Calling all masters ID grads from RIT, Pratt, and RISD

Hi there,

Could any grads from the masters ID programs at RIT, Pratt, and RISD help me out?

I’m graduating with a bachelors in mechanical engineering. I’d like to pursue industrial design (esp. product) as a career. [I like to think that my true talents lie in the realm of visual arts.] Although I would have liked to get an undergrad ID degree, i’ve already spent five years in undergrad, and time is of the essence. So I opted for applying to masters ID programs.

I’ve been accepted to RIT, Pratt, and RISD for their masters programs. I’ve been surfing past threads in this forum about the respective schools, but I’m not sure if all of the comments apply to the graduate programs (as opposed to undergraduate). I’ve the following questions–

  1. RIT’s has been called a “technical” program. Do we still not study form-giving and aesthetics in the grad program here? Are freehand sketching and model-making electives offered in the curriculum?

  2. Pratt’s has been said to give emphasis to form-giving. Is this true for the masters program as well?

  3. RISD’s seems quite esoteric. Where are MID grads employed after they leave RISD?

Any attempts to answer the above will be greatly appreciated! [I need to make my decisions within the week.] Also, if you could, please give me some pros and cons from your respective experiences in the grad ID program at RIT, Pratt, and RISD.


Thanks in advance for your time,
C. in Waterloo, ON, Canada

I’m not exactly sure why RIT program is considered overly “technological”, yes the emphasis is made on human factors and things that work and most of ID classes will require a working final model, but the professors pay a lot of attention to the “poetic aspects of design.
My sophomore year, I took a bunch of classes with grads who wanted to improve their sketching and rendering skills. I am pretty sure those classes are not required, but you can definitely take them…we also took model making together, first year grads and sophomore undergrads.

Contact RIT faculty :
Dave Morgan (dcmfaa@rit.edu) he has RISD MID
and Stan Rickel (srrfaa@rit.edu) he used to teach at Pratt. They both teach most of the grad ID stuff at RIT, and I think their input can be really helpful in your situation.

Thanks mlc for your input.

I’ve contacted Morgan and Rickel. Hopefully I’ll hear back from them soon.

Are you finishing up your undergrad ID at RIT then?

yep.

good luck.

Pratt MID is a good program to start ID.
Most of MID students have different undergraduate backgrounds and therefore the school teaches students from the ground level but very labor intensive and focused.
Yes, the form studies are requirements, and also there are so many requirements that students must take - for ex. ID tech-we go to field trips to manufactures and design related locations every other weeks, Color classes (now peter barna doesn’t teach :frowning: , 3D classes that you have to struggle with plasters, wires, papers and clays-many students spend lots of time doing these projects and we all hope we learn much, production methods-that you learn things like plastics and metals, Alias and solidworks, and also drawings.
Students here are mostly busy doing their own works and too busy finishing their homeworks. It can be good or bad depense on your personal character and schedule. I just hope Pratt has more relaxations and interactivity among students and faculties.
Overall… Pratt has lots of free lectures and internship opportunities.

thanks npk.

where are you from and what year of the master’s program are you in?