Masters In Design With Dissertation

The master's degree in design with memory (mdm) trains design experts . The originality of this research program is to offer a specialization in a field of design that students explore through a scientific approach. 

In this training context, students rigorously carry out the stages of research under the supervision of experts and participate in the development of scientific, technological and/or creative knowledge. Their research project becomes a preferred means of training designers who can better understand complex projects and respond to current societal challenges (e.g.: ecological redirection, sustainable health, etc.). Managing complexity is one of the essential skills that designers must develop today.

Welcoming professionals and graduates in design, this program is also open to other disciplines, such as engineering, humanities, social sciences, management, literature, as well as health sciences for only mention them.

The MDM allows you to combine university studies and a professional activity at the same time. This characteristic makes this master's degree a flexible and complementary training after a bachelor's degree. It also allows professionals with an established career to add new strings to their bow.
The master's degree in design with dissertation (MDM) offers the possibility of a full -time course (2 years, i.e. 6 consecutive sessions – see typical course ) or part-time (4 years maximum). It allows the deployment of research projects mobilizing both theoretical and practical knowledge of design and that of other disciplines. Interdisciplinary in nature, these projects take one of two avenues:

Research with a theoretical aim (i.e. research on design) which aims to broaden knowledge and leads to the production of knowledge for an audience of researchers. This type of research feeds design sciences as well as knowledge from different disciplines (e.g.: ergonomics, semiotics, anthropology, psychology, sociology, industrial engineering, management sciences, law, psychosociology of organizations, educational sciences, the history of art).
Project-oriented research ( i.e. research through design) which is part of the discovery and solution to an immediate practical problem or spread over the medium or long term to help professionals and the society in general. Can take the form of action research, project research or creation research, the research process can lead to the creation of an artifact (e.g.: object, services, brands, strategies, processes and capabilities).

The master's program in design with dissertation (MDM) fits very well into the continuity of undergraduate training in design (graphics, products/industrial, etc.) or in any other sector linked to the field (animation, games, multimedia, communication, etc.). It is also open to other disciplines such as engineering, literature, education, marketing, visual arts, etc.

In addition, MDM offers a path adapted to professionals wishing to develop new skills to consolidate their professional practice and open up to a new world.

Career opportunity

The program leads to positions to which graduates would have had difficulty accessing without a master's degree, notably as project managers, specialists in innovation management, team leaders, designer-researchers. /researchers. MDM also makes it possible to develop specific expertise that can lead to the creation of a consulting firm or the start-up of innovative businesses.

Once their studies are completed, students are coveted by employers who wish to hire designers who are well-trained in practical and theoretical terms and have developed their reflective skills. The master's degree can also serve as a springboard for design creators who, through research-creation, will have deepened their approach, and will help them to position their career more strategically. Finally, this program remains an excellent springboard for postgraduate studies.

The placement rate for graduates is high: more than 80% find a job in their field. Moreover, our graduates demonstrate their progress towards a master's degree in design by answering 5 questions allowing them to better understand the contribution of a design research program to their professional or academic career.

Research direction

Choosing the subject of study and the professor who will supervise the research is an important step for admission to the master's degree in design with dissertation (MDM). The primary responsibility of a research director is to guide the student, to support him/her in his/her intellectual development, to direct his/her work and to ensure that he/she can make constant progress.

The choice of a research direction is made according to the expertise that the student wishes to develop in their research project. This research direction must be chosen from the list of professors from the School of Design whose fields of expertise are described on their institutional page of the School of Design website .

Depending on the type of research subject, co-direction may be considered, involving a professor from the School of Design, another department, another faculty or university institution.

It is strongly recommended that each student target their research interests in order to request research supervision from the expert professor who will supervise their research  before  submitting their application for admission . Here are some tips for finding a research project and research direction .

Memory
One of the central activities of the MDM program is the writing of the dissertation. Indeed, master's training aims to acquire knowledge and develop skills through the completion of a dissertation demonstrating critical judgment and mastery of methodological tools specific to particular sectors of a field. Knowledge.

The requirements relating to the dissertation (e.g.: writing and content of sections, submission schedule, rules and stages of evaluation, dissemination, publications, etc.) depend on the rules specific to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FÉSP) . Students are primarily responsible for producing their dissertation. They are supported by their research director throughout its preparation and writing.

A dissertation is on average 90 to 150 pages (without annexes) and, in the case of a full-time course (2 years, 6 consecutive sessions), the submission is done at the latest at the end of the second session summer (August).

Research internship

Among the possibilities offered in optional courses at the School of Design, a research internship (3 credits) allows the student to be welcomed into a host organization to carry out a targeted step in their approach of their research (e.g.: data collection, carrying out a design or creation project, preparation/participation in a conference/scientific article, etc.), and this, always under the supervision of their research director.

To this end, a collaboration is established between the organization, the student and the research department. In order to facilitate communication between the three parties, this agreement is signed to clarify the responsibilities of each. The research internship can be paid by the host organization or by other funds, such as a research grant, institutional funds or even with a Mitacs Acceleration Scholarship .

Program Strengths
The Master of Design with Dissertation (MDM) is a choice of program of excellence for three reasons:

• High-level university training in which students specialize in an object of study of their choice with training focused on a scientific approach using the designer's own way of thinking.
• A university experience with personalized support from a faculty with pluralistic expertise bringing together design researchers and experts from the practical world with international experience.
• A very dynamic and warm graduate student association in design that offers human and professional support to help you progress .

Additionally, the program offers an inspiring learning environment with quality services:

• A school located in a dynamic cultural and historical network of downtown Quebec while being close to social, economic and political actors.
• Access to a library with collections specific to design and design research (e.g.: recognized scientists).
• Services to support research, design and creation activities (e.g.: printing, photo and prototyping laboratory, technical workshops for prints, carpentry, metal and molding) .

Important program information

• Complete admission file due in March
• Start of schooling at the end of August or the beginning of September ( see the ULaval university calendar )
• Full-time (6 sessions) or part-time (8 sessions) course with 45 credits divided into 6 sessions over 2 years (full time)
• Possibility of a distinction profile for students with excellent academic results who wish to add graduate courses to their undergraduate program in order to get to grips with graduate studies. This profile must, however, be part of the structure of your undergraduate program.