Design Studies
Drive innovation and strategy with creative exploration and business insight to lead in a rapidly evolving design landscape. Through hands-on projects and complex problem solving, learn to design with purpose, think like an entrepreneur and turn bold ideas into market-ready solutions that make a real impact.

Why Purdue?
Applying
Understanding Undergraduate Degree Paths
The College of Liberal Arts offers multiple paths in select majors to accelerate degree completion and provide opportunities to earn multiple degrees simultaneously so you can make the most of your educational experience.
Degree in 3
Degree in 3 provides an accelerated pathway to complete your Liberal Arts degree in just three years — saving time and tuition. With focused planning and year-round support, you’ll be ready to start your career or pursue graduate school ahead of schedule, without missing out on the full Purdue experience.
Degree Plus
Earn two degrees in four years with Purdue’s Degree Plus program — combine Liberal Arts with STEM, business or any other major, all without extra time or tuition. Stand out with a multidimensional education that sets you apart.
Our students prepare for a wide range of careers from creative design to strategic leadership and entrepreneurs blazing their own path. With skills in product design, visual communication and design strategy, they thrive in industries like technology, retail, sustainable design and beyond.
- Creative director
- Design researcher
- Design strategist
- Entrepreneur
- Innovation manager
- Sustainability designer
- User experience (UX) designer
You should pursue the most rigorous high school curriculum available to you. Succeeding in challenging courses will make you a stronger candidate for Purdue’s competitive admission process and better prepare you for college success.
Minimum high school coursework (many applicants exceed these minimums):
- Math – 4 years
- English – 4 years
- Lab science – 3 years
- Social studies – 3 years
- World language – 2 years
Connect
College of Liberal Arts
Join a community of thinkers, doers and communicators. Explore our programs grounded in theory and driven by real-world impact.
Contact
Undergraduate Student Recruitment Office
(765) 494-6291
newstudent@purdue.edu
Visit
Experience for yourself all that Purdue has to offer with opportunities to explore in-person or virtually.
Apply
Ready to take the next step? Apply to begin your journey at Purdue in the design studies program.
Transfer to Design Studies
Purdue admits to individual majors. Transfer students must meet Purdue’s overall transfer criteria, as well as any major-specific requirements. Before you apply, check the closed programs page to confirm this major is open to transfer students. If it is, refer to the information below for major-specific transfer criteria.
- Minimum 2.5 GPA