Master of Design + MBA
Master of Design + MBA
The Master of Design + MBA program combines a user-centered, method-based approach with core management education. This program is ideal for professionals who aspire to lead collaborative, interdisciplinary innovation initiatives within global organizations. In this unique program, MDes + MBA students pursue two graduate degrees simultaneously, one with ID and one with Illinois Tech Stuart School of Business.
At ID, you’ll learn to shape compelling opportunities by developing insight from multiple perspectives, exploring options through aggressive prototyping and critique, and identifying valuable directions that prompt action and support resilient change. You’ll apply design knowledge through hands-on projects and real-world challenges, both individually and in team collaborations.
Students without formal design education and students still working on their English fluency are welcome and supported through our programs.
To learn more about our MDes + MBA program and the potential career opportunities it can provide, email us at admissions@id.iit.edu
Designed to see the previously impossible.
The MDes + MBA is a two-year, 78-credit hour degree program with customizable study. 48 design credits are completed through ID and 30 business credits are completed through the Stuart School of Business.
The MDes curriculum is organized across three stages of study: Entry, Core, and Concentration. Each stage contains a collection of courses (modules) arranged to deliver the highest educational impact for ID students.
MDes Curriculum Wheel
These modules will help you fill any gaps you may have in your education or practice and will orient you to ID’s specific philosophy and culture. All students are advised which courses in these modules are most appropriate for their situation and goals.
These modules develop your critical competency for nearly any design practice. Core courses help you deeply understand complex challenges, creatively explore options, and develop impactful and resilient solutions. Students are expected to establish competence and demonstrate mastery in each Core module by the end of the program.
Concentration modules focus on application skills and are oriented toward specific design roles such as Design Research and Insight, Product-Service Delivery, and Innovation Strategy. Students are encouraged to choose 1–3 concentration modules but can take courses within any of the concentrations.
Marty Thaler and students in a workshop.
Designed to roll out “aha” at scale.
All courses at ID explore methods and apply theories to real-world problems. Naturally, critical and ethical conversations regularly arise as students get their hands dirty—prototyping, making ideas real, and then seeing those ideas in action.
ID courses come in four structural types: Bootcamps, Seminars, Workshops, and Studiolabs. These course types describe how the course is conducted, and the commitment needed to maximize learning. Full-time students take a balance of each course type during a semester (e.g., one studio + 2 workshops + 4 seminars).
Student Work
Alumni
Designed to expand your perspective.
ID alumni make up a strong network—a uniquely skilled set of more than 2,400 people across 32+ countries who deal with difficult issues and navigate them with clarity, purpose, and discipline.
This vibrant network is invaluable to ID students and graduates.
Alumni Highlights
Career Support
Designed to accelerate your career.
With our focus on business and social innovation, and a strong alumni network, we connect students with opportunities that align with what top organizations seek in talent.
From Our Students
Why ID?
“I have the opportunity to really dig deep into systems and understand what needs to change and why it needs to change.”
—Faysal Biobaku (MDes 2024)
“If you’re considering design in general, ID is the place to be for thinking broadly and deeply about what design means.”
—Michael George (MDes + MBA 2025)
Why Did You Come to ID?
“I came to ID during a crossroads in my life where I wanted to figure out how to blend the skills that I’ve learned with the skills that I want.”
—Sai Allena (MDes + MBA 2024)
“There were so many large systemic problems that my background in architecture and structural engineering was not preparing me to solve.”
—Tera Delancy (MDes + MBA 2024)
What Makes ID Special?
“I love the small intimacy you receive at ID.”
—Selena Burke (PhD 2025)
“I’m an international student, but I’ve never been in a room where there’s so many different nationalities, races, backgrounds.”
—Samantha Chandra (MDes 2025)
End of Year Show
At our annual End of Year Show (EOYS), current ID students show off their hard work and invite the whole ID community to explore the state of design, how it’s changing, and where it’s going.
Here’s a snapshot of EOYS 2024. Join us for EOYS 2025, coming May 16!
Timing
| yEar 1 | yEar 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Summer | Fall | Spring |
| Design Course | Design Course | Business Course | Design Course | Design Course |
| Design Course | Design Course | Business Course | Design Course | Design Course |
| Design Course | Design Course | Internship (Optional) | Design Course | Design Course |
| Design Course | Design Course | Design Course | Design Course | |
| Business Course | Business Course | Business Course | Business Course | |
| Business Course | Business Course | Business Course | Business Course | |
Estimated Costs
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition (2024-2025 rate) | $28,902 (per semester, does not include summer session), $31,151 for English program per semester |
| Estimated class costs and supplies | $850 (per semester) |
| Estimated living expenses (room & board) | $8,250 (per semseter) |
| Health insurance | $2,070 (per year) |
STEM Qualification
The MDes + MBA degree qualifies as a STEM degree which allows international students to apply for a 24-month extension to the typical 12-month optional practical training (OPT) period. This means students completing this degree may be eligible for up to three years of work in the US. Please see the US government’s website for more information.
Deadlines
Spring 2026 Admission
October 24, 2025 (final admission)
Fall 2026 Admission
December 1, 2025 (priority admission)
February 6, 2026 (final general admission)
Admission to the MDes program with the Foundation or English sequence is offered for the fall semester only.
Request More Information
Please complete the form to request more information or if you have additional questions regarding our application process or requirements.