The College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD) at Northeastern University (Northeastern) houses the Division of Design and the Division of Creative Media. Across divisions, students may participate in the student-led design studio SCOUT; the Center for Design—a space for collaborative design research; the Design for Dignity Studio course; and the Northeastern University Visualization Consortium (NUVis), which sponsors talks, seminars, workshops, hackathons, and student poster exhibitions.
The CAMD Division of Design at Northeastern houses 10 programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. For students interested in a career in graphic design, the division has a Graphic and Information Design BFA that provides co-op opportunities in design and media; mews and publishing; food and beverage; fashion and travel; health care and pharmaceuticals; financial and business; arts; and education.
Examples of participating companies include NBC Universal, Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, New Balance, The TJX Companies, Ogilvy, Thomas Reuters, Reebok International, The Boston Globe, The Museum of Fine Arts, The Boston Beer Company, edX, City of Boston, MassDOT/MBTA, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, AutoDesk, Fidelity Investments, and Education First.
In addition to co-op experiences, all Northeastern University CAMD students have the opportunity to complete an internship and/or study abroad at the University of Arts London and Central Saint Martins. Other study abroad options include a semester in places such as Rome, Ireland, Cuba, or Berlin.
Students in the Design BFA Program at Northeastern University will graduate with a professional portfolio of their best work.
At the graduate level, Division of Design students can earn an MFA, MS, or certificate in Information Design and Data Visualization. All options prepare students for positions such as Graphic Designer, User Experience Designer, Product Manager, Futuristic Product Designer, Creative Director, Design Strategist, Design Consultant, and Exhibition Designer.
The Information Design and Data Visualization programs at Northeastern University are STEM-designated. All options feature studio courses; opportunities to create focus areas through electives; seminars; visiting artists and researchers; and workshops. The MFA and MS programs provide the opportunity to participate in the co-op program. Examples of participating companies for graduate students include the Broad Institute, Philips Research, Thomas Reuters, and MassDOT/MBTA.
The 60 credit hour Information and Data Visualization MFA explores design, programming, data analysis, and research methods. Course and elective examples include Graphic Design Synthesis; Visual Communication for Information Design; Prototyping for Experience Design; Telling Your Story with Data; Design Studio: Dynamic Mapping Methods; Notational Systems for Experience; and Designing Extended Realities (XR).
In the final year of the Information Design and Data Visualization MFA at Northeastern University, students will complete three requirements including the Critical Design and Research Seminar; the Thesis course; the Design Project and Exhibition. Students can complete the MFA program in two years.
Available at Northeastern University’s Boston and Vancouver, British Columbia campuses, the Information Design and Data Visualization MS is a one-year, 32 credit hour program that explores areas such as design process, user testing, user-scenario mapping and observation, human factors, programming, and data physicalization. MS students will take many of the same courses as students in the MFA program. The program culminates with a thesis project that may be presented at festivals, conferences, and exhibitions.
The Information Design and Visualization graduate certificate at Northeastern University consists of 16 credit hours. Designed for students looking to complement degrees in areas such as Communications, Data Science, Design, or Media, this multidisciplinary certificate program explores visual communication, design processes, programming, user testing, design critique, and data analysis. Upon completion of the certificate program, students are prepared to work in graphic design, design research, user experience design, visualization research, interaction design, and information design.
Graduates of the Information Design and Visualization MFA and MS programs at Northeastern University are prepared to pursue leadership roles at creative agencies, research institutions, global companies and studios, and public institutions. Potential job titles include Design Researcher, Educator, Data Visualization Expert, Design Consultant, Visualization Researcher, Design Manager, Visual Art Director, User Experience Manager, Communication Expert, Design Lead, Visual Strategist, Product Manager, and Entrepreneur.
Northeastern University began as the Evening Institute of the Boston Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in 1898. The school serves approximately 47,770 students enrolled in more than 500 programs across nine colleges and schools. Northeastern has campuses in Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; Seattle, Washington; Silicon Valley; San Francisco, California; Toronto, Ontario Canada; Vancouver, BC Canada; London, UK; Portland, Maine, and the Massachusetts communities of Nahant and Burlington. Northeastern University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).