Q: I've heard about the Product Design Program, also called the Joint Program in Design, (JPD) at Stanford and I'm interested in learning more about the program.

A: Thank you for your interest in the Product Design Program at Stanford. This program is a joint program between the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Art. If you are interested in earning an MFA, you apply to the Art and Art History Dept. If your goal is an MS, you apply to the Mechanical Engineering Dept. Each application process is different so refer to the appropriate Department for specific information. Your application will include a portfolio and the portfolio requirements differ between the two departments.

The first thing you do if you want information on applying to our program is to spend some time on our newly updated web site. This site for the JPD, the Design Group site at http://design.stanford.edu/ and the main Stanford Graduate School site at http://me.stanford.edu/prospective/prospective.html will answer most of your questions. And please read through the rest of this FAQ before you email us.

Another way to get information about the program, if you can come to Stanford, is to to visit with the current graduate students in their design space, known as the "Loft." You'll learn a lot about the program from them! You may also sit in on select design classes with the permission of the instructors. If you want to visit please contact Bill Burnett at wburnett@stanford.edu to make the appropriate arrangements.

If, after all that, you still have questions and are interested in applying to the MS program please email Bill Burnett at wburnett@stanford.edu in the Engineering School. If you are interested in applying for the MFA, please contact Jill Davis at jmdavis@stanford.edu in the Art Department for further information about the application process and requirements.

Q: Can you please send me a brochure or other information about Stanford's design program?

A: We do not send out printed information on our program. However, we have recently updated our website and you can find out everything you might want to know about the design program specifics by doing your research there. Stanford also has an extensive array of informational websites that are worth looking through for background.

Q: How much does it cost to attend the Joint Program in Design?

A: The cost of attending any program at Stanford is determined by the University. You can find more information about tuition, housing, and other costs for undergraduate and graduate study at the following websites:

• The University Registrar's Office: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/registrar/
• Graduate Admissions: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/gradadmissions/index.html

Q: Is financial aid (fellowships/teaching assistantships) available for students pursuing MS in product design?

A: The MS/MFA program is two years long. There are no fellowships offered in the first year and typically no teaching assistantships (although there have been exceptions to this rule in special cases). Many product design graduates serve as teaching assistants in their second year to help pay for part of their education. The TA'ships cover tuition for a number of units as well as a stipend. Details on financial aid for graduate students are available at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/DoR/GSH/Sec1C.html#Fin7.

Q: When can I apply to the program? What are the deadlines?

A: It's important to note that we require students to have at least one year of life experience after receiving their undergraduate degree before applying to the program. The average time out of college before applying is about 4 years. Deadline for application is January 16th for admission the following Fall Quarter. The portfolio is due no later than March 1st.

Q: Do you have a GPA requirement for admissions?

A: Stanford is a selective University and expects that all graduate students will be able to demonstrate academic excellence prior to admission. That said, we do not have a specific GPA requirement for admission. The admissions committee considers your overall academic preparedness (which includes previous degree(s), undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, etc.), portfolio, recommendations, your statement of purpose, and life experiences after receiving your Bachelor's degree as part of the admissions process.

Q: How much design experience do I need before applying?

A: We're looking for a balance of design potential and design experience in incoming students. The application process uses the statement of purpose, portfolio, academic preparation, recommendations, and life experience prior to applying to develop a sense of this.

Q: What do I need for a complete application?

A: You need the following - Transcripts (2 original copies of each university attended one year or more) - Statement of Purpose IMPORTANT: Please indicate in the first sentence of your statement of purpose the name of the program to which you are applying - Three letters of recommendation - Graduate Record Examination results - TOEFL results are required for all applicants whose first language is not English - A design portfolio - a physical portfolio, not a reproduction.

Q: Why do I have to submit a portfolio?

A: The portfolio is intended to help us assess your aptitude for design. Of course, every portfolio will be different for every applicant. At a high level, we hope to get a sense of your design process, your design thinking, the types of design opportunities you're interested in, how you bring new ideas to life, your visualization skills, and your ability to develop new and innovative ideas.

How you represent your work is entirely up to you. Our only rule is that you submit the "physical portfolio" and not a digital or photographic copy. We want to see the original 2D and 3D pieces. Arrangements can be made to retrieve the portfolio after evaluation.

For most people the design portfolio is simply a collection of work they have produced individually or in industry in the years prior to their application. It helps if you demonstrate your design aptitude across a number of mediums to give us a better feel for your design potential. Some applicants develop their portfolio themselves, others sign up for design courses, studio art courses, or work consulting in product design to build up an appropriate portfolio of work.

Q: I'm not yet a designer and do not have a body of work to make up a portfolio per se. Are their classes I should take to build up my portfolio before I apply to the JPD?

A: Any courses that help you develop your visualization skills are beneficial. You might look for classes that fall into the following rough categories...

1. Sketching/drawing - we primarily use sketching as a way to communicate our ideas to ourselves (as we design) and to others (to other designers and to people we're designing for). Any class that helps you get confident in your ability to get your ideas down on paper is great. Look for classes that cover things like quick sketching, 2d & 3d sketching, perspective, storyboarding, etc.
2. Any other fine arts courses, studio courses and project courses - painting, sculpture, life drawing, woodworking, design, etc. that would help demonstrate your mastery of two and three-dimensional ideation. Follow your own interests here. We are looking to assess your skills in areas of your own interest. We assume that you will create a body of work for your portfolio that you are passionate about.

Q: I'm interested in getting an MFA in the JPD and I have a background in fine arts. What courses do I need to take before applying to your program?

