Elective Courses

The MDes requires four electives:

  • One technical elective
  • One entrepreneurship or social practice elective
  • Two electives may be either additional electives from the preceding approved lists, or another 3 or 4 unit upper division or graduate level course offered at UC Berkeley

This page provides some examples of approved MDes electives. The fully comprehensive list of available electives changes based on scheduling availability and as new electives are approved; the list is updated regularly and shared with MDes students each semester.

Sample List of Approved Technical Electives

  • ARCH 246 001: Building Energy Simulations (3 units)
  • ARCH 249 003: Special Topics in the Physical Environment in Buildings: The Performance of Form (3 units)
  • ARCH 252 001: Form and Structure (3 units)
  • ARCH 259 001: Special Topics in Building Structures: Robotic Fabrication (3 units)
  • ARCH 269 001: Special Topics in Construction and Materials (3 units)
  • ARCH 269 002: Special Topics in Construction and Materials: Indoor Microbiome, Detoxification, and Artificial Intelligence and Matter (3 units)
  • ARCH 269 002: Special Topics in Construction and Materials: Plant Fibers and Design: Origins and Future (3 units)
  • ARCH 269 004: Special Topics in Construction and Materials: Drawing on Construction: Timber Frame and Mass Timber Construction (3 units)
  • ART 172 001 – STD 001:  Advanced Digital Media: Computer Graphics Studio CGI Animation Studies (4 credits)
  • ART 173 001: Electro-Crafting (4 units)
  • CEE 190-1/DES INV 190-11 Special Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering: Electric Mobility Engineering (3 units)
  • COMPSCI 161: Computer Security (4 units)
  • COMPSCI W169A: Software Engineering (3 units)
  • COMPSCI 194 035: Special Topics: Data Engineering (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 188: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (4 units)
  • COMPSCI C200A: Principles & Techniques of Data Science (4 units)
  • COMPSCI C249A: Introduction to Embedded Systems (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 260A: User Interface Design and Development (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 260B: Human-Computer Interaction Research (3 units)
  • COMPSCI 282A: Designing, Visualizing and Understanding Deep Neural Networks (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 284A: Foundations of Computer Graphics (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 287H 001: Algorithmic Human-Robot Interaction (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 289A: Introduction to Machine Learning (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 294 026: Intro to Computer Vision and Computational Photography (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 294-137:  Immersive Computing and Virtual Reality (3 units)
  • COMPSCI 294 165: Sketching Algorithms (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 294 173: Special Topics: Learning for 3D Vision (4 units)
  • CYPLAN 257  Data Science for Human Mobility and Socio-technical Systems (4 units)
  • DATASCI W207 001: Applied Machine Learning (3 units)
  • ENGIN 150: Basic Modeling and Simulation Tools for Industrial Research Applications (3 units)
  • INDENG 142 001: Introduction to Machine Learning and Data Analytics (3 units)
  • INDENG 290 005: Special Topics in Industrial Engineering and Operation Research: Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Data-X (Applied Data Science with Venture Application) (3 units)
  • INFO 253A: Front-End Web Architecture (3 units)
  • INFO 251 : Applied Machine Learning (3 units)
  • INTEGBI C 217/BIO ENG C217/MEC ENG C217: Biomimetic Engineering (3 units)
  • MAT SCI 200A: Survey of Materials Science (4 units)
  • MECENG 122: Processing of Materials in Manufacturing (3 units)
  • MECENG C201: Modeling and Simulation of Advanced Manufacturing Processes (3 units)
  • MECENG 236U: Introduction to Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (3 units)
  • MECENG 270: Advanced Augmentation of Human Dexterity (4 units)
  • MECENG 280A: Introduction to the Finite Element Method (3 units)
  • MUSIC 158A 002: Sound and Music Computing with CNMAT Technologies (4 credits)
  • MUSIC 158B 001: Situated Instrument Design for Musical Expression (4 units)
  • MUSIC 159 001: Computer Programming for Music Applications (4 credits)
  • NWMEDIA 190-2 Advanced Digital Animation (4 units)
  • NWMEDIA C203: Critical Making (4 units)
  • NWMEDIA C262/INFO C262: Theory and Practice of Tangible User Interfaces (4 units)

