Design schools are going to have the requisite core courses for a liberal arts degree that you would encounter at any accredited college. In addition, however, there are core courses that relate to design and the associated arts that are also undergraduate requirements. Here is a description of one school's design core courses, or rather the role that they play in professional development - for all designers:
"Introductory courses are a vital part of Art Center's curriculum and educational philosophy. Projects in these classes—such as building a simple Plexiglas box or lighting and photographing a ball, cube and cylinder—provide a common base of experience for students in several different majors. The early semesters are critical for skill acquisition and attitude development...They become fluent in the vocabularies of visual literacy and image making, which they will use throughout their professional and artistic lives. Understanding design principles and hands-on experience in creative problem solving serve as the groundwork for advancement and mastery achieved in later terms."
That is an eloquent description of the basis for the design process: deriving form and function from an artistic concept.