A: As you know, this program is a joint program between the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Art Department. If you are interested in receiving a MFA in design, you apply to the Art and Art History Dept. With a fine arts background or undergraduate degree, you can apply without additional coursework.

Q: I do not have any formal art or design training but I do have experience in designing products. Can I apply for the program?

A: Your experience designing products could be an appropriate background. An appropriate undergraduate degree is generally required for application to either the MS or MFA program. However, we value experience in design and that is why we require applicants to submit a portfolio of their prior work. It is important to note that we require students to have at least one year of life experience (work, travel, etc.) after the Bachelor's degree before applying. The average is 4 years of experience before applying.

Q: Can I get transfer credit for graduate level classes taken elsewhere?

A: Yes, it is possible and likely that you can transfer units from another university. You will want to get your proposed courses pre-approved by Stanford's transfer credit office. To start this process, go to the Old Union general information window on the first floor and ask for a transfer credit pre-approval form. With this form, you will want to describe the courses that you plan to take. It is especially helpful for the transfer credit office if you pair the proposed course with a similar course at Stanford. After you submit this form, you will be contacted by someone in that office who will help you through the approval process. If the courses are approved, you should be able to use the courses to fulfill the appropriate PD requirement.

Q: Does Stanford have a PhD option in Product Design? I would like to apply to both if possible.

A: There is no PhD in Product Design. There are however a number of design-related PhDs at Stanford, including many areas of PhD study in the Design Group of the Mechanical Engineering Department. Information on these programs can be found at http://soe.stanford.edu/home/index.html.

Q: Once I am admitted, what is the difference between the program of the Art Department MFA and the School of Engineering MS? They are both called the Joint Program in Design.

A: The admissions process and entrance requirements vary according to which department you apply for admission and this depends on your background and interest. However, once on campus, all JPD students work in the same design studio (called the Loft), take all of the same core design courses, and work on the same projects regardless of their home department. The students take different electives, some more technical and some not, but that is really an individual choice. This is truly a colloborative program and once the students arrive and begin working it is hard to tell them apart.

Q: I do not have an undergraduate engineering degree and I want to apply to the MS program in the JPD. Is this possible and, if so, what engineering courses do I need to take prior to admission?

A: If you intend to apply to the Engineering side of the Joint Program in Design and graduate with a Masters in Science you will typically have an undergraduate engineering degree. If you have a non-engineering undergraduate degree, even if it is in a design related field, we will need to see demonstrated success in engineering before admitting you. Generally this include courses like:

• A year of Physics
• A year of Calculus
• Statics and Dynamics; a class in each
• Strength of Materials; at least one analytical class
• Mechanical Systems Design; at least one senior-level class
• Electronics - circuit and systems design
• Programming - one or more modern programming languages

Q: Are there Stanford classes that are equivalent to this requirement that I can use as examples of what I need to be prepared?

A: Yes there are. Refer to the Stanford Bulletin for more details but here are the basics:

• The Statics and Dynamics req: equivalent courses at Stanford:
• ENGR 14 and ENGR 15
• ENGR 14: Applied Mechanics: Statics
• The mechanics of particles, rigid bodies, trusses, frames, and machines in static equilibrium emphasizing the use of free-body diagrams and the principle of virtual work. Frictional effects and internal forces in structural members. Lab in Autumn; no lab in Spring. Prerequisite: PHYSICS 41

• ENGR 15: Dynamics
• The application of Newtons Laws to solve static and dynamic problems, particle and rigid body dynamics, free-body diagrams, and writing equations of motion. 2-D and 3-D cases including gyroscopes, spacecraft, and rotating machinery. Solution of equations of motion and dynamic response of simple mechanical systems. Problem sessions. Prerequisites: MATH 23 or 43, PHYSICS 41.

• The Strength of Materials req: equivalent course at Stanford: ME 80: Strength of Materials
• Mechanics of materials and engineering properties of structural materials. Topics include static failure theories for ductile and brittle materials, stress concentrations, and buckling. Introduction to fracture, fatigue, corrosion, fretting, and wear. Prerequisite: ENGR 14.

• The Mechanical Systems Design req: equivalent courses at Stanford: ME 112: Mechanical Engineering Design
• Characteristics of machine elements including gears, bearings, and shafts. Design for fatigue life. Electric motor fundamentals. Transmission design for maximizing output power or efficiency. Mechanism types, linkage analysis and kinematic synthesis. Team-based design projects emphasizing the balance of physical with virtual prototyping based on engineering analysis. Lab for dissection of mechanical systems and project design reviews. Prerequisites: 80, 101. Recommended: 203, ENGR 15.

Q: I want to do other graduate study. Is a PD minor available?

A: No.

Q: Is it possible to receive an MS in the JPD if I'm already an MFA student in PD?

A: It is possible, but rare, to transfer from the MFA to MS program in the Joint Program in Design. This requires approval of Engineering faculty. If approved, there are two general steps involved:

1. Complete an authorization petition approved by both departments. It is called the Graduate Program Authorization Petition and is available on the Registrar's site (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/registrar/pdf/gradprogauthpet.pdf). Note: any funding the student might have from the Art Dept will not transfer over to ME.
2. Work with the Engineering faculty to decide what additional course work you need to complete for the MS. This will depend on your background, but is typically the same courses we require non-engineering degrees to take before applying.

Q: Do you accept exchange students?

A: Stanford does not have any exchange programs for visiting students. The JPD does not have an exchange program with any other Universities.

Visiting students can, however, participate in the summer session. You can find more information at http://summersession.stanford.edu/, email:summersession@stanford.edu, or phone: (650)-723-3109 (USA).