Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University Launch Joint Master of Arts in Design Engineering

RISD Architecture + Design division and Brown School of Engineering now accepting applications for unique program focused on intersection of design and engineering

Providence, RI - Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Brown University are pleased to announce the launch of a joint Master of Arts in Design Engineering (MADE) program. This unique program between RISD Architecture + Design division and Brown School of Engineering fosters innovation at the intersection of design and engineering. Applications are now being accepted, with courses beginning summer 2021. Based on experiential learning, the program brings together diverse partners with a focus on expressing ideas through physical objects and improving people’s lives. Building on a strong record of cross-disciplinary collaboration between the two institutions, MADE students will benefit from the complementary strengths of RISD and Brown.

In this intensive, 11-month residential program, MADE degree candidates will utilize creativity, analytical reasoning and well-honed research skills to produce work that responds to small- and large-scale challenges. Working primarily in studios and shops, students will form strong connections within a close-knit cohort of designers and engineers and through project-based work with professionals in museum education, healthcare safety and aviation design, among other fields.

“In bringing together industrial design and engineering we are building a team whose members have diverse perspectives and come from different disciplinary frameworks,” says RISD Industrial Design Department Head Khipra Nichols. “Students will be prepared for team-based work environments that facilitate a holistic approach to problem solving.”

Collaborative ways of working are central to the program, as degree candidates work with a wide range of experts to envision alternative frameworks for addressing public health, education, climate change and more. In developing effective solutions through iterative making and testing, students express their ideas through the objects they create, with the ultimate goal of improving lives.

“Whether it’s creating an attractive and energy-efficient home, or developing a precisely tuned medical device that is easy for providers to use, there’s a rich landscape of work that can benefit from the integrated perspectives of design and engineering,” said Christopher Bull, a senior lecturer in Brown's School of Engineering and program co-director. "Powerful things happen when those two perspectives are brought together, while immersing students in a hands-on, project-based environment.”

For additional details and to learn how to apply, please visit design.engineering.brown.edu

About Rhode Island School of Design
RISD’s mission, through its college and museum, is to educate students and the public in the creation and appreciation of works of art and design, to discover and transmit knowledge and to make lasting contributions to a global society through critical thinking, scholarship and innovation. The college’s strategic plan NEXT: RISD 2020–2027 sets an ambitious vision for educating students for the future and bringing creative practices to bear on the creation of just societies, a sustainable planet and new ways of making and knowing. RISD’s immersive model of art and design education, which emphasizes critical making through studio-based learning and robust study in the liberal arts, prepares students to intervene in the critical challenges of our time. Working with exceptional faculty and in extraordinary specialized facilities, 2,225 students from 60 countries engage in 44 full-time bachelor's and master's degree programs. RISD’s 30,000 alumni worldwide testify to the impact of this model of education, exemplifying the vital role artists and designers play in today’s society. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) and the RISD Museum help make Providence, RI among the most culturally active and creative cities in the region. Find more information at risd.edu.

About Brown University

Founded in 1764, Brown is a leading research university home to world-renowned faculty, and also an innovative educational institution where the curiosity, creativity and intellectual joy of students drives academic excellence. The spirit of the undergraduate Open Curriculum infuses every aspect of the University. Brown is a place where rigorous scholarship, complex problem-solving and service to the public good are defined by intense collaboration, intellectual discovery and working in ways that transcend traditional boundaries. Providence, Rhode Island — Brown's home for more than two and a half centuries — is a vibrant place to live, work and study, a stimulating hub for innovation, and a city rich in cultural diversity.