Industrial Design

What is industrial design?

As an industrial design major at Virginia Tech, you’ll learn to create meaningful, human-centered products and systems that respond to real-world needs. The studio-based curriculum is rigorous and hands-on, encouraging you to explore materials, processes, and emerging technologies while developing full-scale prototypes. From your first semester, you’ll work in dynamic studios and dedicated makerspaces, collaborating across disciplines and applying core design principles to practical challenges. Graduates of the program are prepared to lead in areas ranging from product design to service systems and to make tangible impacts on everyday life.

Why study industrial design at Virginia Tech?

Earn your degree from a program fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Join a close-knit design community where you receive personalized attention from faculty whose offices are often right next to your studio.
Claim your own desk in a studio with 24/7 access that is designed for collaboration, creativity, and hands-on learning — no shared or “hot” desks here.
Work with faculty who bring deep industry experience and can connect you with internships that match your interests and career goals.
Experiment in makerspaces that include a wood shop, metal shop, LaserCAMM cutting room, 3D printing lab, ceramics lab, silk screen printing studio, darkrooms, and more.
Prototype full-scale models using real tools and materials that bring your designs to life.
Make a difference through real-world projects, such as designing tools for aging populations or developing emergency-response kits for opioid intervention.

Benefit from alumni connections that open doors, like the GM-sponsored studio where students reimagined accessibility features in vehicles.
Study abroad in your third year at Delft University of Technology, a world-renowned design engineering school in the Netherlands.
Explore the profession through the student chapter of the Industrial Designers Society of America and visit top firms during the annual New York City “firm crawl.”
Gain national and international recognition for your work; student designs have earned honors in competitions like the Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge and the European Product Design Award.
Apply without a portfolio. You'll learn to build a professional one as part of the program, with expert support from day one.

Student working with fabric on large machine.

Curriculum

What courses will I take?

To learn more about the courses you’ll take as an industrial design major, review the Program Curriculum and course descriptions in the university catalog. You’ll be able to personalize your degree with electives and Pathways courses.

Careers

Meet an alum

Joseph Powers '11

“The next generation of industrial designers as well as the current lineup of faculty are extremely inspiring. My most recent visit to Blacksburg was unbelievably encouraging, from the research focus of the program to the experiences and talent of other alumni to the unapologetic, unwavering, social empathy that current students imbue into their projects; it really blew my mind.”