Great design ideas can change the world. With human and user-centred design at the heart of this internationally regarded Masters programme, you’ll develop research and practice-based design solutions to respond to a demanding industry and rapidly changing society.
Whether your background is in design or in another discipline, you’ll develop, test and evaluate innovative design solutions in real-life scenarios. You’ll gain first-hand experience of current needs and trends across a range of sectors, and focus on a large-scale design project within one of the specialisms offered (see the ‘Specialisms’ tab).
Taught by diverse staff with internationally recognised profiles in research and practice, you’ll build an interdisciplinary approach to design in a stimulating environment, while being exposed to and involved in cutting-edge research. You’ll gain practical and research skills to prepare you for a wide range of careers.
Specialist facilities
We have plenty of facilities to help you make the most of your time at Leeds. We have an impressive range of resources that you can use to develop your projects.
At the top of our research facilities we have the world’s most sophisticated mobile eye-tracking glasses, which are used to understand how users interact with design (see more information at http://www.tobiipro.com). Other excellent research facilities are our EEG equipment (electroencephalography) to understand how users interact with the world, and our colour analysis/prediction lab.
We also house the M&S Company Archive including documents, advertising, photos, films, clothing and merchandise from throughout Marks & Spencer’s history. ULITA, an archive of international textiles, is also housed on campus and collects, preserves and documents textiles and related areas from around the world. You can make appointments to view items, but it also has an online catalogue where you can explore the major collections.
You’ll also be able to develop your practice in well-equipped studios and purpose-built computer clusters so that you can build your skills on both PC and Mac. There is also a computer-aided design (CAD) suite with access to the latest design software, and some of the latest design technology, such as digital printing, screen printing, 3D printing, and laser cutting.
In Semester 1 you’ll study a set of compulsory modules that will allow you to develop a range of research, conceptual and practical design skills and tools to lay the foundations for the rest of the programme. You’ll have the chance to learn through case studies, practical exercises and work on briefs encompassing all specialisms offered.
In Semester 2 you’ll have a choice of optional modules that focus on current trends in design practice and research. These optional modules will give you the opportunity to work on live projects from industry and/or live research projects being conducted in the School of Design. You’ll work on group and/or individual projects to explore more specific and advanced skills and tools in your areas of interest.
In Semester 2 you’ll also choose and develop a specialist project in which the tools and skills learnt in Semester 1 are applied. Projects can be developed in a wide range of topics that suit your interests and career ambitions. These include: Branding Design, Digital and Interactive Design, Information Design, Instructional Design, Graphic and Visual Communication Design, Service Design, and Typographic Design.
In Semester 3 you can choose one of two pathways: 1) Continue with your specialist design project, develop it at a professional level and apply it in a real-life context (with suitable users) for evaluation; 2) Produce an independent research dissertation based around a relevant field or topic within the specialisms offered.
Compulsory modules
In addition to the compulsory modules listed below, for your final project you will choose to do either: - Design Prototyping and Evaluation (40 credits) or - Design Dissertation (40 credits).
Optional modules
You will select two modules from the list of optional modules below.
For more information on typical modules, read Design MA Full Time in the course catalogue
For more information on typical modules, read Design MA Part Time in the course catalogue
You’ll be taught and guided by a diverse team of staff who are leaders in their fields, with a wide variety of research interests and years of experience as design practitioners.
We use a range of teaching and learning methods so you can benefit from their expertise. These may include lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, group learning and meetings with your tutor or supervisor. However, independent study is crucial to this degree, as it allows you to develop your skills and explore your own ideas.
Depending on the modules you choose you’ll be assessed by different methods. They’ll include individual and group projects, project proposals and reports, presentations and reflective reports.
This programme will equip you with a range of design skills using different media, as well as allowing you to hone your specialist skills in an area of your choice. It will also equip you with advanced skills in research, analysis, teamwork, presentation and communication that will be valuable in a range of careers.
You’ll be well prepared for a career in design practice. You can set up your own freelance business or take up a key position in a design studio, agency or organisation.
You can also work in cross-disciplinary fields applying your design skills to business, marketing, applied psychology, healthcare communication, retail, government, the public or private sector, etc.
Many of our students also choose to continue benefiting from our cutting-edge and frontier research by doing a PhD and following a research and/or academic career.
This one year full-time MA in Architectural Design is aimed at students who are looking for a rich, engaging and design-focused post-graduate programme, but do not wish to qualify as a UK registered architect.
This one year full-time MA in Architectural Design is aimed at students who are looking for a rich, engaging and design-focused post-graduate programme, but do not wish to qualify as a UK registered architect. It shares many of the design elements of our established MArch (Master of Architecture/ Part 2) programme, but provides greater flexibility in terms of study choices, allowing you to engage with the interests of our research staff.
