Designing Your Future: Design Master’s Abroad Made Simple
Have you ever wondered what’s it like studying, and practicing design abroad, and want to know where you can start your journey of finding and applying to the right universities? Let me help you with this twisted journey, where I will go over a few of the steps that helped me in my application, and a few mishaps that deterred me too. So strap on your seat belts and enjoy the ride.
About me — I completed my bachelor’s from Woxsen University, specializing in industrial design, and even though I was pretty happy with my portfolio back then, I wanted to experience the design approach of Western design studios. Another motivator for me to flock to the West was the higher number of opportunities to connect, network, and work on projects similar to what I saw in design documentaries — I was highly motivated by what I saw and dreamt of being a part of them one day.
Why Even go for a Masters?
If you don’t have a clear answer to this question, maybe you should stop now and try to reflect on what got you to this place. A design master’s program can be expensive and often studying abroad can be stressful, lonely, and feel like starting from square one — It’s like landing new into a battle royale map for the 100th time.
Having said this a Master’s program abroad could be a great way to understand different cultures, identify various approaches to design, meet and collaborate with people from all around the world, and migrate to a place where you feel job opportunities are plenty (This is debatable.)
Try to have a clear motivator before taking such a huge financial, and emotional step, Try understanding whether are you pursuing your master’s for better opportunities abroad, or if are you trying to increase your understanding of the design field you love.
What to Expect from a Master’s?
A Master’s Course is not where you develop key skills and get to know more in-depth about the field you are applying to, It’s a place where you get to refine your approach and gear yourself with skills in Application and management of design.
There would be minimal or zero hand-holding when it comes to performing and executing assignments within universities, and instead, they would advise you in directions where you can explore — for a better-rounded portfolio. Think about them being senior designers in your field, guiding your first step into the industry.
What If you are transitioning from another field into design? — For the simple logic of being competitive in your batch most universities will enroll you into additional skill-building courses that will help you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your peers. Most of the time this will increase your course duration and cost you more too.
Portfolio, Portfolio, portfolio — It all Boils down to the portfolio
Most universities will like to see your process, and if you are familiar with the different stages of product development — this means you would have to show prowess in Forming Briefs, Empathizing with users, researching and identifying problem areas, Affinitizing, and generating insights, Sketching — ideation — Iteration (Both Physical and digital), Form development, Prototyping, and lastly Product visualization.
This laundry list of items should also be stitched together in a compelling story, that guides the reader from one part of your portfolio to another, giving them a reason to thoroughly review your work.
Different universities will weigh these skills differently, and through your research, you will have to gauge what skills to highlight the most. I wish there was a One-size-fits-all approach to preparing portfolios, but unfortunately, you will have to chop and change according to the place where you are applying.
Structuring your Letter of Purpose
Universities also ask for a well-written Letter of Purpose, where you have to clearly state what motivates you to design, pursue higher education, and more importantly enroll in a master’s with this particular university.
I suggest researching a ton on the university, current students, and Alumni and noting down things that motivate them. Also, focus on what got you interested in design — universities like to support students (Often with extra scholarships) who show excitement through their work.
Lastly, have a clear picture of why you want to pursue a Master’s — Universities can easily see through a facade, and I would suggest keeping it real!
The early bird gets the worm and in this case a university of their choice
As soon as my second year of my bachelors ended, I made up my mind to start my search for universities abroad. This was not the time when I was diving deep into course materials and the university credit system, but understanding which university would be a good fit — This could be a huge list of universities now — but the next step would act like a Takeshi’s Castle Eliminator.
At this point, Google reviews, articles, and a few Behance Profiles of current students are the best indicators of where these universities stand. Just be cautious, the articles that rank universities often do not reflect the best fit for you, and might also be outdated.
Sign up for university communications and newsletters, as they often conduct portfolio, alumni Meetups, In-city pop-ups, and admission-related sessions, which are always great free learning and networking opportunities.
University Eliminator — How to choose the best course for you?
The quickest way to eliminate universities from your large list is by going through their course structure. Some courses might be too research-oriented, some might focus on physical prototyping or form development, and some might venture into an entirely different route of teaching the business of design — This is where you have to decide which path you have to take.
Another way to quickly understand which university is right for you is by going through the portfolios of alumni and present students. You can get a clear picture of what the university expects from their students with the work their student body puts out — If portfolio projects are research and design strategy-oriented, you can expect to be doing a lot of that yourself.
These course structures can often be difficult to navigate and wrap your brain around and understanding each college’s credit structure could be a whole other task — It is best to get on calls with current students, and admission advisors to quickly get your doubts cleared — Mostly people are more than happy to assist you, and even hop on calls with you.
