Design Program
| Years | Master's Year 1 and Year 2 |
| Program | Research in Design |
| ECTS Credits | 120 |
| Language | French (with some courses taught in English) |
| Orientation | Research |
| Location | Palaiseau Campus |
| Course duration | 24 months, full time |
| Course start | September |
| Degree awarded | Master’s degree |
WHY ENROLL IN THIS PROGRAM?
Asset n°1
Gain solid scientific knowledge through hands-on learning
Asset n°2
Benefit from a cross-disciplinary education
Asset n°3
Discover research "on, through, and for" design, develop key industry skills, and prepare for a PhD
The Master’s Research in Design program is dedicated to research practices specific to the field of design. Grounded in a multidisciplinary approach covering all areas of design (product, spatial, service, interaction, social innovation, science-design interface, etc.), it explores the key issues, strategies, and perspectives that structure the discipline. Its goal is to train design-researchers capable of analyzing and questioning contemporary life through research and project-based practice.
The first year of the Master’s program aims to train students "by and through research" by establishing a solid foundation in the field's core tools, methods, and concepts. Centered on practical application and hands-on learning across various formats (workshops, studios, internships), the first year enables students to acquire and develop essential skills for future design-researchers: documenting, modeling, experimenting, coding, representing, and publishing.
The second year of the Master’s program advances the designer-researcher’s education by focusing on research tools and practice-based research through the development of an individual research topic. It relies on immersion within a research team and the execution of a personal project, culminating in both a written scientific paper and an exhibited creation (an object, artifact, or installation), potentially paving the way for doctoral studies (PhD).
This Master’s degree is co-accredited by Université Paris-Saclay and the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle (ENSCI - Les Ateliers), in partnership with corporations, laboratories, and cultural institutions.
Objectives
- Develop skills in practice-based design research, master its methods and concepts, and conduct and present research on academic and scientific platforms;
- Prepare for the French Agrégation d'Arts (applied arts option) and train in the pedagogical and rhetorical practices specific to the field;
- Acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of the current state of the discipline (project-based work, current trends in design, history and historiography, critical writing skills, layout design, project expression, and communication);
- Acquire general knowledge of the industrial world and design, alongside theoretical and practical expertise related to the field of industrial design;
- Implement cross-disciplinary competencies required to successfully carry out a project (project management, communication, management).
Career opportunities for graduates of this Master's program span both the public and private sectors:
- Academic careers as professors/researchers, doctoral studies (PhD) in design at any research institution, and positions as research engineers in laboratories;
- Teaching positions in design and applied arts, primarily through competitive exams for the French Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture schools, as well as teaching roles in art and design schools;
- Entrepreneurial career paths (such as founding an agency) and personal artistic/design practices;
- Executive and leadership roles in R&D within major corporations and private companies;
- Positions within public institutions;
- Positions as designer, design engineer, project manager, art director, and creative director.
