CONTENTS - Nova Scotia College of Art and Design

MASTER OF DESIGN
The Master of Design consists of 42 credits taken over a period of
three semesters or one calendar year. Students present their final
design research project at the end of the third semester of study.
SEMESTER 1: SUMMER
(15 CREDIT TOTAL)
Students do 15 credits of coursework. In addition, students will
begin the preliminary research for their final project.
• MDES 6200 Graduate Design Studio (6 credits)
• MDES 6030 Graduate Design Intensive (9 credits)
Students are also expected to present publicly the work done
on their Final Project.
SEMESTER TWO: FALL
(12 CREDIT TOTAL)
Students complete 12 credits of coursework.
• MDES 6600 Graduate Studio 2 (6 credits)
• MDES 6110 Graduate Design Workshop: Topic (3 credits)
• MDES 6112 Design Research Proposal (3 credits)
FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT
All students in the MDES program submit and present a Final
Project. The written component of the Final Project does not
normally exceed 50 pages. The term “Final Project” is used to
emphasize that the student’s research and theoretcial work are
grounded in and concomitant to design practice, and that design
thinking may manifest itself in visual, synthetic forms of expression.
Therefore the Final Project is an amalgam of the outputs of
practice and the written word.
FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL
Students present their Final Project proposals towards the end of
the second semster. Using visuals in PDF-format, students outline
the theoretical and practice-based underpinnings of the Final
Project. A committee comprising the Director of the program and
at least two other Design faculty members will review the proposal.
If the proposal is deemed to be insufficient, students may be
allowed to revise their proposals before the end of the semester in
which the proposal is made.
SEMESTER THREE: WINTER
(15 CREDITS)
MDES 6800 Graduate Studio 3 (6 credits)
MDES 6900 Graduate Design Thesis Exhibition / Review (9 credits)
Students’ Final Projects are completed under the aegis of MDES
6900. They are submitted before the end of the semester for review
by a committee comprising the Director of the Program and
at least two other Design faculty members.
If the Committee accepts a student’s final project, then the student
must finalize the project, e.g. bind the written component
and other documentation, etc. (Details can be found in the Master
of Design Handbook), and submit it to the University. The degree
will not be granted until this obligation is met.
APPLICATION TO DEFER SUBMISSION OF FINAL PROJECT
If a student is unable to complete the Project by the deadline, he/
she must apply in writing to the Director of the Master of Design
program for permission to defer submission to the first half
of the Summer Semester. Deadline for this application is April 15.
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FINAL PROJECT SUBMISSION
The Final Project Committee may agree to allow a student
to re-submit his/her Final Project if it is found unsatisfactory.
Resubmission will be an agreed-upon date not later than 6
months after the date of submission. Students who do not make
a final submission by the deadline will be considered withdrawn
from the program without credit (unless special circumstances are
involved).
The student submits four bound copies, in an agreed upon format,
of the Final Project to the Graduate Studies Administrative
Assistant to be distributed as follows: one to the NSCAD
University Library; one to the Design Division collection; one for
the review committee. The fourth copy is returned to the student.
When this final requirement is complete, the Director of the MDES
Program will notify the Registrar by memo of the student’s program
completion. The original signed review form will be sent to
the Registrar’s Office with this memo. A student may not graduate
until the Final Project has been accepted.
GRADING & ACADEMIC STATUS
MDes Graduate courses are graded on a Pass/Fail (P/F) system.
The minimum evaluation to earn a P (Pass) is equivalent to a
“B” grade. Undergraduate courses taken for graduate credit are
graded using the NSCAD letter-grade system, and MDes students
must earn a minimum of a B grade in all undergraduate courses in
which they register.
Students’ performance will be monitored very closely throughout
the Program. Should an MDES student’s work become unsatisfactory
(including insufficient progress), or if a student’s attendance
is irregular without sufficient reason, the Faculty and Director of
the MDES Program may require the student to withdraw from
one or more classes, or recommend academic dismissal from the
Program.
FEES & TUITION
MDes Fees
For information on MDes fees please refer to tuition fee information
given on the NSCAD website at www.nscad.ca or at the Office
of Financial Services.
MDES Activation and Time to Completion
An MDes student who does not complete her/his program degree
requirements in the 12 month residency period must apply for
an extension. If an extension is granted, an activation fee will be
charged for each Fall and/or Winter semester until the student
finishes her/his degree.
Student Loans
MDes students should consult their respective provincial student
aid office or guaranteed student loan program (US) concerning
the financial assistance available to them through student loan
channels.
MASTER OF DESIGN ADMISSION
Application Deadlines
Master of Design December 1
Only complete applications received post-marked by the above
deadlines will be considered for admission.
MDes applicants from China must apply through Can-Zhong
International Education Consulting Services Ltd. who will provide
application deadlines and procedures.
English Language Requirement
The English Language Requirement is an admissions requirement
of all NSCAD’s graduate programs.
The language of instruction at NSCAD is English. Required
courses in all Graduate Programs include small group seminars in
which discussion, reading, and writing at the graduate level are