Admissions to the Design Strategy Certificate have been suspended as of fall 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
What is it about?
Housed in the School of Human Ecology, this 18-credit certificate in Design Strategy provides undergraduate students from all majors with a hands-on, interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving for strategic change. Through applying Design Thinking techniques and exploring the interconnections between people and built, natural, and financial environments, students will learn to put ideas into action and develop forward-thinking approaches to a variety of issues.
What is Design Strategy?
Design Strategy is a successful approach to problem-solving with a focus on quality of life and sustainable futures. It begins with asking "better" questions as a way to understand the root of the problem and why it is an issue. It is an empathetic, human-centered perspective that uses Design Thinking and draws from historical precedence and current research from a variety of fields to help solve complex and persistent problems.
What will students gain?
Students acquire concrete methodologies that enable them to apply what they have learned in their degree studies in a way that goes beyond the theoretical emphasis of most degree programs. Rather than adding additional expertise and knowledge in a particular field, this certificate gives students ways to apply what they have learned in their majors to real-world problems; in the process, they become confident and creative forward thinkers, who are able to work in interdisciplinary teams.
How to Get in
Admissions to the Design Strategy Certificate have been suspended as of fall 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Course | 3 | |
| Design Thinking for Transformation | ||
| Selective Topics (choose one course from each of the three sections) | 9 | |
| 1: Consumer Behavior and Product Development | ||
| Consuming Happiness | ||
| Consumer Insights | ||
| Consumer Financial Services Innovation | ||
| Consumer Analytics | ||
| Consumer Behavior | ||
| Global Artisans | ||
| 2: Communities and Social Change | ||
| Community and Social Change | ||
| Nonprofit Sector: Overview and Foundations | ||
| Communicating with Key Audiences | ||
| Civil Society and Community Leadership | ||
| Community Based Research and Evaluation | ||
| Family and Community Influences on the Young Child | ||
| 3: Humans and the Environment | ||
| Introduction to Interior Architecture | ||
| Person and Environment Interactions | ||
| Dimensions of Material Culture | ||
| Culture and Built Environment | ||
| Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Families & Poverty | ||
| Racial Ethnic Families in the U.S. | ||
| Stress and Resilience in Families Across the Lifespan | ||
| Elective Topics | 3 | |
| Methods and Theories | ||
| Cultural Anthropology and Human Diversity | ||
| Cultural Anthropology: Theory and Ethnography | ||
| The Anthropological Study of Children & Youth | ||
| Communication and Human Behavior | ||
| Media and Human Behavior | ||
| Informational Divides and Differences in a Multicultural Society | ||
| Applications | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Design and Fashion Event Practicum | ||
| Wearable Technology | ||
| Virtual Reality | ||
| International Internship | ||
| Introduction to Landscape Architecture Design Studio | ||
| Designing Sustainable and Resilient Regions | ||
| Interdisciplinary Experiential Design Projects I | ||
| Collaborative Problem Solving | ||
| Communication and Analysis | ||
| Basic Graphic Design | ||
| Introduction to Computer Aided Design | ||
| Introduction to Digital Media Production | ||
| Introduction to Digital Communication | ||
| Design: Fundamentals I | ||
| Introduction to Digital Information | ||
| Capstone | 3 | |
| Consumer Design Strategies & Evaluation | ||
| Design-Related International Experience | ||
| Design and Fashion Event Management | ||
| Advanced Design Thinking for Transformation | ||
| Research Experience in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Students must earn a minimum 2.000 GPA on required certificate coursework. Completed courses listed within the certificate curriculum, whether or not they meet a specific requirement, are included in the calculation of the GPA.
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop and understand empathy mindsets through the practice of observation, interviewing skills, and other related techniques.
- Recognize that theories, knowledge, and concepts intrinsic to the practice of design are relevant to informing new approaches to addressing topics that are difficult to formulate using traditional theories.
- Incorporate methods that rely on team work, communication, and collaborative activity.
- Examine a wide range of problems confronting society by looking at them in context, in order to uncover their roots, visualize their interconnections, and identify their interdependencies.
- Become collaborative, divergent thinkers, able to generate and visually communicate multiple ideas.
Advising and Careers
Advising & Career Center
The Advising & Career Center (ACC) fosters undergraduate students' personal, academic, and professional development. Through advising, academic planning, and career education, we support students as they navigate the college experience—from exploring our majors as prospective students to becoming Human Ecology alumni.
Academic Advising
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to an academic advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Human Ecology academic advisors support academic and personal success by partnering with current and prospective Human Ecology students as they identify and clarify their educational goals, develop meaningful academic plans, and pursue their own Wisconsin Experience.
To explore academic advising resources or schedule an appointment with an academic advisor, visit Advising in Human Ecology.
Career Development
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to a career advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Active engagement in the career development process is a vital component of a student’s personal growth in college and future success as a lifelong learner, professional, and global citizen. Human Ecology career advisors help prepare students for life post-graduation through individual and group advising and integration of career readiness throughout our curriculum.
To explore career development resources or schedule an appointment with a Human Ecology career advisor, visit Career Development.
People
For more information, visit the School of Human Ecology Design Studies Faculty and Staff Directory.
Resources and Scholarships
Advising & Career Center
The Advising & Career Center (ACC) fosters undergraduate students' personal, academic, and professional development. Through advising, academic planning, and career education, we support students as they navigate the college experience—from exploring our majors as prospective students to becoming Human Ecology alumni.
Academic Advising
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to an academic advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Human Ecology academic advisors support academic and personal success by partnering with current and prospective Human Ecology students as they identify and clarify their educational goals, develop meaningful academic plans, and pursue their own Wisconsin Experience.
To explore academic advising resources or schedule an appointment with an academic advisor, visit Advising in Human Ecology.
Career Development
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to a career advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Active engagement in the career development process is a vital component of a student’s personal growth in college and future success as a lifelong learner, professional, and global citizen. Human Ecology career advisors help prepare students for life post-graduation through advising and integration of career readiness throughout our curriculum.
To explore career development resources or schedule an appointment with a Human Ecology career advisor, visit Career Development.
Scholarships and Other Financial Resources
The School of Human Ecology awards many merit and need-based scholarships each year. Students can learn more about these opportunities on the Human Ecology scholarships webpage. To be eligible for these awards, scholarship recipients must be registered as full-time Human Ecology students. For further questions on the scholarship application, please contact the School of Human Ecology Scholarship Coordinator at scholarships@sohe.wisc.edu.
Students who experience personal challenges or emergency financial situations may inquire about the availability of short-term loans with the Human Ecology Academic Deans (deansservices@sohe.wisc.edu). In addition, university scholarships, loans, and employment are available through the Office of Student Financial Aid (333 East Campus Mall #9701; 608-262-3060).