Year 1
| Formes et outils : penser les techniques et les imaginaires associés | 15h 3 ECTS Français |
| Histoire(s) du design et des théories du projet | 15h 3 ECTS Français
|
| Worshop (recherche collective) - Modéliser | 40h 5 ECTS Français |
| Worshop (recherche collective) - Représenter | 40h 5 ECTS Français |
| Worshop (recherche collective) - User centered design | 48h 5 ECTS English |
| Module : Recherche documentaire | 22,5h 2 ECTS Français |
| Module : Construire un carnet de bord numérique | 15h 2 ECTS Français |
| Module : Apprendre à coder pour designer | 30h 2 ECTS Français |
| Anglais S1 | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier de projet (recherche collective) - Expérimenter | 90h 10 ECTS Français |
| Complément à l'atelier de projet : Exposer/publier la recherche | 15h 2 ECTS Français |
| Module : Cartographier la(les) recherche(s) en design | 15h 3 ECTS Français |
| Module : Archives | 18h 2 ECTS Français |
| Anglais S2 | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
Stage et rédaction du mémoire
Stage en immersion avec rapport/mémoire (12 semaines)
Obligatoire
10 ECTS
Year 2
| Revues de projet collectives (suivi des mémoires et projets de recherche) | 2h 3 ECTS Français |
| Recherche(s) en design et théorie(s) du projet associée(s) | 40h 4 ECTS Français |
| Ecriture de la recherche | 12h 3 ECTS Français |
| Introduction à l'enquête qualitative en sciences sociales | 16h 2 ECTS Français |
| Atelier in situ au Centre Pompidou : Image, Forme et Information | 16h 3 ECTS Français |
| CM - Philosophie des techniques pour le design | 20h 3 ECTS Français |
| Séminaire 1 (question transversale de recherche) : Post-petroleum Design | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier 1 : Intensif Design & cognitive sciences TELECOM | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier 2 : Studio expérimental ENSCI | 40h 3 ECTS Français |
Stage
Stage d’immersion en laboratoire : premières enquêtes
Obligatoire
3ECTS
| Encadrement individualisé : suivi des mémoires et projets de recherche | 6h 6 ECTS Français |
| Module : image et documentation | 15h 2 ECTS Français |
| Atelier rencontre de praticiens : Outils et langages de la recherche en création | 16h 3 ECTS Français |
| Séminaire 2 (question transversale de recherche) : Domestication of technology | 30h 4 ECTS Français |
| Conférences du M2R | 18h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier 3 - Design & informatics TELECOM | 30h 3 ECTS Français ou Anglais |
| Atelier 4 - Workshop recherche ENS | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
Stage
Stage de recherche
Immersion en laboratoire ≥ 2 mois
Obligatoire
6 ECTS
Admission requirements
Academic prerequisites
- Admission to Master’s Year 1:
Bachelor’s in applied arts, art and design, architecture, or other creative and design disciplines (including engineering sciences), with a demonstrated project-based practice. - Admission to Master’s Year 2:
Completion of the first year of the Master’s in Research in Design at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, or an equivalent degree obtained in France or abroad in related fields (applied arts, engineering sciences, etc.).
Language prerequisites
- French
- English
How to apply
Applications can be submitted exclusively online. You will need to provide the following documents:
- Transcript
- Two academic references (added online directly by your referees)
- CV/resume
- Statement of purpose
Fees and scholarships
Registration fees are available here
Find out more about scholarships
Please note that fees and scholarships may change for the following year.
Applications and admission dates
The Master’s Research in Design program is dedicated to research practices specific to the field of design. Grounded in a multidisciplinary approach covering all areas of design (product, spatial, service, interaction, social innovation, science-design interface, etc.), it explores the key issues, strategies, and perspectives that structure the discipline. Its goal is to train design-researchers capable of analyzing and questioning contemporary life through research and project-based practice.
The first year of the Master’s program aims to train students "by and through research" by establishing a solid foundation in the field's core tools, methods, and concepts. Centered on practical application and hands-on learning across various formats (workshops, studios, internships), the first year enables students to acquire and develop essential skills for future design-researchers: documenting, modeling, experimenting, coding, representing, and publishing.
The second year of the Master’s program advances the designer-researcher’s education by focusing on research tools and practice-based research through the development of an individual research topic. It relies on immersion within a research team and the execution of a personal project, culminating in both a written scientific paper and an exhibited creation (an object, artifact, or installation), potentially paving the way for doctoral studies (PhD).
This Master’s degree is co-accredited by Université Paris-Saclay and the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle (ENSCI - Les Ateliers), in partnership with corporations, laboratories, and cultural institutions.
Objectives
- Develop skills in practice-based design research, master its methods and concepts, and conduct and present research on academic and scientific platforms;
- Prepare for the French Agrégation d'Arts (applied arts option) and train in the pedagogical and rhetorical practices specific to the field;
- Acquire theoretical and practical knowledge of the current state of the discipline (project-based work, current trends in design, history and historiography, critical writing skills, layout design, project expression, and communication);
- Acquire general knowledge of the industrial world and design, alongside theoretical and practical expertise related to the field of industrial design;
- Implement cross-disciplinary competencies required to successfully carry out a project (project management, communication, management).
