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The Joint Program in Design focuses on the synthesis of technology with human needs and values to
create innovative products, services, and experience designs. This program is offered jointly by the
departments of Mechanical Engineering and Art and Art History. It provides a design education that
integrates technical, human, aesthetic, and business concerns. Students entering the program from
the engineering side earn a Master of Science in Engineering degree with a concentration in Product
Design, and those from the art side a Master of Fine Arts. Students complete the core product design
courses in their first year of graduate study at Stanford before undertaking the master's project in their
second year.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Students must complete the following courses. Students making unsatisfactory degree progress by the
end of the first year may not advance to the thesis year per the faculty's discretion. A minimum cumulative
GPA of 2.75 is required for degree conferral.
Subject and Catalog Number Units
ME 203. Manufacturing and Design 4
ME 216A. Advanced Product Design: Needfinding 4
Note: All required and approved electives must be taken for a letter grade unless prior approval is granted
to take a class CR/NC.
* ME 316A,B,C and ARTSTUDI 360A,B,C are taken concurrently for three quarters during the second
year.
** Students may choose classes (at the 200 level or higher) from any of the schools at the University to
fulfill their elective requirement. However, electives that are not already pre-approved must be approved
by the student's adviser via petition prior to enrollment. Electives should be chosen to fulfill career
objectives; students may focus their energy in engineering, entrepreneurship and business,
psychology, or other areas relevant to design. Taking a coherent sequence of electives focused on a
subject area is recommended. For example, the patent, negotiation, and licensing classes (ME 207,
208, 265) constitute a sequence most relevant to potential inventors. The classes in the Graduate
School of Business (STRAMGT S353, 356/366) and MS&E 273 constitute a coherent sequence in
entrepreneurship and new venture formation. Students interested in social entrepreneurship should
apply to the d.school course ME 206A,B, Extreme Affordability.
Pre-approved electives list: The following courses are pre-approved for fulfilling the 18-unit elective
requirement for the master's degree in Engineering/Product Design. Electives taken that are not on this
list must be approved via petition prior to enrollment. These must be taken for a letter grade unless prior
approval is obtained.
ME 204. The Designer's Voice
ME 207. Negotiation
Patent Law and Strategy for Innovators and
ME 208. Entrepreneurs
Additional requirements: As part of their master's degree program, students are required to take at least
one course offered by the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the d.School). All d.School courses require
applications submitted the quarter prior to the start of class. These classes are considered pre-approved
electives that fulfill part of the 18 units elective requirement.
ME206 A/B. Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability