Product Design, B.S.

In addition to UK Core requirements, students in the Department of Product Design must complete the following:

• 84 credit hours of major requirements
• 6 credit hours of directed electives
• 30 core course credit hours
• 120 total credit hours standard for graduation.

UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Admission into the Major

Students must be admitted both to the University of Kentucky and by secondary application to the Department of Product Design. The Department of Product Design is a selective admissions program; all applicants are required to apply to the University of Kentucky at www.uky.edu/Admission as well as complete and submit the creative exercises found in Slideroom at www.ukcod.slideroom.com in order to be considered for admittance into the program; this secondary application to the Department of Product Design will include a series of design and writing exercises. Application must be completed and submitted by December 1, to the College of Design Department of Product Design to be considered for scholarship and early notification of admittance to the program. The deadline for Regular Decision Track is March 1.

Freshman Candidates

1. File a University application with the Office of Undergraduate Admission and the University Registrar by February 15 for fall admission in the year that the student wants to begin the program. For fall admission, applicants must register for and take the ACT or SAT on or before the December test date.
2. Apply for admission to the Department of Product Design. The Major Admission Application Form and requirements are available at: ukcod.slideroom.com.

Address correspondence to:

Admissions, College of Design 
Department of Product Design
112 Pence Hall
University of Kentucky 
Lexington, KY 40506-0041 
amy.foulkes@uky.edu

Transfer Students Without Design Credit

Transfer candidates from educational programs other than Product Design will be required to observe the same application process and deadlines as outlined for freshmen. Please note that the deadline is earlier than that for general admission of transfer students to the University.

Major Admission Selection Process

Candidates will be admitted to the major in order of priority based on demonstrated potential for academic achievement at the freshman level as indicated by high school grade-point average, ACT/SAT scores, and their response to the required secondary application. Additional consideration will be given to the student’s demonstrated participation in extracurricular, service, or work activities that show evidence for potential development of characteristics that will assist them in succeeding in the profession. Acceptance will be on a comparative and competitive basis. Notification of acceptance in the major will permit registration into the first-year studio, PRD 120, fall semester of the same year.

Transfer Students With Design Credit

Students who have university credit in design course work from another program who wish to transfer into the Department of Product Design must complete an application for admission to the major. The application process includes:

1. File a University application with the Office of Undergraduate Admission and the University Registrar. Request an official transcript of college course work to be received by University of Kentucky Admissions.
2. Submit by email to amy.foulkes@uky.edu an electronic portfolio of student work completed in the university from which they are transferring.

Address correspondence to:

Admissions, College of Design 
Department of Product Design
c/o Amy Foulkes
112 Pence Hall 
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0041 
amy.foulkes@uky.edu

Transfer Admission Selection Process

Admission into the Department of Product Design will be dependent upon the applicant’s qualifications and preparation, the indication of general overall academic success (GPA), success in the Major requirements, and probability of success in a professional program as predicted by a review of the work submitted in the portfolio of student work. Since the number of students admitted will be limited, applicants will be examined on a comparative and competitive basis. Candidates will be admitted in order of priority.

Education Abroad, Internships, Undergraduate Research

The Department of Product Design faculty encourages each student to fully engage in curricular and co-curricular activities to round out his/her design education, including opportunities to take courses abroad, through internships and shadowing experiences, and through undergraduate research projects with a faculty member mentor. All of these experiences indicate to potential employers the value of the young designer upon graduation.

Scholarships

The College of Design offers merit- and need- based scholarships to undergraduate students after their first year in the program. The process for distribution of these scholarships follows a schedule established by the College of Design. Because financial resources are limited, the Department of Product Design encourages applicants to seek other sources of funding.

Advising

Student Services staff provides academic advising to students in the Department of Product Design. In addition, Department leaders and Student Services staff conduct group advising, and Department faculty serve as mentors to ensure that students proceed through the program in a timely manner and discover pathways to professional practice.

Computer Requirements

Professional practice in the design fields relies on both hand and digital production. To facilitate digital processes, each student must possess a laptop computer meeting minimum specifications and requirements as outlined by the Department.