About
The School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD) is housed within the College of Architecture, Design and Construction (CADC) at Auburn University. 20 faculty, 5 staff and 420 students are enrolled in four degree programs and one minor made up of: Bachelor of Industrial Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design Studies, Master of Industrial Design degrees and Minor in Industrial and Graphic Design Processes.
SIGD is located within Wallace Hall, a 53,000 square foot facility built in 1983 and made up of 44,000 square feet of office / classroom / studio space, and 9,000 square feet of indoor shop fabrication space. Approximately 7,500 square of outdoor partially covered fabrication and assembly operations are located immediately adjacent to the indoor shop space.
The two units of industrial and graphic design were both founded in the Department of Art in the School of Architecture in 1945. Graphic Design was first accredited by the National Associations of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) at that time making Auburn University one of the Charter Members of NASAD. Both units were housed in the Langdon Hall Annex.
Industrial Design left the Department of Art, in the School of Architecture and the Arts then housed in Biggin Hall, in 1977 to occupy O. D. Smith Hall as a standalone department and become part of the College of Architecture. The Industrial Design program became the first to be accredited by NASAD in the Southern United States in 1993. In 1996 The School of Architecture becomes the School of Architecture, Design and Construction. In 2000 Industrial Design moved into Wallace Hall. The Graphic Design program joined the Department of Industrial Design in 2007. Soon thereafter in 2013 Industrial Design and Graphic Design became the School of Industrial and Graphic Design both housed within Wallace Hall.
Both programs, undergraduate and graduate, have achieved national recognition and ranking and remain the only degree programs of their type in Alabama. Two legacy (15+ year) study abroad programs (Ireland and Taiwan) have been managed by SIGD, in addition to limited offering programs to France and Germany are supported.
Accredited Programs
SIGD houses the only NASAD accredited Industrial and Graphic Design BFA programs within the state of Alabama. Our award-winning faculty are highly motivated and collaborate regularly with industry and other partners to bring real-world projects into the classroom.
Industry Collaborations
Collaboration is an important part of the student experience. We have had over 25 years of success with more than 50 industry and external collaborators including: 3M, IBM, Frigidaire, NASA, US Department of Energy, Emerson, and EASTMAN.
Highly-Ranked Programs
Auburn Industrial Design Graduate and Undergraduate programs are consistently ranked within the top 10 nationally. Three Industrial Design faculty members have been ranked as the “Top 25 Architecture and Design Educators Nationwide” by DesignIntelligence.
Equipment and Facilities
Classrooms, studios, and workshop space with state-of-the-art equipment to best prepare students for careers in the design industry.