Combating the ever-increasing tuition fee
Choosing a university that fits your budget is key, and often the admission is based on the availability of complete funds, moreover, the last thing you would want is to fly and settle multiple thousand miles away just to spend your time doing 3–4 part-time gigs instead of networking, completing assignments, and enjoying the new culture and country.
Scholarships
ALWAYS ASK FOR SCHOLARSHIP, after you receive your offer letter! Most of them are awarded on the basis of merit and experience you have. A pro tip, you can negotiate your scholarship, and explain how the tuition fee might be out of your range — How this scholarship could help you in your design journey.
Location is key
Along with the course structure and university reputation, the location where the university is located plays a huge role in networking, staying safe, and having fun during your academics.
Cost of living
Some cities are multitudes more expensive than other cities — I graduated from SCAD, situated in Savannah which was at least 2X less expensive than cities like New York/San Francisco in rent alone — This can play a huge role in how you plan your education, or how many On-campus/ part-time jobs you take up.
What helped me find and compare housing was joining university student groups on Facebook, searching apartments on Zillow, Trulia, and Apartments.com, and forming groups to search for places before even reaching the States.
IRL Networking
One of the most important reasons for doing a master’s is being able to meet and talk with designers from top studios and companies — giving yourself a higher chance of being hired, and the location plays a huge role in this. For me, there were no ID studios in Savannah, and the nearest ones were situated in Atlanta — As compared to the high density of studios concentrated in San Francisco, where CCA students might have a better time connecting with Industrial Designers.
Try understanding which universities might offer more avenues to attend design events and meet with fellow peers — As this plays a huge role in your job search down the line.
Travel and safety
Some universities convert a town into a student town, and these are a few places that are safe to live and commute within. Staying in Savannah was a breeze, not worrying a ton about safety, they had college shuttles and free late-night cabs for added peace of mind while working late sanding those 3D printed prototypes.
Ask university students about what locations and times to avoid, and use services like Neighbourhood Scout to vaguely outline where you would want to target living.
VISA Limitations
Now to some paperwork, you selecting a design course and university would come down to if that course is a STEM course ( Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics), and being a Design course not all fields fall under this umbrella — This is when you have a detailed talk with your admission advisor and understand where your course stands, and what benefit/drawback you would have.
On to some more technical stuff — If your course is a STEM course you get 1+2 years of OPT (Optional practical training) work authorization, which basically means you can stay and work in the USA for a total of 3 years provided you were employed (There are a lot of terms and conditions for these, so try to bombard your advisor with questions)
If your course is not a STEM program, you get to stay in the States only for a year, before being kicked out (Different countries have different rules, these are what the US follows).
Housekeeping
Close your eyes and imagine with me for a minute — You applied to the design university of your choice, you got a offer letter with a hefty scholarship, your VISA process went smoothly, flight tickets were cheap too, you arrive in the US and realize oh crap — the Journey begins now!!
Well in order to not crash and burn on your first day in the States, Let’s see what you could do to make the transition as seamless as possible.
Facebook group’s are the charm
Soon after your admission has been confirmed, join university student groups on Facebook, to search for room sharing, buy second-hand furniture, and look for roommates. I found my roommates from India itself, and it was easier to find places together.
Virtual house-hunting
Zillow, Trulia, and Apartments.com should become your Instagram, Twitter (Yes I still call it Twitter), and Reddit. Try setting up virtual viewings with real estate managers and start talking about lease start dates and rent negotiations — This process is going to hurt like Dating.
Banking and Phone numbers
Figure out what bank you want to open an account in, and try to set an appointment with them on your first day itself (No one excepts cash here, trust me I tried) — Try getting your debit card delivered as soon as possible.
If you have a strong squad you could all start a mobile line with T-mobile or Verizon, or just believe in Ryan Reynolds and get Mint Mobile for your phone (It is the cheapest prepaid cell line — get this done on your first day as well)
The Start of a New Chapter
Most colleges start their academic year in September (Fall) of a year, and if you are reading this in June, it’s too late for this year. But don’t lose hope, Some colleges like SCAD have a rolling intake, where students can start their degree with a bit more flexibility.
The only reason you need to care about this is applying for a VISA can be a cumbersome process, and the sooner you start the better.
Pilot — Episode One
If you have followed this article as a map, accepted an admission offer letter, obtained a Student VISA, Booked flights, and are on the verge of flying into the US, Firstly want to congratulate you — This was no easy task, but also want to wish you the best for some of the most fun yet challenging time of your life ahead.
Confidence is key at this time, enroll in city tours as you arrive, take part in student mixers, and meet up with people who helped you along the way. The quickest way to acquaint yourself with a place would be to form friends and tour the place.
And Again If you have followed this article, you should be good!
Graduating with MA Industrial Design from SCAD
I am fairly active on LinkedIn, and happy to answer any specific questions you might have for this journey.
