From Prototype to Profession
UW-Stout's Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Industrial & Product Design program blends creativity with practical skills in a hands-on learning environment. Here, you will take your original ideas from the drawing board to the real world, utilizing cutting-edge technology and methods. Our focus on applied learning means you'll be creating designs that meet the needs of today's industries, with the guidance of expert faculty and through collaborations with industry partners preparing you for a successful career in design.
$56K Average Starting Salary of UW-Stout Industrial & Product Design Graduates
Career-Defining Curriculum
Our curriculum provides a foundational and advanced understanding of industrial and product design, seamlessly integrating theory with hands-on practice. Graduates are equipped with critical design skills and technical knowledge, preparing them to meet the demands of the industry and excel in their careers.
Program Overview
UW-Stout's B.F.A. in Industrial & Product Design program, emphasizing a balance of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience. Our curriculum is designed to develop innovative designers ready to impact the future of products and systems, blending creative skills with practical application in the industrial design field.
- Innovate with Purpose: Learn concept development to transform your creative ideas into practical, market-ready designs.
- Beauty Meets Function: Delve into aesthetics and form, where artistic vision meets user-centric design, creating visually appealing and functionally superior products.
- Human-Centered Design: Master ergonomics to design products prioritizing user experience, comfort, and accessibility.
- Visualize Success: Harness the power of advanced 2D and 3D visualization tools, bringing your design concepts to life with precision and clarity.
- From Sketch to Shelf: Acquire essential skills in design for manufacturing, ensuring your ideas are not just innovative but also producible and marketable.
Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Industrial & Product Design.
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UW-Stout's School of Art & Design is accredited by the National Association for Schools of Art and Design.
Faculty at the Forefront of Innovation
Forget TA-taught classes and 200-person lectures. At UW-Stout, building close relationships with our industry-experienced and academically accomplished industrial and product design faculty will play a key role in your polytechnic education and your career. Learn more about your future instructors!
Do More in Our Studios & Labs
Professional Internships in Industrial & Product Design
Take your education into industry and earn while you learn through UW-Stout’s award-winning Cooperative Education & Internship Program (CEIP) and other placements. Unlike traditional internships, our professional paid and unpaid credit-earning experiences connect you with leaders in your field, including national brands and specialty manufacturers, to ensure you’re set up for success long before you graduate. More than a third of Stout students accept positions after graduation with their internship employer.
Recent Internship Employers
- Astrophyte LLC
- Green Power Company
- Milwaukee Tool
- National Presto Industries, Inc.
- nVent
- Prent Corporation
- Realityworks
- Tivoli Too Inc.
Select Internship Positions
- Design Intern
- Industrial Design Intern/Industrial Designer
- Package Design Intern/Package Design Engineer
- Research & Development Assistant
- Sculpting/Fabrication Apprentice
Portfolio of Student Work
Gain experience working on real-world projects with a unique combination of art and technology. Student innovations, showcased in this gallery, reflect the interdisciplinary approach and technical proficiency fostered by our program.
Graduate Ready to Design Tomorrow's Products
Our graduates emerge as well-rounded professionals, with a portfolio that spans an impressive range of industries—from medical devices to consumer electronics and from footwear to transportation. Our graduates are not just ready for the current market but are also equipped to lead and innovate in the ever-evolving field of product design, benefiting users and manufacturers alike.
Select Recent Employers
- Ashley Furniture Industries
- CSI Creative
- Delve
- Flexsteel Industries, Inc.
- Mastercraft Boats
- Milwaukee Tool
- National Presto Industries, Inc.
- Oshkosh Corporation
- Procter & Gamble (P&G)
- Realityworks
- Red Wing Shoe Company
- The Toro Company
- Tivoli Too Inc.
- ZeroAvia
Positions
- Industrial Design
- Product Designer
- Bicycle Designer
- Medical Device Designer
- Footwear Designer
- Technical Designer
- Toy Designer
- Design Drafter
- Color, Material, and Finish Designer
- Architectural Color Designer
- Creative Designer
- Product Developer
- Exhibit Designer
Employers
- 3M
- Andersen Windows
- Ashley Furniture
- Asics
- Black Diamond Equipment
- Brooks-Stevens
- Colony Brands
- Croc
- CSI Creative
- Fisher-Price
- Garmin
- Harley-Davidson
- Hasbro
- Hoka
- KitchenAid
- Kohler
- Logitech
- Masterlock
- Michael’s Crafts
- Milwaukee Tool
- Nike
- NordicWare
- OshKosh Corporation
- Polaris
- Primordial Soup
- Presto Industries
- RedWing Shoes
- Room & Board
- Sherwin-Williams
- Spectrum Brands
- Target
- Trek Bicycles
Related Annual Events
- Understand the collaborative, multidisciplinary nature of design through exposure to faculty and students from multiple design disciplines.
- Define, understand, and identify the elements and principles of art and design and apply them to a variety of design solutions.
- Understand, analyze, and integrate the history of art and design within a cultural and aesthetic context.
- Communicate successfully using various means including speaking, writing, and visual communication, including the discipline‐specific communication of technical information.
- Apply methods and theory and research to design solutions in relationship to various social, behavioral, psychological, and cultural factors.
- Apply concepts and issues related to safe, ethical, socially responsible design and sustainable design practice to include an understanding of safety and accessibility.
- Understand, identify, and apply universal design theory and practice, ergonomics, and user interface systems.
- Apply standards of practice for the industrial design profession including ethics, collaboration, professional development, and various business models.
