Undergraduate degree: BFA
About the major
Enhance the world around you by creating products that are useful, energy-efficient, ergonomically appropriate, cost-effective and socially responsible. As one of our students, you will solve real-world design challenges with fellow students, clients, and faculty members.
Students in the product design major develop the knowledge, skills, and methods essential to becoming a professional designer with courses in product design, art, and art and technology within the School of Art + Design. In the product design major, students work on the Eugene campus for three years and continue to the Portland campus for the final year of completion of their professional BFA degrees.
A little more info
- Downtown Eugene Studios: Product design students work in advanced studio workspaces, our Polymer Lab, the design drawing classroom, and the PD Computer Lab. Also, they can collaborate with other inventors, startups, and business leaders in Eugene.
- Main Campus Labs: Students in the Department of Product Design have access to a wide range of labs for design, fabrication, and prototyping in ceramics, glass, metals, polymers, textiles, and woods on the main UO campus in Eugene.
- Downtown Portland Studios: Product design students have studio space in the White Stag Block in downtown Portland, including polymer, textile, wood labs, and a 2D output center. The building also features full body scanning, several types of 3D CAD additive and subtractive manufacturing equipment, a curated art and design library, and exhibition areas.
Career opportunities
Students in Portland typically get design internships in the Portland area during their terms of study which have lead to jobs at Columbia, Nike, Pendleton, American Girl, Tesla, Scholastic, Dollar Shave Club, OMSI, Amazon, IBM, 72andSunny, Walt Disney, and many others. The product design program has also helped students launch several startups, including Digital Craft, Algotek, Peaches, Johnson Workwear, and Goodnuss.