Online Micro-Credential in Design Strategy
This flexible, fully online micro-credential is designed for professionals and graduate-level learners looking to strengthen their ability to think strategically through design. Whether you’re a practicing designer seeking to reinvigorate your skills, or a professional in business, technology, or another field looking to apply design thinking to complex challenges, the Design Strategy micro-credential equips you with research-driven tools to create more usable, inclusive, and meaningful products, services, and systems.
What Is Design Strategy?
Design strategy focuses on using research, systems thinking, and design methods to frame problems, uncover opportunities, and guide informed decision-making. Through the University of Cincinnati’s online Design Strategy micro-credential, you’ll learn how to apply design thinking beyond aesthetics by using it as a strategic approach to understanding contexts, synthesizing insights, and shaping innovative solutions across disciplines.
Design Strategy Micro-Credential Highlights
High Quality Education
Design-Led, Research-Driven: This micro-credential draws directly from the University of Cincinnati’s Master of Design curriculum and introduces strategic design methods applicable across industries.
What you’ll gain:
- Design Leadership: Build the skills needed for roles such as Design Strategist, Product Manager, or Innovation Consultant, using human-centered design to drive outcomes that align user needs with business goals.
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Strengthen your ability to work across disciplines, preparing you for strategic roles within cross-functional teams and complex organizational environments.
- Market Differentiation: Develop expertise in user-centered research and strategic thinking which are capabilities that are essential in innovation-driven industries.
- Professional Upskilling: Working professionals can use this credential to advance in their current roles or pivot into strategic design positions, expanding both impact and career trajectory.
- Preparation for Graduate Students: For students in complementary graduate programs, the micro-credential adds a competitive edge by integrating design strategy into their academic and professional toolkit.
Flexibility
- Flexible and Fully Online: Complete coursework asynchronously, designed to fit into the schedules of working professionals. This offering is self-paced and consists of two courses that can be completed in one or two semesters.
- Short and Stackable: Earn 6 graduate credit hours by completing two courses, with the option to apply credits toward future DAAP graduate programs, pending admission.
- Built for Interdisciplinary Impact: Designed for design professionals and non-designers alike, supporting career growth across creative, business, and technical fields.
Support from Application through Graduation
At UC, you’ll have a full support team behind you:
Enrollment Services Advisor: Your go-to resource during the application process
Student Success Coordinator: Helping you prepare for classes and stay on track
Access to Resources: Access to university resources that will support you through your program including online learning expectations and resources, health and wellness resources, and academic support
Prerequisites
- Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher
New students can use this form to declare a micro-credential.
Please note this form is only an application for micro-credentials. If you wish to apply to a degree program, please visit Admissions.
UC's online micro-credential in Design Strategy can be completed at your own pace and schedule. The skills based in design strategy gained in these courses will prepare students to take the next step in growing their professional careers.
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| DSGN7021 | Design Strategy This course provides an introduction to Design as strategic problem-setting and problem-solving activities within a service/social system levels approach. Students will explore methods of design thinking that apply to all design disciplines including integrated product development, strategy development, translational research, and other methods of design practice that apply across disciplines and be able to apply these to the identification and analysis of key problems with the creation of innovative design opportunities. |
3 |
| DSGN7041 | Research Methods This course provides an introduction to the subject matter of design research: mixed-methods exploratory and explanatory research designed to identify new problems and structure a domain, and the relationship of these to a systematic investigation that aims to produce generalizable knowledge. Students will explore qualitative and quantitative research methods including: literature reviews, interviews, surveys, case studies, pilot studies, needs analysis, card sorting, task analysis, focus groups, ethnographic field studies, and action research, and be able to employ these appropriately. |
3 |
The University of Cincinnati's online course fees differ depending on the program. On average, students will accrue fewer fees than students attending on-campus classes.
The one fee applied across all UC Online programs is the distance learning fee. Students living outside the state of Ohio must also pay an additional “non-resident” fee to enroll in courses at UC Online. This fee is lower than the out-of-state fee for traditional on-campus programs.
To view tuition information and program costs, visit the Online Program Fees page.