New First-Year Students
All incoming first-year students admitted to a Pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts (Pre-BFA) program will begin their journey in the School of Art & Design’s First-Year Experience (FYX)—a common foundation designed to help you build the skills and portfolio needed to apply to your intended BFA major.
What is a Pre-BFA?
When you’re accepted to UW-Stout, you’re automatically placed into the Pre-BFA version of the program you chose on your application. During your first year, you’ll complete FYX courses that help you prepare for a successful portfolio review.
Two Pathways to a BFA Major
Starting with incoming first-year students for fall 2026, you have two potential pathways into your BFA major:
- Pathway 1: Submit a Portfolio Before Enrolling in Your First-Year Coursework.
Before the start of school, you may submit an independent portfolio for review. If successful, you will be approved for direct-entry into your BFA major and will not be required to apply for the major later. You will still complete the School of Art & Design’s First-Year Experience (FYX) regardless of that outcome. If your portfolio review is unsuccessful, or if you choose not to pursue this pathway, you will still enroll as a “Pre-BFA” in your chosen BFA major. Deadlines and requirements are below. Ready to apply or have questions? Email artdesign@uwstout.edu. - Pathway 2: Submit a Portfolio During or After Your First-Year Coursework.
You enroll as a “Pre-BFA” student and develop a portfolio from the School of Art & Design’s FYX to apply for formal acceptance into your BFA major. After enrolling at UW-Stout, you have two opportunities to apply for acceptance.
What do I need to get accepted into my BFA program?
Pathway 1: After Admission to UW-Stout, Submit the Following by Feb. 1 (Priority Deadline) or April 1 (Regular Decision).
- Your portfolio is the most important part of your application. It is evaluated on artistic and conceptual content, design, composition, technical skill, and creative potential. Your portfolio should contain 12 examples of your best and most recent work that showcases your technical skills and idea development. Select works that demonstrate the depth and breadth of your creative experiences and interests. Your portfolio may include works in a variety of media, including two-dimensional work, photography, three-dimensional work, design, architectural renderings, interactive media, websites, video and animation. Portfolio samples may come from formal assignments or outside of an art class.
- Submit an essay, saved as one PDF, that includes responses of 150 words or less for each of the three prompts below. Incorporate terms and concepts learned to discuss your work.
- Please tell us about your pre-college background, including your experience with making art or design, your educational experience, and influences.
- Tell us about a single project this year that has been included in the portfolio. Why did you include it? What skills did you learn from this project (technical, critical, creative/process)? Which of your strengths do you think it highlights?
- Give us a vision for your future self: What areas will you improve on? What opportunities have been revealed with your learning at Stout? Describe your career objectives.
- A $10 application fee is assessed at the time you electronically submit your portfolio.
Pathway 2: Commonly submitted during the second semester at UW-Stout.
- 2.0 or higher UW-Stout cumulative GPA and a grade of C or better for all art, art history, and design courses
- Submit an essay using the same instructions above
- Your FYX portfolio, including a maximum of 12 high-quality images representing your original artwork. Artwork should include 3-4 drawings from Drawing I and II, 3-4 items from 2D and 3D courses, and 3-4 items of your choice, with emphasis on work related to your desired major.
Transfer Students
- Transfer students are admitted as Pre-Bachelor of Fine Arts (Pre-BFA) students. Upon admission to UW-Stout, information will be provided on how to submit a portfolio and essay for review by School of Art & Design faculty, who will determine direct admissions into the BFA major of your choice on a rolling basis. If a transfer student does not submit the materials or if they are not approved for the BFA program after submission, they may apply for a change of major in subsequent semesters, depending on available openings in the program. If needed, BFA Foundations courses will be available to Pre-BFA students pending seat availability.
A $10 application fee is assessed at the time you electronically submit your portfolio.
AI Policy
We discourage the use of AI-generated content in admissions portfolios. Any AI-assisted artwork must include clear citation and explanation of why AI was chosen as a tool. UW-Stout places a high value on artistic integrity and individual voice and expects student work to be a reflection of their own ideas, expression, and skill.
Advisory Committee Members
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer | Astwood | Associate Dean; Professor; Program Director | UW-Stout |
| Devin | Berg | Professor | UW-Stout |
| Michael | Berge | Innovation Manager | Presto |
| Rachel | Dorsey | Student; President, IDSA | UW-Stout |
| Logan | Ernster ('15) | Senior Industrial Designer | P-Soup |
| Erik | Evensen | Professor; Program Director, M.F.A. Design | UW-Stout |
| Linnea | Feig | Senior Industrial Designer | Ergotron |
| Michael | Hammond ('00) | Design Manager | Trek |
| Andy | Janetski | Lecturer | UW-Stout |
| Angelena | Kraemer | Director, Design & Merchandising | Ashley Furniture |
| Michael | Leighton ('02) | Senior Design Manager | Polaris |
| Micah | Mariah | Owner | Studio MLM |
| Jeremy | Odegard | Principal Industrial Designer | Molex |
| Katie | Remaly | Motor Cycle Designer + CMF | Harley-Davidson |
| Dave | Richter-O'Connell | Associate Professor | UW-Stout |
| Sarah Eileen | Smith | Lecturer | UW-Stout |
| Caleb | Toft | Product Designer | Ashley Furniture |
| Brynn | Wildenauer | Architectural Color Designer | Sherwin Williams |
| Nick | Williams | NordicWare | NordicWare |
