Honours Bachelor of Industrial Design

Description

Georgian’s Honours Bachelor of Industrial Design program equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to drive creativity and innovation in the field of design. Through a human-centric approach rooted in international, experimental, and entrepreneurial principles, you engage in strategic problem-solving design processes that generate creative solutions for consumer needs and business challenges. You explore industrial methods, manufacturing technologies, and business models to create efficient products, services, and systems. Through a thoroughly developed multidisciplinary curriculum, you learn about cognitive empathy, culture, environmental impact assessment, and interaction design, as you build competence in computer applications for design, simulation, and communication. You gain professional skills through work integrated learning opportunities, including work with industry partners on production projects to solve real-world problems. As a graduate of this degree you will be well prepared to work across diverse sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and social innovation.

Career Opportunities

Graduates may manage projects, study behaviours, and advise clients on implementation of new technology and business solutions. Working individually or in teams, they may develop concepts, create models, and prepare technical documentation and presentations. They may be employed by manufacturing industries and private design firms or they may be self-employed. Specifically, students may find employment as business products designers, consumer products designers, ergonomic products designers, furniture designers, industrial design consultants, industrial designers, industrial products designers, or product designers.

Program Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. produce two- and three-dimensional graphic representations, and various material artifacts used to effectively communicate the design intent, development, and outcomes with partners and clients;
2. prepare relevant technical documentation in support to the proposed design solutions;
3. research, analyze, and synthesize the factors determining feasible solutions that correctly and completely respond to needs, constraints, and limitations in design;
4. correctly evaluate the physical qualities and capabilities of materials and mechanical systems;
5. develop final design solutions to optimize use of materials, manufacturing processes, user safety, and marketability;
6. produce designs that address human-centered needs and demonstrate an understanding of diverse cultures and global contexts;
7. evaluate user's emotional response, analyze human behaviour, and apply this knowledge to design products, services, and environments that enhance user's experience;
8. create design solutions that comprehensively respond to functional needs and esthetic expectations of the user;
9. identify, process, and respond to corporate client needs and create robust solutions that meet or exceed expectations, initiate change through effective implementation strategies, and forecast the impact of an innovative product concept;
10. solve technical problems related to design through the application of appropriate science and technology knowledge;
11. collaborate with other specialties and design-related stakeholders;
12. use and evaluate current and emerging design technologies;
13. create design solutions that employ current and emerging technologies in the industry;
14. identify project constraints, evaluate feasible solutions, and make appropriate material and manufacturing process decisions for a successful design outcome;
15. employ environmentally sustainable practices within the profession;
16. apply basic entrepreneurial strategies to identify and respond to new opportunities;
17. comply with professional governing legislation, conform to industry specific regulation, and follow ethical principles specific to industrial design business practice.

Practical Experience

All co-operative education programs at Georgian contain mandatory work term experiences aligned with program learning outcomes.  Co-op work terms are designed to integrate academic learning with work experience, supporting the development of industry specific competencies and employability skills.

Georgian College holds membership with, and endeavours to follow, the co-operative education guidelines set out by the Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) and Experiential and Work-Integrated Ontario (EWO) as supported by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

Co-op is facilitated as a supported, competitive job search process. Students are required to complete a Co-op and Career Preparation course scheduled prior to their first co-op work term. Students engage in an active co-op job search that includes applying to positions posted by Co-op Consultants, and personal networking.  Co-op work terms are scheduled according to a formal sequence that alternates academic and co-op semesters as shown in the program progression below.

Programs may have additional requirements such as a valid driver’s license, strong communication skills, industry specific certifications, and ability to travel. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may be unable to complete the program progression as shown below. Please refer to Georgian College Academic Regulations for details.   

International co-op work terms are supported and encouraged, when aligned with program requirements.

Further information on co-op services can be found at www.GeorgianCollege.ca/co-op

Program Progression

The following reflects the planned progression for full-time offerings of the program.

Fall Intake

• Sem 1: Fall 2025
• Sem 2: Winter 2026
• Sem 3: Summer 2026
• Sem 4: Winter 2027
• Sem 5: Summer 2027
• Sem 6: Fall 2027
• Work Term 1: Winter 2028
• Work Term 2: Summer 2028
• Work Term 3: Fall 2028
• Sem 7: Winter 2029
• Sem 8: Summer 2029

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, mature student status 
• minimum overall average of 65 per cent
• six Grade 12 U level courses including
• Grade 12 U level English with a minimum grade of 65 percent
• Grade 12 U level Mathematics with a minimum grade of 60 percent.

Applicants must meet minimum averages to receive final acceptance.

Students presenting equivalent qualifications will also be considered for admission. A second grade 12 university or university/college Mathematics course is highly recommended.

Mature applicants may also be considered for admission to this program providing their previous school performance and/or recent work record suggests a strong possibility of academic success. In order to qualify, applicants must be 19 years of age on or before the commencement of the program and must have been away from formal education for at least one year immediately prior to beginning studies. Mature applicants must meet subject prerequisites prior to registration.

Applicants should be aware that first-year enrolment is limited; satisfying minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission.

Selection Process

A portfolio of applicant's original work is required to be submitted digitally, including five to seven personal work pieces, such as hand drawings (originals, scanned, or photographs), computer developed models, photos of mock-ups or prototypes, etc., and one written document of 200 words, which describes his/her interest in, and knowledge of, the industrial design profession.