Career opportunities for graduates of this Master's program span both the public and private sectors:
- Academic careers as professors/researchers, doctoral studies (PhD) in design at any research institution, and positions as research engineers in laboratories;
- Teaching positions in design and applied arts, primarily through competitive exams for the French Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture schools, as well as teaching roles in art and design schools;
- Entrepreneurial career paths (such as founding an agency) and personal artistic/design practices;
- Executive and leadership roles in R&D within major corporations and private companies;
- Positions within public institutions;
- Positions as designer, design engineer, project manager, art director, and creative director.
Year 1
| Formes et outils : penser les techniques et les imaginaires associés | 15h 3 ECTS Français |
| Histoire(s) du design et des théories du projet | 15h 3 ECTS Français
|
| Worshop (recherche collective) - Modéliser | 40h 5 ECTS Français |
| Worshop (recherche collective) - Représenter | 40h 5 ECTS Français |
| Worshop (recherche collective) - User centered design | 48h 5 ECTS English |
| Module : Recherche documentaire | 22,5h 2 ECTS Français |
| Module : Construire un carnet de bord numérique | 15h 2 ECTS Français |
| Module : Apprendre à coder pour designer | 30h 2 ECTS Français |
| Anglais S1 | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier de projet (recherche collective) - Expérimenter | 90h 10 ECTS Français |
| Complément à l'atelier de projet : Exposer/publier la recherche | 15h 2 ECTS Français |
| Module : Cartographier la(les) recherche(s) en design | 15h 3 ECTS Français |
| Module : Archives | 18h 2 ECTS Français |
| Anglais S2 | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
Stage et rédaction du mémoire
Stage en immersion avec rapport/mémoire (12 semaines)
Obligatoire
10 ECTS
Year 2
| Revues de projet collectives (suivi des mémoires et projets de recherche) | 2h 3 ECTS Français |
| Recherche(s) en design et théorie(s) du projet associée(s) | 40h 4 ECTS Français |
| Ecriture de la recherche | 12h 3 ECTS Français |
| Introduction à l'enquête qualitative en sciences sociales | 16h 2 ECTS Français |
| Atelier in situ au Centre Pompidou : Image, Forme et Information | 16h 3 ECTS Français |
| CM - Philosophie des techniques pour le design | 20h 3 ECTS Français |
| Séminaire 1 (question transversale de recherche) : Post-petroleum Design | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier 1 : Intensif Design & cognitive sciences TELECOM | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier 2 : Studio expérimental ENSCI | 40h 3 ECTS Français |
Stage
Stage d’immersion en laboratoire : premières enquêtes
Obligatoire
3ECTS
| Encadrement individualisé : suivi des mémoires et projets de recherche | 6h 6 ECTS Français |
| Module : image et documentation | 15h 2 ECTS Français |
| Atelier rencontre de praticiens : Outils et langages de la recherche en création | 16h 3 ECTS Français |
| Séminaire 2 (question transversale de recherche) : Domestication of technology | 30h 4 ECTS Français |
| Conférences du M2R | 18h 3 ECTS Français |
| Atelier 3 - Design & informatics TELECOM | 30h 3 ECTS Français ou Anglais |
| Atelier 4 - Workshop recherche ENS | 30h 3 ECTS Français |
Stage
Stage de recherche
Immersion en laboratoire ≥ 2 mois
Obligatoire
6 ECTS
Admission requirements
Academic prerequisites
- Admission to Master’s Year 1:
Bachelor’s in applied arts, art and design, architecture, or other creative and design disciplines (including engineering sciences), with a demonstrated project-based practice. - Admission to Master’s Year 2:
Completion of the first year of the Master’s in Research in Design at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, or an equivalent degree obtained in France or abroad in related fields (applied arts, engineering sciences, etc.).
Language prerequisites
- French
- English
How to apply
Applications can be submitted exclusively online. You will need to provide the following documents:
- Transcript
- Two academic references (added online directly by your referees)
- CV/resume
- Statement of purpose
Fees and scholarships
Registration fees are available here
Find out more about scholarships
Please note that fees and scholarships may change for the following year.