In the programme, we will focus on using design-led research to inform your learning and investigation. You will develop your existing design skills by focussing on how design thinking might address current global challenges. This approach offers an intense and lively forum for the exploration and discussion of design issues. This is why we place particular emphasis on using design as a means to conduct research. Researching through design is a creative activity that closely integrates the process of designing with the act of researching, so that they can mutually inform each other. You will explore problems by making and testing design propositions, introducing and developing established knowledge as and when required. Through project work, you will draw on knowledge from many disciplines.
Students will have the options to develop their design thinking in the School’s principal research areas which currently include:
You will work in small groups called ‘design units’ under the guidance of an experienced tutor and also work independently to develop a research-focussed approach to your studies. This will require you to question and evaluate evidence and think creatively and iteratively. Emphasis will be on individual discovery and personal reflection as a learning process.
This programme is available on a one year full-time basis. You will be based in the Welsh School of Architecture for the duration of the programme. The taught element of this programme is structured around a 60 credit design module, where you will use techniques of research through design to explore an issue of interest related to one of the School’s design units. This will normally run between October and April and will conclude with a final presentation in front of a panel of reviewers. Your work in the design studio is complimented by a 30 credit module analysing architectural precedent, and a choice of optional study modules.
You will usually start the dissertation element of the programme in May and complete this over the summer. The dissertation is the culmination of your design research throughout the programme. The dissertation usually comprises of a documented design project, accompanied by a 5000 word critical commentary. Support for developing the necessary skills of research through design will be provided during the taught elements of the programme.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2018/19 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2018.
During your year on the programme, you will focus on developing a design-research agenda, defining and establishing your own position in architectural design. The topics covered are usually structured around thematic studios, or ‘units’ led by design tutors who have expertise and interest in specific areas of research and/ or practice. The themes are often related to areas of research expertise within the School and may be run in conjunction with the units offered on the MArch programme.
You will undertake analysis of architectural precedent within the studio environment and choose 30 credits worth of optional modules, chosen from a list of subjects based on the research interests of the staff in the school. This list is reviewed on an annual basis. You can choose any combination of 10 and 20 credit modules for your option.
For your dissertation you will work independently using the skills that have been developed during the taught programme to develop a critical research argument through design. This will involve completing a design thesis project. You will be expected to supplement this with a 5000 word critical written commentary.
Whilst many of our graduates will choose to undertake a career within architecture or other built environment professions, the programme provides a large number of transferable skills which will be of benefit across a wide range of professions. The focus on independent, project based learning is welcomed by employers in that it provides graduates with skills in creative thinking, conceptual organisation, critical reflection and taking initiative.
Businesses and governments rely on sound financial knowledge to underpin their strategies for success.
This popular course has been ranked among the world’s best, placed Top 60 worldwide and Top 15 in the UK (Financial Times Masters in Finance Pre-experience rankings 2017). The rankings also recognise the career progression of our graduates, placing us 2nd worldwide and 1st in the UK for salary increase after graduation. This course will kick-start your professional career, providing you with advanced knowledge of modern financial theories, accounting practices and controls, as well as an understanding of the organisational context.
You’ll cover fundamental topics such as corporate finance and financial analysis, and can specialise your knowledge with optional modules, from international business finance to forensic accounting or corporate governance. The course also allows you to apply your learning to practical case studies and simulations to test your knowledge in genuine business scenarios.
Academic Excellence
You’ll learn from academics who are experts in their field, with extensive teaching, research and consultancy experience of international standing. At the same time, you’ll collaborate with graduates from diverse international backgrounds for a challenging, rewarding and rounded learning experience.
As a student, you will be able to access the knowledge of our advanced specialist research units, which also have strong links with leading institutions in the US, Europe and Asia. These include the Centre for Advanced Study in Finance (CASIF), the Institute of Banking and Investment (IBI) and the Credit Management Research Centre (CMRC). This research makes an important contribution to your learning on the MSc Accounting and Finance; you will benefit from a curriculum that is informed by the latest knowledge and critical thinking.
You will also benefit from our strong relationships with the finance, credit and accounting professions. This provides a connection to the latest practitioner and policy developments, giving you a Masters that is relevant to the contemporary environment.
You’ll explore the essentials of corporate finance and the relationship between accounting information and organisational performance. At the same time, you’ll build advanced skills in handling quantitative data and examine how modern finance theories are applied to solve complex finance problems.
You will gain an understanding of important research methods in finance and their impact on current practice, and explore topics such as financial analysis, reporting and regulation.
Beyond these core modules, you’ll be able to specialise in areas that suit your career plans with your choice of optional modules. You’ll take at least one of Corporate Governance or Information and Organisation Design, but you could also study topics such as forensic accounting, behavioural finance or international investment.
A professional skills module runs throughout the year to help you develop the critical skills that will allow you to take your knowledge into the workplace. By the end of the year, you’ll be prepared to design and carry out your own research dissertation on a related topic of your choice, developing your ability to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing the industry.
Compulsory modules
You’ll study eight compulsory modules including your dissertation.
Optional modules
You’ll also take two optional modules. One of these must be either Information and Organisation Design or Corporate Governance.