Additional Information

This college has been granted consent by the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development to offer this applied degree for a seven-year term starting December 17, 2019. The college shall ensure that all students admitted to the above-named program during the period of consent will have the opportunity to complete the program within a reasonable time frame.

Non-core courses are required in all degree programs to meet the Ministry of Colleges and Universities benchmark for depth and breadth in degree-level learning. These courses are designed to give students the tools to develop interdisciplinary perspectives that inform their approach to their own discipline, their continued education and their life outside work.

Students are required to take: at least one first year interdisciplinary course (INTS1xxx); two introductory courses in their choice of disciplines outside their main field of study, which may include psychology (PSYC 1000 or PSYC 1001), social science (SOCI 1000), humanities (HUMA 1012), or science (SCEN 1000); one advanced course in a discipline (ex. PSYC3xxx, SOSC3xxx, HUMA3xxx), and; one upper level interdisciplinary course (INTS4xxx). These courses and any remaining non-core course requirements to be selected from the program list.

Graduation Requirements

28 Core Courses
2 Elective Core Courses
6 Non-Core Courses
4 Elective Non-Core Courses
3 Co-op Work Terms

Graduation Eligibility

To graduate from this program, a student must attain a minimum of 60 percent or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester, and have an overall average of 65 percent in core courses and 60% in non-core courses.

Program Tracking

The following reflects the planned course sequence for full-time offerings of the Fall intake of the program. Where more  than one intake is offered  contact the program co-ordinator for the program tracking.

Plan of Study Grid

Semester 1		Hours
Core Courses
INDD 1000	Form and Colour Studio	84
INDD 1001	Drawing for Design	42
INDD 1002	Design, Art, and Technology	42
INDD 1007	Perception and Emotion	42
Non-Core Course
PSYC 1000	Introduction to Psychology 1	42
	Hours	252
Semester 2
Core Courses
INDD 1004	Form and Function Studio	84
INDD 1005	Design Technologies	42
INDD 1006	Human Factors and Ergonomics	42
INDD 1003	Applied Mechanics	42
Non-Core Course
INTS 1002	Introduction to Multidisciplinary Research	42
	Hours	252
Semester 3
Core Courses
INDD 2000	Industrial Design Studio 1	84
INDD 2001	Fundamentals of Computer Aided Design	42
INDD 2002	Interaction Design	42
INDD 2003	Materials in Design	42
Non-Core Course
STAS 2000	Quantitative Methods and Statistics	56
	Hours	266
Semester 4
Core Courses
INDD 2004	Industrial Design Studio 2	84
INDD 2005	Advanced Computer Aided Design	42
INDD 2006	Human Experience and Interactions	42
INDD 2007	Manufacturing Technologies	42
Non-Core Course
RSCH 2000	Qualitative Research Methods	42
	Hours	252
Semester 5
Core Courses
INDD 3000	Industrial Design Studio 3	84
INDD 3001	Intelligent Systems	42
INDD 3002	Identity and Branding	42
Elective Core Course
Select 1 course from the elective core courses list available during registration		42
Elective Non-Core Course
Select 1 course at the HUMA, SOCI or SCEN 1000-level from the elective core courses list available during registration		42
	Hours	252
Semester 6
Core Courses
INDD 3003	Industrial Design Studio 4	84
INDD 3004	Emerging Technologies	42
INDD 3005	Marketing for Industrial Design	42
Elective Core Course
Select 1 course from the elective core courses list available during registration		42
Elective Non-Core Course
Select 1 course at the 3000-level from the available list during registration		42
	Hours	252
Semester 7
Core Courses
INDD 4000	Industrial Design Thesis Preparation	84
INDD 4001	Multidisciplinary Seminar 1	42
Non-Core Course
INDD 4002	Inclusive Design	42
MNGM 1001	Management Principles	42
Elective Non-Core Course
Select 1 course at the 4000-level from the available list during registration		42
	Hours	252
Semester 8
Core Courses
INDD 4003	Industrial Design Thesis Presentation	84
INDD 4004	Multidisciplinary Seminar 2	42
INDD 4005	Global Context	42
Non-Core Course
ENTP 4000	Topics in Entrepreneurship	42
Elective Non-Core Course
Select 1 course from the elective core courses list available during registration		42
	Hours	252
	Total Hours	2030

Plan of Study Grid

Co-op Work Terms		Hours
COOP 3015	Honours Bachelor of Industrial Design Work Term 1	420
COOP 3016	Honours Bachelor of Industrial Design Work Term 2	420
COOP 3017	Honours Bachelor of Industrial Design Work Term 3	420
	Hours	1260
	Total Hours	1260

Course List

Code	Title
Elective Core Courses may include:
INDD 3006	Design for Health
INDD 3007	Collaborative Creativity
INDD 3008	Information, Materials, and Energy
INDD 3009	Transportation Design
INDD 3010	Multidisciplinary Design
INDD 3011	Sustainable Solutions

Graduation Window

Students unable to adhere to the program duration of four years (as stated above) may take a maximum of eight years to complete their credential. After this time, students must be re-admitted into the program, and follow the curriculum in place at the time of re-admission.

Disclaimer: The information in this document is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. 

Program outlines may be subject to change in response to emerging situations, in order to facilitate student achievement of the learning outcomes required for graduation. Components such as courses, progression, coop work terms, placements, internships and other requirements may be delivered differently than published.