The Master of Science (M.S.) degree specialization in Digital Technologies offers motivated participants the opportunity to investigate design practices and conduct independent design research in computer-aided design and advanced fabrication techniques. Project-based research provides a “testing ground” for new modes of practice and innovative uses of existing, new and emerging technologies. The program builds upon a tradition of cutting-edge technical research at Taubman College, the University of Michigan, and in the Detroit Region. University of Michigan offers unmatched excellence in digital fabrication and access to world-class lab and production facilities and regional linkages to industry.
Disciplinary Significance of Digital Technology
As architecture integrates advanced technologies from the aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding industries, it has altered both the way buildings are conceived and the manner in which they are manufactured. CAD CAM (computer aided design / computer aided manufacturing) technologies have transformed traditional professional boundaries and forced architects to reconsider their role in response to changing contractual relationships, expansion of client services, and concerns for ecological / sustainable thinking. The ability to simulate complex phenomena and synthesize large quantities of data allows designers to engage “building” with a renewed precision and specificity previously unachievable.New design opportunities and challenges arise as physical and digital media increasingly inform one another.
At Taubman College, digital technologies is situated within a robust research university and a region with sophisticated and innovative industrial production capacities that allow for unique localized industrial production and site-specific installations in service of a variety of constituencies and needs. The robust tradition of manufacturing in the U.S. and in the Midwest produces numerous resources that allow our program to participate in rethinking the approach to making buildings.
M.S. Degree Requirements
The Master of Science degree specialization is an intensive three-term program with a focus on independent design research. This degree is particularly appropriate for mid-career professionals and persons who presently hold a B.Arch. or M.Arch. professional degree in architecture (or equivalent degrees in other fields). The degree allows for interdisciplinary work with technologists, theorists, engineers, and others with deep skills in areas related to digital technologies and their practical applications. Experimental and speculative, the degree is designed to meet the need for post-professional education and research in applied technology and design process. The degree culminates with independent design research allowing students to frame problems relevant to their selected area concentration. Application deadline: March 1, 2011.
An open house is scheduled for Feb. 12. To register, click here.
