GRADUATE STUDIES

CCS prepares students to enter a global
economy in which creativity shapes better
communities and societies.

students working on wacom tablets with a professor instructing in front of Transportation Design renderings

Here, creative minds explore and thrive. Students who pursue a master’s degree from CCS advance their creative practices and develop as critical thinkers, while gaining expertise and knowledge to enhance their career opportunities.

The College for Creative Studies offers five distinct graduate programs in Art Education, Color & Materials Design, Design for Sustainability, Interdisciplinary Design Studies, Transportation Design and User Experience Design, in addition to a graduate Minor in Design for Sustainability.

Students participate in unique curricula that emphasize design making, research methods, and business practices.

The Programs

MA

Art Education

MA/MFA

Color & Materials Design

MA/MFA

Design for Sustainability

MA/MFA

Interdisciplinary Design Studies

MA/MFA

Transportation Design

MA/MFA

User Experience Design

Minor in Design for Sustainability

The Journey

DESIGN MAKING

Making of all kinds = thinking, and is key to advancing creative inquiry.
Through making, designers visualize and test ideas, and bring concepts to life!

RESEARCH METHODS

Research defines graduate level study. Students are taught a range of qualitative and
quantitative design research methodologies that inform and enrich practice-led inquiry.

BUSINESS PRACTICES

Students get a hands-on introduction to design-led business practices. The integration of design
and entrepreneurship is crucial to the success and viability of any concept proposal.

Why CCS?

Our programs are contextually rich, emphasizing research-led practice and business acumen for the creative economy.

A master’s degree from CCS will help you advance your creative practice and develop as a critical thinker, while gaining expertise and knowledge to enhance your career opportunities.

All of our graduate programs are available in both full-time and part-time mode, allowing our curricula to fit around a busy life.

MA and MFA degrees

The 30-credit MA is the first year of the 60-credit MFA (terminal degree), with classes focusing on professional and technical skills and knowledge. During the second year, students embark on an independently defined critical inquiry.

Detroit: A Global Design Incubator

The only U.S. city designated as a UNESCO City of Design, Detroit is the ideal ground for incubating the next generation of creative innovators. CCS brings the city’s resources and learning opportunities to students through its curriculum—including social—impact partnerships and creative projects with local design and business communities.

Long-Term Careers

CCS graduate studies program prepares students for a sustainable career in design, not just a job. New designers have to be prepared to meet future challenges. We make sure they are. The programs integrate both thinking and making—transforming ideas into applicable and relevant solutions. An education in design thinking can be applied to a wide variety of problems: delivering new products, new services and new ways of running or creating businesses. We educate designers who have a firm grasp of the business practices that most new hires typically learn on the job; they learn to lead and to drive business value. Graduates emerge ready to build a career at an agency, consultancy, non-profit or begin an entrepreneurial pursuit.

Unmatched Opportunity

CCS supports cross-pollination, promoting discourse across disciplines. Electives allow students to build on their unique interests by taking courses from any graduate or undergraduate program. Students can also participate in a number of interdisciplinary collaborative projects that explore new ideas, approaches and skills.

Shared & Layered Curriculum

A proven approach to curricula and real-world experience. Students entering the graduate degree programs share a foundation curriculum of research, studio, and business practices. Concentration on a single program gives students the opportunity to focus on technology components and work on industry-specific projects.

Graduate School Leadership

Amy Raupp headshot

Amy Ruopp

Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Chair & Assistant Professor of Art Education

Rapheal Zammit headshot

Raphael Zammit

Chair of MA/MFA Transportation Design, Associate Professor

Apply Now

Join the Evolution 

CCS prepares students to enter a global economy in which
creativity shapes better communities and societies. Here,
creative minds can both explore and thrive. There is nothing
like it anywhere in the world.