Sustainable Design, BS and Art & Design: Design for Responsible Innovation, MFA

for the Joint Program of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design and the Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, Design for Responsible Innovation concentration

The BSSD – MFA program combines a BS in Sustainable Design with a MFA in Art & Design, concentration in Design for Responsible Innovation (4+2 program). Current University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign undergraduate students enrolled in the Sustainable Design undergraduate major who have completed between 60 and 96 credit hours and maintain superior academic performance are eligible to apply for this program. Students admitted to the program will receive the BS degree after four years and, contingent upon successful admittance to the Graduate School, will receive the MFA degree after two additional years.

Students interested in the BSSD – MFA DRI 4+2 program will need to plan their schedules well in advance of their Junior year to ensure they have taken the appropriate course work. By judicious selection of general education courses and major electives in their sophomore and junior years, students will be prepared to apply to the 4+2 program in their junior year.

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's website and the Graduate College Handbook.

for the Joint Program of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design and the Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, Design for Responsible Innovation concentration

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's website and the Graduate College Handbook.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 160 hours.

  • Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design: 120 hours.
  • Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, concentration in Design for Responsible Innovation: 40 hours.

University Requirements

Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree.  Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.

The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.

Composition I4-6
Advanced Composition3
Humanities & the Arts (6 hours)6
fulfilled by FAA 102 and FAA 201
Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours)6
Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)6
Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course)3
Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course)3
fulfilled by FAA 201
Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) 3
Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I)6-10
Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required)0-15

  Sustainable Design Major Requirements

Students should plan to complete all requirements prior to senior year, except for FAA 430 and FAA 431 which will be taken during senior year.
Foundation18
FAA 101Arts at Illinois1
FAA 230Sustainable Design of the Built Environment3
LA 101Introduction to Landscape Arch2
ARCH 171Introduction to Design I3
ARCH 172Introduction to Design II3
FAA 201Black Arts Today3
ARTH 211Design History Survey3
Urban Scale Sustainability (select one course)3
UP 136Urban Sustainability3
UP 205Ecology & Environmental Sustainability3
ARCH 237Urban Scale Sustainability3
Drawing (select one course)3
ARTD 225Design Drawing3
ARTF 102Observational Drawing3
LA 280Design Communications I (limited seats solely for BSSD/MLA 4+2 students)3
Core15
FAA 330Making Sustainable Design5
ARTD 326Sustainability & Manufacturing3
ARCH 321Environment, Architecture, and Global Health3
ARTD 451Ethics of a Designer in a Global Economy4
Senior Capstone8
FAA 430Capstone Seminar3
FAA 431Capstone Studio5
Total Hours47
Major Electives
All 16 hours of major electives are met with the full completion of the requirements below.
Required Art +Design Coursework taken prior to Senior Year
Students who follow this program will be eligible for a minor in Art + Design regardless of their admission to the 4+2 program
ARTD 151Introduction to Graphic Design3
ARTD 222Typography 13
ARTD 270Design Methods2
ARTD 333Typography 23
FAA 102Design Beyond Boundaries3
ARTD 299Spec Topics in Design Courses (Design Thinking Seminar, Design Thinking Studio, or Creative Coding)2-3
or ARTS 245 Beginning Illustration
ART 310Design Thinking3
Senior Year Courses
A BSSD student admitted to the 4+2 program is expected to enroll in 400-level MFA DRI prerequisite courses in their senior year, although they are not yet admitted to the MFA DRI program. Typically, a 4+2 student will take FAA 430 & FAA 431 (3 & 5 hours), as required by the BSSD program, plus 3 MFA DRI prerequisite courses:
ARTD 499Special Topics in Design (Creative Coding)3-4
or ARTS 465 Advanced Illustration
ARTD 420Disability Design3-4
or ARTD 426 Product Innovation
ARTD 444Typography 34

Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, Design for Responsible Innovation concentration degree requirements

ARTD 551Design for Responsible Innovation Research Impact4
ARTD 570Design for Responsible Innovation Research Methodology4
ARTD 595MFA Design for Responsible Innovation Studio (repeated)16
ARTD 599Thesis8
Electives8
Total Hours40
Other Requirements
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall32
Minimum GPA2.75

Summary of Credits for the Joint Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design and Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, concentration in Design for Responsible Innovation Program

Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design 120
General Education
Major Requirements47
Major Electives0
Additional A+D Course Requirements19
Senior Year Graduate Courses10-12
Free Electives
A minimum of 40 credits at the 300 or 400 course level are required
Master of Fine Arts in Art + Design, Design for Responsible Innovation concentration 40

for the Joint Program of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design and the Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, Design for Responsible Innovation concentration

Sample Sequence

This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.

Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.

First Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ARCH 1713ARTH 2113
LA 1012UP 136, ARCH 237, or UP 2053
FAA 1011ARCH 1723
FAA 2013General Education course3
Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level)4Language Other than English (3rd level) or Composition I4
General Education course3 
 16 16
Total Hours 32
Second Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
FAA 2303FAA 3305
Drawing course3ART 1403
ARCH 3213ARTD 1513
General Education course3General Education course3
Free Elective course1 
 13 14
Total Hours 27
Third Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ARTD 4514ARTD 3263
ARTD 2702ARTD 3333
ARTD 2223ARTD 299 or ARTS 2452
FAA 1023ART 3103
General Education course3General Education course3
 15 14
Total Hours 29
Fourth Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
FAA 4303FAA 4315
ARTD 426 or 4203ARTD 4444
ARTD 499 or ARTS 4654Free Elective courses7
General Education course3 
General Education course3 
 16 16
Total Hours 32
Fifth Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ARTD 5954ARTD 5954
ARTD 5704ARTD 5514
Studio Elective4Studio Elective or Elective4
 12 12
Total Hours 24
Sixth Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ARTD 5954ARTD 5954
ARTD 5994ARTD 5994
 8 8
Total Hours 16

Total Hours: 160

for the Joint Program of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design and the Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, Design for Responsible Innovation concentration

Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design:

Upon successful completion of a degree in Sustainable Design, students will:

  1. Have a deep level of understanding of the fundamentals of sustainability and their functional links to the built environment.
  2. Have a deep level of understanding of the fundamentals of design thinking and practice.
  3. Be proficient in applying basic principles of visual and material communication, including sketching, drafting, model-making, 2D and 3D design software and geographic information systems.
  4. Be able to combine design theory and practice with sustainability principles to address environmental issues at the product, building, neighborhood, city, landscape and global levels.
  5. Be comfortable working in multidisciplinary teams to solve complex design problems.

Master of Fine Art in Art & Design, Design for Responsible Innovation Concentration:

By the end of the program, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate familiarity with the design research literature relevant to their topic.
  2. Create prototypes for research purposes. 
  3. Explain the different epistemological modes of knowledge production.
  4. Select research methods appropriate to the thesis topic.

for the Joint Program of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design and the Master of Fine Arts in Art & Design, Design for Responsible Innovation concentration

Sustainable Design

210C Architecture Building
608 East Lorado Taft Drive

Program Director: Professor Karin Hodgin Jones
Program Coordinator: Ashley Smart

Sustainable Design Accelerated Graduate Program website
sustaindesign@illinois.edu

Master of Art & Design school website
Master of Art & Design faculty

Fine & Applied Arts College website