Dear Future Peer
Welcome to the Master of Design (MDes) program. You’re probably excited or maybe just a little nervous. Maybe you’ve already started reading the website, imagining what the year will look like. I did the same thing. Here’s what I wish someone had told me. You’ll come in thinking you know what design is. You’ll leave […]
Master of Design Student Showcase at UBC Okanagan
Beyond the Showcase: UBC Okanagan’s Master of Design Students Bring Ideas to Life On September 14th, the School of Engineering became a space for exploration, conversation and connection. The Master of Design (MDes) Students had the opportunity to showcase their prototyped projects to faculty, peers, students and community guests. The showcase highlighted work developed through […]
What a walk in the woods taught me about UBC Okanagan’s Master of Design
Starting with Curiosity What was I feeling? Excited? Scared? Hungry? Lost? I had taken a wrong turn somewhere, but I was almost at my destination now. I could see the entrance to the park, and the trailhead just beyond it. More than anything, I was curious. In truth, I wasn’t fully sure what to expect […]
Master of Design: Reflecting on our first month together
UBC Okanagan’s Master of Design (MDes) professional graduate program recently welcomed its inaugural cohort of students. Rooted in critical design thinking, creative practice and design principles, the program—collaboratively delivered by the School of Engineering (SoE) and Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS)—empowers students to tackle real-world challenges alongside industry, community and public sector partners. […]
Master of Design Begins: A Change-Making Studio in the Okanagan
After years of collaboration, planning and community engagement, UBC Okanagan’s Master of Design (MDes) program has welcomed its inaugural cohort of students. In the letter below, Professor Dr. Kenneth Chau and the MDes Team reflect on the journey to launch the program and the vision for MDes as a change-making place where students, faculty, partners […]
Master of Design: Changemakers invited to chart their future at UBC Okanagan
UBC Okanagan wants to help graduate students answer the age-old question: How can I change the world for the better? The Master of Design program is a professional graduate degree program that will welcome its first intake of students next May. Applications are currently being accepted. Before stepping into the program to tackle burning questions […]
VS America Project Profile
In the spring of 2024, Megan Smith, MDes Director, and Philip Wyness, FCCS Technical Director, worked with a design team from VS America to design the new Design Studio for UBC’s Master of Design program. Below is an excerpt from the project profile, prepared by Thomas Doe, Director of Higher Education for VS America. Project Profile: Critical Future […]
Community Partner: Cyan Bold Design
The Masters of Design (MDes) program got a new look this spring. MDes Director, Megan Smith, and Communications Strategist, Shauna Oddleifson, worked with local designer Chris Bingham from Cyan Bold Design to create a new visual identity for the program. Chris Bingham, CDPTM, is the graphic designer responsible for Cyan Bold Design in Kelowna, BC. […]
UBC Okanagan’s new Master of Design builds leadership potential
The newly formed Master of Design degree at UBC Okanagan is a first for professional master’s degrees in Canada, and it’s now accepting applications. UBCO’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, School of Engineering and Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences created the interdisciplinary program to help answer vital questions affecting the […]