Master of Design (MDes)
4.6 /5
- Public University
Department of Environmental Design
Talk to ExpertMaster of Design (MDes) at UC Berkeley Overview
Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley
University of California - Berkeley Campus has been pioneering Master of Design (MDes) at PG level. The program has a duration of 16 months. This particular course is directed towards individuals who seek a higher level of the educational cycle. The program is considered one of the best in the country, which is responsible for the program's excellent quality and honouring. For the course, applicants must satisfy evaluation based on eligibility criteria among which entrance scores obtained in tests such as IELTS and TOEFL are imperative for attaining admission. The University of California - Berkeley Campus tuition fee for the first year to pursue this course is USD 55,296. Added should be living expenditures, rent, hostel fees, boards, books and supplies, utilities, or any other expense for the course. This complete budgeting plan ensures that the students go through their college life hassle-free.
Duration | 16 months Get Curriculum |
Tuition & Fees | ₹56.37 Lakh Get Fees details |
International Students Admission Website | Go to Website  |
Official Career Service Website | Go to Website |
Course Level | PG Degree |
Master of Design (MDes)
Table of content
Master of Design (MDes) at UC Berkeley Fees
Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley
For enrolling at the University of California - Berkeley Campus, for Master of Design (MDes), students must pay the tuition and living cost. Moreover, the University of California - Berkeley Campus Master of Design (MDes) fee structure can vary from domestic to international students.
International students must pay the USD 55,296 for the first year. Along with this, they must be ready for other costs of living such housing, food, transportation, books and supplies, and other miscellaneous expenses. The average University of California - Berkeley Campus cost of living for international students is USD 22,040. Check out University of California - Berkeley Campus Master of Design (MDes) on the fee breakup, from the table mentioned below.
1st year tuition fees | Fees components | Amount (for 1 year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | INR 56,37,106 |
Other expenses in 1st Year | Fees components | Amount (for 1 year) |
|---|---|
| Hostel & Meals | INR 19,17,455 |
| Insurance | INR 5,71,599 |
Calculated at the exchange rate of 1 USD = INR 88.73 | Tuition & expenses were last updated on 23ʳᵈ September 2025Master of Design (MDes) at UC Berkeley Curriculum
Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley
Students can download the PDF for getting access to the university's curriculum by clicking on the green symbol below. This PDF contains all of the aspects about Master of Design (MDes) course offered by University of California - Berkeley Campus, including the subjects taught, program credits, electives, and the semester-by-semester course structure. Get it now!
Download exam sample paper
TOEFL
TOEFL
PTE
IELTS
Duolingo
Master of Design (MDes) at UC Berkeley Entry Requirements
Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley
Requirements for 12th grade
- No specific cutoff mentioned
Graduation
- CGPA - 3/4
- Read less
- Applicant must hold :
- A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution
- A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and
- Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.
- All applicants must have requisite technical preparation, for example a technical degree, coursework, and/or certificate, or equivalent professional experience, because MDes students are expected to be capable of independently learning new software tools and programming languages, and to quickly deploy these tools and skills in courses and projects
- Applicants without clear technical preparation from their academic or professional background should, at a minimum, develop intermediate programming experience prior to the start of the program, and have sufficient knowledge of some technical subject area
- Applicant must hold :
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GPA
Percentage
CGPA
Out of 10
TOEFL
- Marks - 90/120
-
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-
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Convert your CGPA to GPA
Calculate your score and check your eligibility at over 2000+ universities.
GPA
Percentage
CGPA
Out of 10
PTE
- No specific cutoff mentioned
IELTS
- No specific cutoff mentioned
- Read less
- an IELTS Band score of at least 7 on a 9-point scale
- Get a Full FREE IELTS Prep Course with Shiksha Study Abroad – Limited Seats for Weekend & Weekday Batches! Register now for IELTS
Duolingo
- No specific cutoff mentioned
Other eligibility criteria
- MDes applicants must submit a portfolio that demonstrates their creative and technical proficiency.
-
A strong portfolio will:
- Describe a limited selection of projects in depth, rather than account for a large breadth of projects superficially. We suggest curating a selection of 3–5 of your most compelling projects.
- Showcase your technical skills, disciplinary strengths, and clearly communicate your experience and perspective.
- Demonstrate your interest and ability to move beyond your “home” discipline (i.e., if you are a mechanical engineer, do you have any projects showing your exploration of other engineering fields, design fields, and/or a synthesis of your skills from different disciplines?).
- Include both images and supporting text.
- Portfolios should be a maximum of 20 pages in length (inclusive of title page) and 20MB in size. Portfolios that are submitted in excess of this page and/or size limit will not be reviewed by the admissions committee.
- While the PDF portfolio will be viewed as the primary document, you may optionally include up to two minutes of supplementary time-based media (audio/video). See the Audio/Visual Uploads section of the page for more detail.
- Any URLs or links to outside materials, whether within your portfolio or elsewhere in your application, may not be reviewed.
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Master of Design (MDes) at UC Berkeley Rankings
Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley
University Ranking
| Rank | Rank Publisher |
|---|---|
| #17 | |
| #5 | |
| #6 |
University of California - Berkeley CampusStudents Ratings & Reviews
4.6/5
4 Verified ReviewsStudent Views (Based on Reviews)
- 50% students never faced discrimination in this university
Vibe of Campus
Liberal
Stressful
Academically oriented
Multi-dimensional
Internships4.5
Part time work4.3
Post study jobs5
Quality of faculty4.5
Student Life5
Value for money4.3
Public transportation4.8
Safety4.3
Indian Food4.8
Permanent Immigration4.3
A
Anonymous
Bachelor of Arts- Computer Science - Batch of 2025
Offered by University of California - Berkeley Campus
4.4
The University is collaborative and impactful. Plenty of opportunities to explore.
