The Consumer and Design Sciences M.S. and Ph.D. programs are guided by a multidisciplinary Science of Design approach to studying topics that reflect real world trends and issues and to address needs for new knowledge and solutions to problems. We are proud of our faculty, students, and alumni, and to be part of one of the foremost research programs in the nation at an R1 land-grant institution. Our graduate students come from across the nation and around the world. Our graduates have gone on to build strong careers in design, product development, production, merchandising, consumer research, and university teaching and research. Close working relationships with an assortment of businesses are a regular practice of the Department of Consumer and Design Sciences.

CADS AREAS OF STUDY
The M.S. in Consumer and Design Sciences holds as a core concept that design environments and markets today are consumer and client driven. Students can choose between thesis and non-thesis options. In the Consumer and Retailing Sciences and Apparel Merchandising area, the M.S. program enables students to concentrate in diverse directions, such as consumer psychology and decision-making, retailing, technological applications to retailing, marketing, branding, apparel merchandising/business management, and sustainable consumption behavior. In the Apparel Product Development area, the M.S. program may concentrate in directions such as creative design, functional design, technological applications to apparel product development, and sustainability and social responsibility in apparel production and sourcing. In the Interior Design area, M.S. students study in the area of the built environment and can focus on specialties such as healthcare, hospitality, residential, and commercial design, and with an eye to sustainable practices and creativity. Our undergraduate Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and is ranked among the top ten programs in the country. Students complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate level coursework.

The Ph.D. in Consumer and Design Sciences focuses on the integration of theoretical understanding, existing knowledge, and real-world trends for application in a rapidly changing global environment. In the doctoral program, students pursue new knowledge and applications to problems in their specialized area in diverse directions, such as the directions mentioned above for the M.S. programs in the Consumer and Retailing Sciences and Apparel Merchandising, Apparel Product Development, and Interior Design areas. The objectives of the Ph.D. degree are to provide students with the opportunity and skills to develop a strong research program and educate them to think creatively about developing new knowledge and approaches to problems. Graduates will be prepared to become professionals in the generation, application, and dissemination of knowledge in their field. Students complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate level coursework. At least 30 hours of graded graduate level coursework is required, among which at least 18 hours should be completed while registered in the Ph.D. program at Auburn. Course hours earned for a master’s degree may be applied towards the doctoral requirements with approval of the student’s advisory committee and the Graduate School. Students choose a specialization path and complete a dissertation (up to 10 credit hours), focusing on a research problem requiring the generation of new knowledge. Students must pass a General Written and Oral Examination after completion of the coursework and prior to beginning the dissertation research. A final oral defense of the dissertation is required to complete the degree.

Please click on the respective link to find more information about the faculty in the Department of Consumer and Design Sciences (CADS) and the CADS graduate program.

All students admitted to our graduate program will be initially under the supervision of the Graduate Program Officer (GPO) ( Dr. Wi-Suk Kwon ) and then identify their major professor within their first year in the program.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
Applicants who are accepted into either the M.S. or Ph.D. program are automatically considered for Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantships. No separate form is needed to apply for graduate assistantships, and there is no need to contact individual faculty members to request an assistantship opportunity. Recommendations on assistantships are made through reviews by the Graduate Committee of CADS graduate faculty members. Whether or not an applicant can receive an assistantship and the level and type of the assistantship to be received, if any, will be notified to the applicant by the Department Head after the applicant is informed of their admission to our graduate program.

Students who receive assistantships support the teaching or research effort of faculty through working approximately between 10 hours per week (25% appointment) to 20 hours per week (50% appointment). In addition to providing a stipend, assistantships also carry two levels of tuition benefits. All assistantships waive the out-of-state tuition rate. A 33-50% assistantship completely waives the in-state tuition; a 25% assistantship waives one-half of the in-state tuition. The numbers of assistantship openings vary each year. Assistantship appointments are dependent on the Department’s financial resources, the number of graduate students, and the match between a graduate student’s background and the Department’s teaching and research needs.

Applicants to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs must submit the following to the Auburn University Graduate School:

1. Graduate School Application Form
   
2. Application Fee ($60 - domestic students; $70 - international students)
   
3. One official transcript from each college and university attended (if international, transcripts must include original language and English versions)
   
4. An official report of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores– including Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing scores. Please note that GRE score report submission is required for admission to CADS graduate programs, and no exceptions will be given to this requirement. Though GRE scores are not a sole criterion for admission decisions, please be advised on the following minimum GRE score guidelines:
     • For M.S. applicants: Verbal ≥ 138; Quantitative ≥ 144; Writing ≥ 3.0
     • For Ph.D. applicants: Verbal ≥146; Quantitative ≥148; Writing ≥ 3.5
   
   
5. For international applicants, an official TOEFL or IELTS score report. This requirement is waived if the applicant has a completed bachelor’s or master’s degree from a university in the United States. Please note the following minimum score requirements by the Auburn University Graduate School:
     • 79 iBT TOEFL total and at least 16 on each component (i.e., Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing)
     • 6.5 IELTS
   
   

Please review carefully the important and useful information provided at the following links before preparing the above required materials to be submitted to the Graduate School:

  • Test Requirements for Auburn University Graduate School Admission
  • Admission FAQs
  • Graduate School Application Instructions and Info

Also, please make sure to submit your Graduate School application BEFORE you send the transcripts, GRE and/or TOFEL/IELTS scores to the Graduate School. This is needed to ensure that these documents get directly linked to your submitted application when they are received by the Graduate School.

In addition to what is listed above, applicants also must upload the following Departmental Requirements via the Graduate School Application Form.

1. Letter of Intent (i.e., describing your academic and work background, career goals, reasons for pursuing the degree selected, and reasons for choosing to apply to the Auburn University Consumer and Design Sciences program). See instructions and tips for writing a letter of intent.
   
2. Resume or Vitae (upload to the application site)
   
3. Three recommendations (Recommendation form and option to attach a recommendation letter content is available through the Slate system used to submit your application; recommenders must directly enter their recommendations.)
   
   

In addition to the required application materials above, applicants are also encouraged to email the following optional but strongly recommended materials directly to the CADS Graduate Program Officer (GPO) (Dr. Wi-Suk Kwon ) to further strengthen your application:

1. ePortfolio: Students from a design background are encouraged to provide (via email) a link to their ePortfolio website or the electronic file (e.g., PDF) of their digital portfolio.
   
2. Academic writing samples (e.g., English written thesis, conference proceeding paper, journal article, final research paper from courses you have taken): Academic writing sample(s) should be your own work. If you are submitting the writing sample that you wrote with other co-authors, your writing should account for at least 50% of the work (highlight the parts written by you in the writing sample file).
   
   

 

APPLICATION TIMELINE

We have rolling admissions throughout the year, which means we accept applications at any time during the year. However, to be considered for Graduate Assistantships, we recommend that you apply as early as possible because there are limited assistantships, which will be assigned to competitive applicants on a first-come-first-served basis.

Fall admissions: To be considered in the first round of Fall application review by the CADS Departmental Graduate Committee, please complete your application, including all required materials and any optional materials, by January 5^th for Ph.D. applicants and by January 15th for M.S. applicants. Applications submitted later than these first-round deadlines will be reviewed at a later round, which is scheduled on a need basis.

Spring admissions: The availability of spring admissions varies every year depending on the funding availability and the number of students. Please contact the CADS GPO ( Dr. Wi-Suk Kwon ) for inquiries on the availability and application deadline for Spring admissions.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact:

Dr. Wi-Suk Kwon
The CADS Graduate Program Officer
kwonwis@auburn.edu
334-844-4011