Fields: Visual design, product design, design theory, architecture

The Graduate School of Design consists of four fields of study: visual design, product design, design theory, and architecture. In visual design, students conduct research on new forms of expression for visual information as well as communication design, the latter of which utilizes a variety of evolving media. In product design, students explore new lifestyle systems based on people, physical objects, and abstract phenomena, taking into account the environment, sustainability, technology, and industry from a perspective rooted in culture and sensitivity. In design theory, students explore concepts based on a philosophical understanding of the connection between design and society. In architecture, students expand the idea of architecture to include any space that involves the human body and consciousness and posit what should be expressed and provided in said spaces. Students can also obtain the two years of certified work experience required to qualify for the 1st-Class Kenchikushi examination.

Kyoto is a city where tradition and innovation coexist. At the Graduate School of Design, we contemplate how design works in Kyoto  and share it with the rest of the world. We encourage students to establish both production and theoretical research themes and have established courses that also combine the practical with the theoretical, promoting mutual exchange and collaboration. Through public presentations and mid-term reports, students verify and evaluate the validity and direction of their research themes from a wide range of perspectives. They are also provided with opportunities to present the results of their research at off-campus exhibitions.

Programs at the Graduate School of Design are often developed through practical work that involves being active in both society and industry. We have presented product proposals to manufacturers handling new materials. We have collaborated with people in traditional arts & crafts and local industries, such as Japanese paper, roof tiles, and kumi-ki woodworking. We have assisted in the design of buildings and urban spaces for projects that our faculty members have been involved in. By experiencing these kinds of professional-level projects, students acquire critical thinking and planning skills and develop the skills and expressive ability needed to bring their designs to life.

The Joint Introductory Classes and Specialist Lecture Courses, which can be taken across our four graduate schools, host lectures by professionals working at the forefront of their respective fields, providing an even more hands-on education and research environment. In the Specialist Research Classes offered by each graduate school, experienced research advisors provide comprehensive guidance tailored to the research topics of each student.

For the Graduate School of Design application guidelines, refer to “Graduate School Admissions.”