Course Calendar

INCLUSIVE DESIGN

Description

Inclusive Design is design that is inclusive of the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference. The focus of the Master of Design (MDes) in Inclusive Design is on building expertise in inclusive digital media and information, communication technologies (ICT) and practices. This innovative program will produce graduates with the capacity to form, lead and sustain a much-needed community of expertise on digital inclusion, which will span multiple sectors.

The MDes in Inclusive Design is a low-residency, two-year program with an executive style delivery format to accommodate the needs of working professionals and international students.

Objectives

The Master of Design in Inclusive Design has the following objectives:

To graduate professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills, creativity, resourcefulness and intellectual agility to lead and support the critically important transition to inclusive information and communication systems and practices globally.
To equip graduates to excel in a diverse and evolving new professional field in the Inclusive Design of ICT with a growing labour market in work domains, including health, education, government and other public and private sectors.
To increase the human capacity to meet legal, policy and societal commitments to accessibility, diversity and inclusion at a local, national and global level.
To produce graduates who can help to address the growing global demand for inclusively-designed digital technologies, products and services, and the challenges faced by individuals who currently face barriers to participation in society, including barriers to meaningful economic contribution and well-being.
To equip graduates with a systematic understanding of knowledge regarding inclusive design of ICT systems and processes, including relevant knowledge in a wide variety of related fields and a critical awareness of current problems and new insights.
To develop graduates with the conceptual understanding and methodological competence in inclusive design needed to create, interpret, critically evaluate and advance knowledge in the field.
To expand notions of design, development and research in disciplines involved in producing ICT systems and practices to be inclusive of the full range of human diversity.
To expand the research community and the community of practice devoted to informing and designing our IT systems for diversity and accessibility, and to fuel an economic cluster and a centre of excellence in inclusive design of ICT systems and practices.

Required Courses

Curriculum: 45 credits

Year One
Summer (2 week intensive)	INCD 6B01: Unlearning and Questioning (3)
Fall (Online)	INCD 6B02: Foundational Seminar in Inclusive Design (3) INCD 6B03: Inclusive Research Methods (3)	INCD 6C01: Inclusive Design User Experience Lab (6)
Winter ( Online)	INCD 6B04: Effecting Cultural Change (3) or Elective* INCD 6B08: Major Project Proposal(3)
Year Two
Summer (2 week intensive)	INCD 6B07: Inclusive Art, Design and Communication (3)
Fall (online)	INCD 6B06: The Difference (3)	INCD 6C02: Experiential Research Lab (6) INCD 6D01: Major Project (9)
Winter (online)	INCD 6B05: Creating Inclusive Communities Online (3) or Elective*
Year Three
Summer (Culminating Festival & Graduate Symposium - 3 day event)	Presentation of Major Project Inclusive Design career fair with thematic discussions Inclusive Design Forum and Unconference

*Alternative elective course must be approved by the Graduate Program Director.

Electives

For elective choices, students may choose from:

a) Approved graduate-level courses in other OCAD U graduate programs. Approved elective choices will be published annually in the Academic Calendar, which is available on the OCAD U website at: www.ocadu.ca/students/records_registration/course_calendar

b) A 300 or 400-level course in any discipline with the approval of the instructor and the Graduate Program Director. Students should consult the Academic Calendar for undergraduate course offerings and must complete a “Request to Enroll in an Undergraduate Course as an Elective” form and secure the appropriate permissions before they will be allowed to register. Please see “Courses and Registration” in this handbook for more information.

c) A graduate course at another university through the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student Plan (OVGS) or the Canadian University Graduate Transfer Agreement (CUGTA). Information on this process is available on the OCAD U Graduate Studies website at www.ocadu.ca/gradstudies

Students must meet with their Graduate Program Director for advising on the selection of elective courses.

Last Modified:5/15/2014 9:29:05 PM