Program in Design Management

Pratt Institute Graduate Design Management Program

The Pratt Institute's graduate program in design management provides students with a cutting edge, interdisciplinary learning opportunity that integrates design, technology, and business. The program bridges the disciplines of design and business management.

The design management program teaches the key elements of "design thinking", a mode of thought which enables graduates to innovate more consistently and within a broader context of sustainable, global business operations. Graduates go on to leadership roles in the design management and strategic management fields.

Participants in the design management program come from a variety of disciplines, including industrial design, interior design, graphic design, fashion design, communication and information design, interactive media design, and architecture.

Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) in Design Management

The Design Management M.P.S. degree from Pratt provides an executive management education more focused than an M.B.A. degree. The program addresses the special needs of design leaders who manage design teams in creative industries worldwide.

"Business Week" ranks the Pratt Institute M.P.S. Design Management program as one of the best design thinking programs in the world. Launched in 1995, the program develops skills such as leadership, team building, strategy, finance, marketing, and operations.

Six Study Areas Comprise M.P.S. Design Management Curriculum

Courses in the Design Management Program focus on the role design can play to build a well-grounded, sustainable business. Students develop strategic management skills in 6 study areas related to design management: operations management; financial management; marketing management; organization and human resources management; management of innovation and change; and management of local, regional, and global suppliers, distributors, and markets.

Weekend and Intense Week-Long Courses for Working Students

The Pratt Institute Design Management Program (DMP) has been developed and refined in the tradition of successful executive Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) programs; participants may retain their fulltime positions during the 2 years normally required to earn the M.P.S. in Design Management degree.

The 2-year program is structured around 5 semesters. Participants complete between 4 and 6 courses per semester on alternating weekends.

Intensive Fulltime Course Work Also Included

On 3 separate occasions -- at the beginning, middle, and end of the design management program -- participants spend a full week (7 days) taking several brief, intensive courses together at Pratt's Manhattan campus.

These live classroom experiences, along with networking opportunities during off hours, help establish relationships among students (and with faculty) in each class. Most participants feel these rigorous weeks in the program spent on campus are especially valuable. Benefits include live feedback, refinement of fields of interest, study support, and relationship building that can create important partnerships and networks after the DMP is completed.

DMP Coursework is Interdisciplinary and Integrated

Course subjects in the Pratt Institute Design Management Program are both design- and non-design-specific and examine best practice concepts that comprise professional design management leadership. For example, the key concepts of Strategic Design Intelligence (SDI) and Sustainable Creative Advantage (SCA) are explored in terms of creating value and sustainable advantage for a business.

The Strategic Marketing course examines the role of strategic design intelligence in the marketing process to create sustainable creative advantage. Current theories and practices of marketing are covered, including responsible package design.

The Managing Innovation and Change course guides design managers through emerging processes required to move new ideas through organizations.

The Business Strategy course explores the formulation, communication, and implementation of both corporate and business-level strategy.

The Catalyst -- a DMP publication -- Has Global Audience

Pratt's design management program publishes "The Catalyst Strategic Design Review." The publication addresses the strategic value of design by examining its influence in defining and creating a sustainable future for the economy, society, and the environment.

DMP students may develop submissions for this publication that emphasize the value of the creative design process, particularly outside the realm of traditional design disciplines. During the first 4 months, the launch issue was viewed by audiences from 61 countries.

Living and Housing Costs at the Pratt Institute

Campus housing has been expanded to meet students' needs and apartment-style residence halls are available to graduate students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Housing costs average $19,550 (2018-2019) per academic year.

There is a plentiful supply of moderately priced rentals in the immediate area for those students choosing to reside off campus.

Design Management Faculty Experienced in Design for Business

Pratt's distinguished faculty is often cited by alumni as a top reason for attending the Pratt Institute. Professors are working professionals, many of whom have received awards for their work and are leaders in their fields.

Design management graduate students are taught and mentored by more than 20 faculty members of the Design Management Department. These faculty members come from myriad backgrounds and industries where design is a critical function of business success

Small class size in the design management program lets students develop academic relationships with professors based on their real-world experience. For example, adjunct professor James Murray is the Director of Design and Creative Integration -- Bed, Bath & Beyond. He also was the past Design Director for Macy's Home Store.

Pratt Career Services Available for a Lifetime

The Pratt Institute Career Services Office can help DMP students and graduates network with local, national, and international professionals and employers. Students may access much of this support online.

Design Management Program Application Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate experience an interest in applying design to shaping our shared world. The program provides the strategic leadership skills to enable participants to manage, market, innovate, resource and run creative enterprise and shape sustainable strategic advantage for their firms. The required statement of purpose should reflect the applicant's personal vision of how this program fits in with his/her personal and professional goals including how the applicant hopes to use the skills he/she acquires in this program. The statement of purpose should be no more than 500 words or two pages. A TOEFL score of 82 (Internet) or IELTS of 6.5 is required of international students. The GMAT is optional and not required. Choosing to omit the GMAT will not affect an application negatively.

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in one of the design disciplines, or another discipline with an interest in working in creative enterprise. A resume is also required.

The Pratt Institute has Campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan

The Pratt Institute is one of the largest and most selective colleges of art, design, and architecture in the world. It is the second largest independent college of art, design, and architecture in the nation and the largest in the northeastern United States.

Founded in 1887, Pratt's main campus is located in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, NY. The Pratt Institute also has a Manhattan-based campus which opened more than 40 years ago. Many of the school's graduate programs are offered there, including the Graduate Design Management Program in Pratt's School of Art and Design.