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Northwestern University

Segal Design Certificate

Solve real design problems for real people.

Segal Design Certificate

The Segal Design Certificate is a set of courses and projects that build design knowledge and skills. The certificate program is available to any undergraduate at Northwestern interested in gaining a competitive edge in their professional career. 

Why Pursue a Design Certificate?

Certificate students work in team-based, transdisciplinary settings that challenge them to apply design thinking skills to a diverse set of real problems and people. Each student also leaves the program with a design portfolio of work — a valuable and practical tool for showing work to potential employers and project partners.

Projects

Certificate students work on projects that expose them to key components of the design process, including concept ideation and sketching, research and data visualization, problem framing and prototyping, and communication to diverse audiences. In two-quarter capstone courses, students extend their learning and dive even deeper into their projects.  
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Portfolios

All certificate students develop personal portfolios that demonstrate effective use of the design process, prototypes, software and analytical tools, and visual communication of their work. 
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Who Should Enroll?

Any Northwestern undergraduate interested in augmenting their education with a strong understanding of innovative design processes can pursue the Segal Design Certificate. 

Curriculum & Requirements

Students must also be enrolled in a Northwestern bachelor's degree program to receive the certificate. Certificate students must take one prerequisite, three approved electives, one required design sequence, and the required design portfolio course.  

See curriculum and requirements

Advising

The certificate is highly customizable, and we advise students on an individual basis. Advising is by appointment. Students within McCormick should contact Stacy Benjamin. Students outside McCormick should contact John Anderson.

How to Enroll

During their sophomore or junior year, interested students can use the McCormick Advising System (MAS) to declare the Segal Design Certificate. Any Northwestern student can log in to MAS with their NetID and password.

Receiving the Certificate

Progress towards the certificate is managed in MAS as part of your graduation audit. Students can monitor their progress online. Students receiving a degree outside of McCormick may still need a petition form for their degree program.

Contact Us

For more information about the Segal Design Certificate program, please email Stacy Benjamin (for students within McCormick) and email John Anderson (for students outside McCormick).

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