Tips: Before you fully commit to this university, make sure you have a word with a student representative or a former alumni who can give you a clear idea of what to expect on campus. Get an idea of what the university stands for, its history and what your inclination is towards.
Dislikes (Permanent Immigration): The USA is easily one of the most accepting and multifaceted arenas open to people from all ethnicities, races and backgrounds especially if you're starting your life like me. If given the chance, I would certainly immigrate here especially in California.
Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 5650
Prepping time for classes35 hours/Week
Expected Annual SalaryUSD 107575
(1) 1 person found this helpfulI
Ishan Pathak
Master of Financial Engineering - Batch of 2025
Offered by University of California - Berkeley Campus
4
Good career opportunities.
Tips: 1. Learn cooking, and try to be efficient in cooking as possible. This helps save lots of time
2. Take lots of layered clothing options, to make sure you don't catch cold
3. The MFE course in particular is intensive. Start your interview prep for placements/internships as early as possible before coming.
Likes (Internships): The course has wide range of career options ranging from technology to quantitative research in funds. The career path this program prepares for is quite varied, ranging from Data Science, Teaching to core-finance (which is its USP).
Available internships are relevant.
Dislikes (Value for money): The MFE course in particular is expensive. The internships and placements are good but obviously, it comes at a cost. The college infrastructure is quite good though. The faculty is good overall, but MFE being a fast-paced course, they breeze through the course material quite fast.
Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1925
Prepping time for classes35 hours/Week
Expected Annual SalaryUSD 150000
(1) 1 person found this helpfulA
Anonymous
Master of Science in Computer Science - Batch of 2020
Offered by University of California - Berkeley Campus
4.8
UC Berkeley: A Crowned Institution in United States.
Tips: Trust me, the university is more competitive than it seems. Students should be prepared to put in a lot of effort. At first glance, the university may appear overwhelming due to its vast size and atmosphere. However, students must take this as an opportunity and learn with their fellow. Also, this is an opportunity to build strong meaningful relationships with your fellow. As in top institutions, like UC Berkeley, apart from academics most of the students come to build these relationships only. I can recall how many good relationships I have built over my time at UC and I am still benefitting from them day-in and out. Students must enrol for a scholarship as the cost of living near the university is relatively high. If you are unable to get a scholarship try to find a good part-time job. About the country well US is US just be good around here don't go to shady areas. Some of the areas have high crime rates and shootings are a common sight. The country will treat you well if you do well.
Likes (Quality of faculty): University of California Berkeley is renowned for its academic excellence and this isn't something to talk about, Come on! Everyone knows it before coming here. The professors are highly knowledgeable and experienced. The professors are very helpful and have unique teaching patterns. It's more of an interaction than teaching and I believe that this is the best method of teaching. However, not every professor at UC Berkeley is exceptional, this needs to be said! At first, I thought enrolling myself at UC Berkeley would be very stressful; nevertheless, the professors do help at every stage to keep the classes interesting and engaging for the students.
Dislikes (Part time work): As I have pursued MS in Computer Science, it is a bit difficult to get a part-time job. The competition is fierce and so is the demand. Due to the high cost of living every other student wants to land on a good part-time job opportunity, therefore making it extremely competitive. However, with the assistance of one of my professors, I was able to land a part-time job. It is difficult to get a part-time job or internship in your field as the competition increases every year. So, start to visualize according. Don't expect that the university will spoon-feed you every single time. Some myths need to be busted!
Total Monthly ExpenseUSD 1225
Prepping time for classes17 hours/Week
Expected Annual SalaryUSD 40275
(2) 2 people found this helpfulY
Yuvaraj Tankala
Bachelor of Arts- Computer Science - Batch of 2022
Offered by University of California - Berkeley Campus
5
Amazing experience at University of California
Tips: First and foremost, students should find an accommodation near to the campus and knowing English is better so that you can communicate with everyone. Try to learn some technology or gain some experience in coding so that you can tutor or do part-time work as a frontend or backend Engineer.
Likes (Value for money): We had global exposure with peers coming from all over the world, different cultures and habits. Also, everyone was super helpful and many students ran organizations which were helpful to upscale ourselves. Many extra curricular activities were organized.
Dislikes (Indian Food): When I was working on a project, my professor was helpful and she also connected me with other professionals on the topic I was working on. She also explained personal branding like LinkedIn's do's and don'ts. She was kind and used to give her office hours for our benefit.
Reviewed on 8 Jun 2022Read more
(3) 3 people found this helpfulView All 4 Reviews
Master of Design (MDes) at UC Berkeley Highlights
Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley
- Master of Design (MDes) is offered by Department of Environmental Design under University of California - Berkeley Campus, USA.
This a Masters level program of a course duration of 1.5 Years.
Download the brochure to read more details of this course.
Master of Design (MDes) at UC Berkeley Scholarships
Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley
Scholarship information is not available. You can apply to non-college specific scholarships available for
USA.
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Loveleen is a seasoned content writer with 4+ years of experience, currently writing for Shiksha. When he is not writing and helping students, he can be found at the movies, reading fiction, and learning a new language.
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Master of Design (MDes)
at UC Berkeley