The changing market, global realities, distributed networks, and rate of change of technological innovation has affected the practice of architecture. Designers are turning to the manufacturing sector to provide custom made solutions for the built world. As a result, collaboration with industry is happening earlier in the design process and teams of diverse expertise are assembled to accomplish the total design through production process. Digital information lies at the center of these collaborative exchanges. As such, skills with coordinating the complex management of digital information are necessary.

The 12 credit-hour Certificate Program in Digital Design and Fabrication is designed to prepare students to develop a skill set with digital information, while at the same time directly engage industry partners in an open and collaborative environment. A combination of on-campus, off-campus, and long-distance/online course modules are geared toward professionals and non-traditional students.

This graduate certificate course framework allows for credits to apply to a 30 credit-hour Master of Architecture II degree (post-professional). The Certificate framework is flexible to allow students to customize their M.Arch II course of study to specialize in Digital Design and Fabrication and related topics. Course credits may also be applicable as electives requirements for Ball State’s MArch Professional program, and MS in Historic Preservation.

Aligned with Ball State’s Department of Architecture and i.M.A.D.E (the Institute for Digital Fabrication), this Certificate and graduate course work is inherently interdisciplinary and is targeted at design professionals, fabricators, and manufacturers. The bundle of courses is intended to introduce students to the interconnections between disciplines through the management of digital information, reinforcing the total design through production process. The Degree will offer a strategic advantage to professional designers and fabricators and is aligned with regional industry partnerships. By working in collaboration with industry partners on applied research projects, students gain practical real world expertise that transcends the classroom.

i.M.A.D.E has already worked with the following institutional, design, industry partners and sponsors:
• The Indianapolis Museum of Art
• The Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture
• The Indianapolis Arts Center
• CASE Design, New York
• Philip Beesley Architect, Toronto
• A2SO4, Indianapolis
• SHoP, New York
• A. Zahner Metals, Kansas City
• Arrowhead Plastics Engineering (Plastics + Fiberglass Fabrication)
• David R Webb (Hardwood Veneer Supply)
• MidWest Metals (Metal Fabrication)
• Indiana Limestone Fabricators (CNC Limestone Fabrication)
• Frank Miller Lumber (Hardwood Supply)
• Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association
• Indiana Limestone Institute of America

Other Digital Design and Fabrication offerings are currently being developed.
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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a “certificate”?

A graduate certificate is not defined as a degree by Ball State’s Graduate School; rather, it is a focused collection of courses (12 credit-hours) that, when completed, affords the student some record of coherent academic accomplishment in the focused topics of Digital Design + Fabrication. A certificate caters to those who wish to “reboot” their design skill sets without undertaking a full 30 credit-hour Master’s degree. Students receive a printed certificate acknowledging successful completion of the certificate. The student’s official transcript will also indicate successful completion of the program. Students must achieve at least a 3.0 GPA in the program, and no course with a grade below a 2.0 can be counted toward the certificate.

2. Do I have to enroll as a full-time student for the Certificate in Digital Design + Fabrication?

No, students may be enrolled full or part-time in a certificate program. The Program affords much flexibility for those with busy schedules or working full-time.

3. What if I choose, mid-stream, to pursue a Master’s degree at Ball State?

This is not a problem; students may apply credit from certificate programs to a Master’s degree at Ball State (pending admission into a graduate degree program).

4. Are Graduate Assistantships available if I pursue a Certificate in Digital Design + Fabrication?

No, unfortunately it is Ball State’s policy that graduate students enrolled only in a certificate program may not hold a Graduate Assistantship.

5. What is the course framework for the Certificate program?

The Certificate program consists of 9 core credits:

ARCH581 – Digital Design/Fabrication Foundations 1 (3 credit hours):
Foundations course introducing surface modeling and design methods and tools for CNC fabrication. Initiates a basic understanding of surface geometry, construction history, fabrication strategies, and data extraction/translation through a series of hands-on, iterative modeling and digital fabrication exercises.

ARCH593 – Digital Design/Fabrication Applications Seminar (3 credit hours):
Design to fabrication seminar focusing students on collaborative immersive projects and discussing theoretical digital technology issues. Students work in teams with faculty, industry partners, and material suppliers to develop applied research problems from inception to full-scale prototype through digital design and fabrication techniques.

ARCH594–Immersive Practicum Studio (3 credit hours):
Self-directed, entrepreneurial, creative projects performed under the guidance of faculty advisors and in collaboration with industry partners. Students are responsible for developing original ideas, products, and systems into commodities with potential value for product spin-off or business incubation.

Additionally, the last 3 credits are from successfully completing one of the electives listed below:

ARCH582 – Digital Design/Fabrication Foundations II (3 credit hours):
Foundations course introducing advanced computational design and analysis tools. Topics and skills covered include time-based modeling, scripting, parametric and informational modeling, and computational performance simulation. Skills are developed through a series of case studies and human-scale design, optimization, and fabrication projects.

ITMFG568 — Inquiries into 3D Prototyping (3 credit hours):
Introduction to an inquiry-based, iterative approach to 3 dimensional laser scanning, rapid prototyping technologies, laser machining, and CNC machining; students use R&D methods to produce and refine digital 3d product designs and manufacture prototypes.

ITEDU697 – Problems in Technology Education (3 credit hours):
Independent study in advanced industrial or professional techniques.

6. How do I apply to the Certificate in Digital Design + Fabrication program?

The application process and requirements are the same as any graduate degree. These steps are outlined here:

http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/CAP/Programs/Architecture/Programs/Masters/Apply/MArchIIChecklist.aspx

Applicants pursuing only a certificate will be admitted as non-degree students. Students who complete a certificate, however, can apply these hours to a degree-granting program upon receiving department approval.