The School of Design is an inquisitive community of students and faculty that addresses firsthand the issues of the world around it.
We take pride in our professionally oriented programs, many of which have a long history at Syracuse University. We offer undergraduate degree programs in communications design, design studies, environmental and interior design, fashion design, and industrial and interaction design and graduate degree programs in design and museum studies. Concern for sustainable design practices, social issues, and excellence in professional practice forms the core of our programs.
100+
Years of design at Syracuse University
Learn from Industry Experts
Our faculty are active professionals who practice in their fields while they teach. They are dedicated to ensuring that you reach your potential and give you one-on-one instruction in your studio classes. Our school maintains a special relationship with the Syracuse community through the activities of our various student groups (including chapters of professional design organizations) that continually work on projects with not-for-profit agencies as well as funded research design collaborations.
Eight Floors Dedicated to Design
Our programs are housed in the Nancy Cantor Warehouse*, the University’s building in downtown Syracuse, which allows our students and faculty to benefit from a city atmosphere and interactions with local design firms. First-year design students may choose to live in our Design Learning Community, an academically and socially supportive residential environment on Main Campus.
We also encourage our students to reach beyond the local community and study abroad at one of the University’s many international centers, including Florence, Italy, and London, England.
Professionally Oriented Programs
Integral to our curricula are opportunities to acquire career development skills critical for professional designers. Professional practices are addressed in many of our courses, while visiting and resident designers provide unique insight into their respective disciplines. Internships provide invaluable experience in a real-world setting. Undergraduate students may choose to minor in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises, which includes coursework in essential business tools.
Design students present their portfolios each spring at events in New York City. Fashion design majors present their senior collections at the annual on-campus fashion show and may have their collections selected for the annual New York City fashion show.
Undergraduate Majors
- Communications Design B.F.A.
- Design Studies B.S.
- Environmental and Interior Design B.F.A.
- Fashion Design B.F.A.
- Industrial and Interaction Design B.I.D.
Graduate Degree Programs
- Design M.A. (This program is only open to School of Design undergraduates in B.S. or B.F.A. programs. Students apply in their junior year for admission into the program.)
- Design M.F.A.
- Museum Studies M.A.
Recent School of Design News
![Three individuals by a kayak.]()
Featured News
Faculty, Students, City and Community Advocates Form Unique Accessibility Collaboration
In disability advocacy circles, the City of Syracuse has gained a national reputation as one of the most progressive cities in the U.S. for incorporating the ideas and feedback of users with disabilities when creating new handicapped-accessible spaces, according to two prominent disability advocates. Read More...
![SeWoong Kim]()
Faculty News
SeWoong Kim, assistant professor of environmental and interior design in the School of Design, co-authored “Measuring the impact of the urban microclimate on housing price using the spatial hedonic pricing method: The case study of Mueller, Austin, TX” in ScienceDirect. This study examines the impact of
...![Andrew Saluti]()
Faculty News
Andrew Saluti, associate professor of museum studies in the School of Design, was quoted in the New York Times article "Exhale Through the Gift Shop" about museums adding scents to their exhibitions.
