissions and application information

Design Engineering program applicants do not need to apply separately to both RISD and Brown. MADE faculty from both institutions run the admissions process. The admissions portal runs through Brown.

Application deadlines

Priority deadline: December 15, 2024
Final deadline: January 15, 2015

Apply to MADE

Attend a MADE info session

More information