MDes Degree Requirements

In the first year of the program students will normally be required to take *18 course weights of credit.

Students in design programs take the following courses in their first year:

• DES 630
• DES 600, 601, 680 and 681
• DES 683 or 685 or one 600-level seminar in design history and/or visual culture, or a course chosen from selected courses offered by other departments.

Course work must be completed before commencement of the thesis. First term studio courses may not be repeated; however, second term studio courses may be repeated with consent of the Department. After all other program requirements have been satisfactorily met, candidates must make a major presentation of their creative work. Such a presentation will be considered the equivalent of a master's thesis.

There is no language in addition to English requirement for the degree.

The minimum period of residence is two four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.

Candidates will normally require two academic years to complete their program of studies.

Timelines + Responsibilities for MDes Graduate Students + Supervisors

Supervision

In 1st year, the coordinator in the area of specialization is the supervisor for the MDes candidates and is responsible for assigning the grade in studio research work In 2nd year, the area coordinator forwards details to the Graduate Student Advisors and the Director of Graduate Programs approves the supervision. The Graduate Student Advisors submit the supervisory assignment forms to GPS.

Registration

1st year students are registered by the Graduate Student Advisors in all courses offered by the Art and Design department. Registration in external courses is the responsibility of the student. In some cases, the student may need to go to the department offering the course to request consent for registration.

2nd and 3rd-year students self-register in THES 909. Any fall (A1, A2, A3 or A4) and winter (B1, B2, B3, or B4) section is fine. Find your enrolment date in the right-hand column on your Bear Tracks.

The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) will automatically register you in THES 906 in spring and summer. Adhere to the deadlines for adding and dropping courses. If you experience difficulties registering, contact the Graduate Student Advisors for assistance.

Thesis based students may register in 9 course weights (3 courses) outside of the Art & Design department over and above the courses listed above without paying additional tuition fees, only in fall and winter terms. Course based students pay 50% of the course fee to audit any course, in any term. This includes audited courses and courses declared as extra to degree. To register in a course that is taught outside of the department, you will need to go to the department that is offering the course. Courses under 500-level will not be counted toward the degree. Be sure to consult with your Supervisor regarding extra courses. 

After your first year, you do not receive grades for your Thesis work. For every term of the thesis that you are registered in for the duration of your program, you receive a grade of 'IN' until you graduate. Once you are finished, the last term of registration in THES 906 or 909 will show 'CR' meaning 'Credit'.

Continuing students must register in THES during the term in which the thesis and accompanying evidence of program completion is submitted to GPS.

Courses Extra to the Degree

Students may wish to take courses that are not an integral part of their graduate program. Courses extra to the degree must be designated and approved by GPS at the time of registration in the courses. GPS does not include these courses when calculating the student's GPA for continuation in the graduate program or convocation.

If you do not declare a course as extra to degree when you register in the course and you fail (D+), the course must be repeated or an alternate course taken for credit. To register, students complete a Course Extra to Degree form. The department must approve the form and submit it to the FGSR.

Ethics Training

Current students who completed the eight hour ethics requirement through a combination of the GET Online Course (5 hours ethics credit), workshops, online courses, or departmental offerings do not need to do additional training. Visit the Academic Integrity and Ethics Training Requirement Resources website to learn about your options for completing the ethics requirement. 

Beginning in Fall 2022, the NEW Ethics and Academic Citizenship Requirement will replace the current Academic Integrity and Ethics Training Requirement. The new Ethics and Academic Citizenship Requirement will consist of two zero-credit, self-paced online courses: INT D 710: Ethics and Academic Citizenship (for both master’s and doctoral students) and INT D 720: Advanced Ethics and Academic Citizenship (for doctoral students). There are no instructional fees associated with these courses.

How to Register for the Courses

INT D 710  and INT D 720 will be available on August 1 for current and incoming students (Fall 2022) who wish to complete their ethics requirement with the new online courses. The courses cover principles in Academic Citizenship, including topics such as academic integrity, research and workplace ethics, Indigenizing and decolonizing the academy, equity, diversity, and inclusivity, health and academic productivity, and ethical principles in university teaching.

Important Note: The Ethics and Academic Citizenship Requirement provides foundational ethics education. Depending on your program of study, these foundational courses may need to be supplemented by other specialized training, such as animal user training, human research ethics training, safety courses related to field research, or professional ethics training. For more information, please visit the Research Ethics Office and consult with your department.

Questions regarding the Academic Integrity and Ethics Training Requirement can be directed to: gradpd@ualberta.ca

Professional Development Requirement

Graduate students must undertake a minimum of 8 hours of professional development over the course of their degree as required by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).

There are 2 components. Students cannot graduate without meeting both:

1. Master's students must complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in the first 12 months of their program; PhD students in the first 18 months.
2. A minimum of eight hours of professional development activities inspired by individual career plans.

To meet the 8 hours of GPS professional development requirements, professional development hours may be counted in each of the broad areas of:

• Career development
• Entrepreneurship
• Internship
• Mentorship
• Professional practice
• Skills training
• Teaching

To be counted, professional development activities must be trackable and verifiable. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that professional development documentation meets these requirements.

Students are encouraged to track hours with the Individual Development Plan & Professional Development Completion Form

Activities should ideally focus on developing extra-disciplinary skills:

• comprises of formal training or active learning with an assessment component (self-assessment, reflection, quiz, write-pair-share, evidence of knowledge application)\
• falls outside of research methods training, capstone project, thesis or equivalent, and required practicum
• supports the career goals and/or seven skills/competencies identified in the individual development plan

The following list of acceptable professional development activities has been pre-approved by the Department of Art and Design, to be amended from time to time. Any students requesting professional development credit for activities not included in this list are required to obtain approval by their Department's Director of Undergraduate Programs in order to have it counted and added to the list.

• Three minute thesis (3MT) workshop [1 hour PD credit]
• Graduate Teaching and Learning levels 1, 2, 3 [level 1 completes the PD requirement]
• Career development activities as elected graduate student association executive or as elected members of University, Faculty or Department committees [ 2 hours PD credit]
• Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) with the Fine Arts Building Gallery [2 to 4 hours PD credit]
• Internships as defined by GPS (maximum 8 hours PD credit)