Each academic program at DSI has its own specific admission requirements. These carefully selected application materials enable our Admissions Committee to thoroughly assess your candidacy and determine your potential for success in your chosen program.

Admissions Requirements for All Programs

Application Form

Form sharing your contact information, citizenship and address details, recent education and work experience, and financing information.

Evidence of English Language proficiency

Having earned a degree from a college or university where English was the primary language of instruction; or
Providing an official transcript indicating completion of at least 30 semester credit hours with an average grade of “B” (3.00 on a 4.00-point scale) or higher at an accredited college or university where the language of instruction was English; or
Providing a score report that shows having met the minimum score requirement on one of the following English proficiency qualification exams: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL*), Paper-based Test (PBT) score of 530 or TOEFL* Internet-based Test (iBT) score of 71, Duolingo English Test (DET) score of 120, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5.

Admissions Requirements for Professional Certificate

Transcript

Bachelor’s degree or higher diploma/transcript from an accredited institution or an equivalent degree from an accredited international institution; or
Associate’s degree diploma/transcript from an accredited institution or an equivalent degree from an accredited international institution with one year of full-time work experience; the work experience can be in a wide range of areas and is not limited to the field of design.

resume

Resume showing work experiences. A minimum of one year of full-time work experience is required for applicants with an Associate’s degree.

personal statement

Personal Statement stating career objectives, prior experience, intention of study, and their relevance to the Professional Certificate’s area of intended concentration (Graphic & Visual Design, Fashion Design, or Interior Design).

Admissions Requirements for Master of Design

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Bachelor’s degree or higher diploma/transcript from an accredited institution or an equivalent degree from an accredited international institution.

resume

Resume showing a minimum of one year of full-time work experience; the work experience can be in a wide range of areas and is not limited to the field of design.

personal statement

Personal statement stating career objectives, prior experience, intention of graduate study, and their relevance to the study program.

portfolio

Five examples of your best creative work with the following file size limits: Images (up to 5MB each), Videos (up to 250MB each), Audio (up to 30MB each), PDFs (up to 10MB each), and Models (Sketchfab). Examples may also link to media hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or SoundCloud.

passport

Evidence of a valid passport, or a statement of willingness to obtain a passport upon acceptance, for travel to the required on-site program residency.

Admissions Requirements for Master of Design + Doctor of Design Continuous Study Pathway

MDes + DDes Continuous Study Pathway applicants must meet all MDes admission requirements and also include the following :

Academic Writing Sample

A design-related academic writing sample, not to exceed five pages, that demonstrates capacity for scholarly inquiry at the graduate level.

Admissions Requirements for Doctor of Design

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Bachelor’s degree diploma/transcript from an accredited institution or an equivalent degree from an accredited international institution.
Master’s degree diploma/transcript from an accredited institution or an equivalent degree from an accredited international institution.

resume

Resume showing a minimum of five years of full-time work experience; the work experience can be in a wide range of areas and is not limited to the field of design.

personal statement

Personal statement stating career objectives, prior experience, intention of graduate study, and their relevance to the study program.

research statement

Research statement, not to exceed 750 words, that describes a preliminary research topic with a supporting bibliography.
The statement should indicate which faculty member(s) could serve as the chair of the applicant's dissertation advisory committee.

passport

Evidence of a valid passport, or a statement of willingness to obtain a passport upon acceptance, for travel to the required on-site program residencies.

Application Requirements

Admissions Requirements for All Programs

Admissions Requirements for Professional Certificate

Admissions Requirements for Master of Design

Admissions Requirements for Master of Design + Doctor of Design Continuous Study Pathway

Admissions Requirements for Doctor of Design