M.Des in USA for Indian Students - Universities, Colleges, Fees 2026, Deadlines

Masters of Design in USA: Masters of Design is professional program that helps the students converge their design knowledge with tools and pursue careers in academia, NGOs, public service etc. USA offers a strong economy, a high standard of living, good job opportunities, and very high educational standards. As per Indeed, the average base salary of a product designer in the US is $76,853. As per the Cornell University data, the salary, for a student holding Master’s degree in design, can range from $80,400 to $125,000.

Masters of Design in USA Highlights

Head	Details
Number of Universities in USA Offering Masters of Design	Approx. 10 Universities
Masters of Design in USA Fees (1st Year Average of 9 Universities)	INR 37 Lakhs
Top Specializations	Products, Communications, Environments, Interaction, Graphic. Integrative, Sustainable Urban Environments, etc.
Exams Required	Formal Schooling, Graduation, GRE, English-language Proficiency Test Scores of TOEFL or IELTS

Masters of Design in USA Top Universities

The table given below provides the 1st year tuition fee and QS World University Rankings of top universities in the US that offer Masters in Design courses:

University	Tuition Fee (1st Year)	QS World University Rankings 2023
Harvard University	USD 53,420	5
University of Michigan	USD 50,116	25
University of California - Berkeley Campus	USD 26,544	27
Carnegie Mellon University	USD 42,000	52
University of Massachusetts Amherst	USD 30,572	253
The University of Illinois at Chicago	USD 30,394	317
Northeastern University	USD 54,976	388
Illinois Institute of Technology	USD 49.002	443
Southern California Institute of Architecture	USD 39,162	-

Masters of Design in USA Popular Specializations

Students, who wish to pursue Masters of Design (MDes) in USA, can choose from a wide range of specializations depending on their interests and intended career path. Some of the specializations are provided in the table below:

Product Design	Communications Design	Graphic Design
Sustainable Urban Environment	Integrated Product Design	Digital Marketing and Prototyping
Merchandising	Environments	Design Process and Design Project

Masters of Design in USA Cost

The cost of pursuing Masters of Design in USA will include application fee, visa fee, travel expenses, tuition fee, living costs, and other miscellaneous costs. The living costs will depend on the lifestyle and location of the student. An estimate of 1st year tuition fee and 1-year living cost has been provided below:

• Average Tuition Fee (1st Year) based on an average of 9 universities is INR 37 Lakhs
• Average Living Cost for 1 year stands at INR 8.79 Lakhs

(Source: studyabroad.shiksha.com)

Masters of Design in USA Student Visa

There are three types of student visa in the US: F-1 Visa, M-1 Visa, and J-1 Visa. In order to attend a college or university, students require F Category Visa. F Visa can be issued up to 120 days before the start of your academic program. Students must note that they cannot enter the US more than 30 days before the start date of their course. The expiration date of your program will be listed in the I-20 form provided by your university. The application fee for the US study visa is $160.

Masters of Design in USA Eligibility Criteria

Students who plan on pursuing Masters of Design in USA have to fulfill certain basic requirements. Some of the requirements are given below:

• X and XII Formal Schooling
• Graduation
• GRE scores
• English-language Proficiency Test Scores of TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE
• Resume
• Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose

Work Permit after Masters of Design in USA

Post-Study Work Permit is one of the most important factors for students who have pursued their higher education from the US. F-1 Visa holders can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) after completing their studies. OPT allows a student to work and stay back for 1-year after the completion of his/her degree. STEM graduates can request for 24 months of additional work in their related field. For STEM OPT extension, an F-1 Visa holder must hold a degree in an eligible stem field from a SEVP-certified school that has been accredited at the time the student submits his/her STEM OPT extension application.

Masters of Design in USA Scholarships

Students who wish to pursue Masters of Design in USA can apply for various scholarships. Some of the scholarships are mentioned below:

• K.C. Mahindra Scholarships For Post-Graduate Studies Abroad: Maximum scholarship amount per student is INR 800,000
• Harvey Fellowship: Maximum scholarship amount per student is USD 16,000
• Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships
• Jared J. Davis Grant: Maximum scholarship amount per student is USD 1,000
• GyanDhan Scholarship: Maximum scholarship amount per student is INR 100,000

Masters of Design in USA Job and Salaries

Students who hold Masters of Design degree can be placed in various profiles such as UX Designer, Product Designer, Interaction Designer, Design Researcher, Agile Systems Design Engineer, etc. Some of the job profiles and their corresponding salaries are given below in the table. The data has been sourced from Payscale:

Job Profile	Average Annual Salary
Industrial Designer	$68,575
UX Designer	$81,657
Design Engineer	$69,544
Product Designer	$71,035
Creative Director	$95,061

Masters of Design in USA Top Recruiters

Some of the top recruiters that hire students from Masters of Design background are: Apple, Computer Enterprises Inc., Fannie Mae, Google, Inc., Idea Couture, KPMG Innovation Lab, LadyMarry, LinkedIn, M*Modal, McKinsey & Company, MITRE, Salesforce, SAP, The Artificial, etc.

Akanksha Malhotra11-30-2025 12:03