Sample List of Approved Entrepreneurship Electives

  • INDENG 185: 002 SEM 002 Challenge Lab: Emerging Technologies and Social Impact (4 units)
  • INDENG 185: 003 SEM 003: Challenge Lab: Product Design & Customer Needfinding: Alternative Meat (4 units)
  • INDENG 186 001 SEM 001: Product Management (3 units)
  • INDENG 190E 004 – SEM 004: Advanced Topics in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research: Entrepreneurship & Innovation Build a Startup: Real Applications of Artificial Intelligence (3 units)
  • INDENG 290 001: Special Topics in Industrial Engineering and Operation Research: Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Deplastifying the Planet (2 units)
  • INDENG 290 002: Special Topics in Industrial Engineering and Operation Research: Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Mobile-Collider for a Sheltered but Connected World (3 units)
  • INDENG 290 002: Special Topics in Industrial Engineering and Operation Research: Innovation-X: Future of Industry Startup Lab (3 units)
  • INDENG 290 003: Special Topics in Industrial Engineering and Operation Research: Building with Blockchain for Web 3.0 (3 units)
  • INDENG 290 004 LEC 004: Management of Technology Innovation (3 units)
  • MBA292T-4: Impact Startup Launchpad (3 units)

Sample List of Approved Social Practices Electives

  • ARCH 209 001: Virtual Reality: Theory and Representation (3 units)
  • ARCH 209 001: Special Topics in Architectural Design: Housing as Design Generator (3 to 4 units)
  • ARCH 209 003: Contradictions in Disaster and Resilience (3 units)
  • ARCH 239 001: Special Topics in Architecture Design Theory and Criticism: DESIGN, DISPOSSESSION AND DISSENT: SPATIAL POLITICS AND THE GLOBAL CITY (3 units)
  • ARCH 239 001: Special Topics in Architecture Design Theory and Criticism: Spaces of Queer Theory (4 units)
  • ARCH 279 001: Special Topics in the History of Architecture: DESIGN RADICALS: SPACES OF BAY AREA COUNTERCULTURE (4 units)
  • ART 160 001: Special Topics in Visual Studies: Social Practices: Special Projects at Platform Artspace (4 units)
  • ART 160 001: Special Topics in Visual Studies: Making and Exhibiting Art in Pandemic Times (4 units)
  • CYPLAN 190 002: Ghosts and Visions: Using augmented reality and physical installations to tell history and envision futures (4 units)
  • COMPSCI 294 100 – LEC 100: Special Topics: EECS for All: Social Justice in EECS (4 units)
  • CYPLAN 205: Introduction to Planning and Environmental Law (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 207: Land and Housing Market Economics (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 213 : Transportation and Land Use Planning (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 216: Active Transportation (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 217: Transportation Policy and Planning (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 251: Environmental Planning and Regulation (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 255 : Urban Informatics and Visualization (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 257: Data Science for Human Mobility and Socio-technical Systems (4 units)
  • CYPLAN 284: Urban Theory (3 units)
  • DESINV 190: Advanced Special Topics: Innovation in Disaster Response (3 units)
  • NWMEDIA 151AC: Transforming Tech: Issues and Interventions in STEM and Silicon Valley (4 units)
  • NWMEDIA 200: History and Theory of New Media (4 units)
  • NWMEDIA C265: Interface Aesthetics (3 units)
  • NWMEDIA 290: Special Topics in New Media: Locative Media (4 units)
  • UGBA 190T: Special Topics in Innovation and Design: Equitable Design Lab (3 units)

Sample List of Approved Open Electives

  • ARCH 209 003: Special Topics in Architectural Design: Architecture and Landscape (3 units)
  • ARCH 229 001:Special Topics in Digital Design Theories and Methods: Drawing Water (3 units)
  • ARCH 229 002: Special Topics in Digital Design Theories and Methods: Across Sections (3 units)
  • ARCH 229 003: Special Topics in Digital Design Theories and Methods (3 units)
  • ARCH 269 003: Special Topics in Architectural Design: Constructing Interior Objects (3 units)
  • CYPLAN 220 001: Urban and Regional Economy (3 units)
  • CYPLAN C241 001: Research Methods in Environmental Design (4 units)
  • CYPLAN 290: Topics in City and Metropolitan Planning: Multispecies Cities (3 units)
  • DES INV 190-1: Special Topics in Design Innovation: Human-Centered Design Methods (3 units)
  • INFO 213 001: User Interface Design and Development (4 units)
  • INFO 214 001: User Experience Research (3 units)
  • INFO 253B 001: Back-End Web Architecture (3 units)
  • INFO C263 001: Technologies for Creativity and Learning (3 units)
  • INFO 290 002: Special Topics in Information – Product Design Studio (3 units)
  • INFO 251 001: Applied Machine Learning (3 units)
  • INFO 272 001: Qualitative Research Methods for Information Systems and Management (3 units)