MA Design Research, Writing and Criticism

Ready to elevate your career? The one-year master’s degree in Design Research, Writing & Criticism (a.k.a D-Crit) is designed to empower the next generation of critical thinkers through research that explores the contexts and consequences of design—perfect for those interested in charting new career paths with by-lined publications, teaching, and thought leadership.

Our graduates have gone on to hold top staff positions at publications including Metropolis, Domus, Dwell, New York Magazine, Quartz, ArchDaily, Surface, PIN-UP, and The Architect’s Newspaper; at museums and institutions like MoMA, Cooper Hewitt-National Design Museum, Vitra Design Museum, Parsons, RISD, Storefront for Art and Architecture, Public Policy Lab, The Glass House, and Chamber Gallery; at tech companies such as Google, Meta, and Squarespace; at design firms and consultancies like IDEO, SYPartners, and Ziba; at research-driven design firms, like 2x4, Steven Holl Architects, and Gensler; and have founded their own start-up consultancies and publications, such as Superscript, Original Copy, and Fazer.

The MA in Design Research, Writing and Criticism features an unparalleled core faculty including design writer and critic Karrie Jacobs; artist and designer Jon Key; architect and researcher Alicia Ajayi; Gentrification: A Memoir author Anne Elizabeth Moore; researcher Margaret Arbanas; PIN-UP co-founder Alex de Looz; author and graphic designer Steven Heller; podcast producer Leital Molad; arts writer and essayist Jennifer Kabat; New York Review of Architecture publisher Nicolas Kemper; comedy writer and columnist Eric Schwartau; writer and documentarian Adam Harrison Levy; and editor and content strategist Molly Heintz.

With numerous guest lecturers and critics visiting the department per semester—such as designer and Cyberfeminism Index author Mindy Seu, PORTO ROCHA founders Leo Porto and Felipe Rocha, TED design curator Chee Pearlman, playwright Jeremy O. Harris, documentary filmmaker John Wilson, fashion designer Mike Eckhaus, untapped editor Tiffany Jow, 2x4 Partner Susan Sellers, The New York Times senior critic Michael Kimmelman, MoMA Director of Design Rob Giampietro, 2018 Venice Architecture Biennial US curator Mimi Zeiger, technology ethnographer Tricia Wang, art critic and biographer Deborah Solomon, IDEO strategist Alex Gallafent—the program connects students to inspirational mentors and help them to forge relationships with potential employers and colleagues.

Attend an info session and receive an application fee waiver. Application deadline: January 15, 2024.

*Image above: Scenes from MA Design Research, Writing and Criticism, fall 2023. Photos by Brooke Viegut.