For more information on typical modules, read Accounting and Finance MSc in the course catalogue
We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies. These will include lectures, seminars, workshops, online learning and tutorials. In addition to the assessed modules and research dissertation, you benefit from professional training activities and employability workshops.
Thanks to our links with major companies across the business world, you can also gain a practical understanding of key issues. For example, students have developed their knowledge of financial markets through a one-week trading simulation delivered in partnership with Amplify Trading. Read more about professional development activities for finance students.
You’ll be assessed using methods such as exams, project work, presentations, reports and essays. This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Career opportunities for graduates of this masters course are vast. You will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of core accounting and finance principles, and the numerical and analytical skills to succeed in this rapidly changing complex environment.
Graduates have gone on to work as management accountants, management consultants, audit managers, finance managers, equity managers and credit risk officers.
We help you to achieve your career ambitions by providing professional development support and training as part of the Masters programme. You benefit from our dedicated Professional Development Tutor, who will work with you to develop the important professional skills that employers value.
We’re also committed to offering a wide range of development and training events and activities. Recent activities and events have included field trips to corporate headquarters, CV building and interview sessions, professional risk management workshops and commercial awareness networking events.
Read more about our careers and professional development support.
The University of Leeds Careers Centre also provides a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate.
This course is a radical post-disciplinary programme for practitioners who want to push the boundaries of what design can be and do. During this MA we work with you to transform your practice as a critical and social undertaking.
By challenging the role and norms of traditional design towards an emerging type of ‘advanced design’, unshackled from the history of specialisms and entrenched methods, you will become part of a community of practice. You will be encouraged to actively contribute to a deep understanding of how design is set to address and affect change within contemporary society.
Whatever your background or previous degree we expect you to examine your own practice. This might be in a traditional field of design such as graphic design, product design, fashion design, interior design etc. Other fields such as teaching, social science, humanities, curating, engineering, science and business are also considered practices and welcome on the programme.
The programme is structured around thematic areas of investigation (Studios) which situates you (the practitioner) in a particular field of study and reference. Each Studio will be encouraged to build an identity within the programme; supporting diverse practice, building a rich identity and attracting a broad range of applicants.
The studio offering will be tailored each year to the skills/expertise of applicants and in response to the changing nature of the design field and the world around us. The studios running for 2018/19 are:
You can find out more about each of these studios in the Studios tab below.
The programme runs for 15 months over five 10-11 week Terms and is full-time (this means a minimum of 4 days per week). It is largely delivered through project briefs (both working in groups and individually), which allows an experimental and exploratory design process.
The projects open up opportunities for you to work collectively on research projects, external industry briefs and wider design research themes. Through this process, you'll evolve a design practice that is progressive but also thoughtful, critical and grounded in the complex realities of the world.
Throughout your projects you'll benefit from the input of experienced practice-based staff, as well as world-class visiting practitioners. These projects are all part of three interconnected modules that make up the MA Design Expanded Practice programme:
For Studio Expanded Practice in the first term you will also respond to a shared project brief supported by wide range of design staff from the department and guest speakers. This initial project will be run across the whole masters programme, to build your practice working alongside and in collaboration with the diverse cohort of design students. This will be a combination of scheduled sessions (lectures, workshops, tutorials) as well as self-directed studio or fieldwork amounting to 3 days per week.
In addition to this project you will choose to situate yourself within a studio, and spend one day a week in your studio of choice, where you will be exploring discourses through talks and seminars, engaging with methods and processes appropriate to the studio's focus. This will give you a body of knowledge that will equip you to act in design in your area of interest and continue as weekly session throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3.
In Terms 2 and 3 (Design Transfocality) you will be selecting a project from a choice of three projects each term. Each of these projects will be made up of students from all of the Studios. The aim is to bring your interests to the particular project to shape it for the development of your own practice.
In Term 4 (Summer period) you will select an externally focused project (Extended Study), like our annual summer school in Paris (eg. Design and Performance), or a placement with an external organisation.
You return to Goldsmiths for Term 5 to pull together your body of work and concluding design outcomes (culmination of Studio Expanded Practice) for public engagement through various public facing platforms (eg. publication, exhibition, symposium)
Institute for Design Innovation
The Institute for Design Innovation is committed to delivering high-quality teaching and research that aims to address real-life enterprise and social innovation needs.
Our Design Innovation Management programmes allow students to engage in globally connected creative projects whilst studying in the ‘design capital of the world’. These projects will provide students with experience of working in cross-cultural and globally distributed design-teams, skills increasingly required by industry.
We are committed to helping our students achieve great things, and encourage all of our students to build professional relationships with the organisations that interest them the most. Whether your goal is to launch your own business or support the development of an existing product or service, the Institute for Design Innovation is dedicated to making your future ambitions a reality.
For more information, see our programme page for Design and Culture MA
This programme
Through a series of processes and projects, our Design and Culture MA will support you to build a portfolio of work informed by the study of culture, and will help address the question: does culture inform design or does design inform culture?
Our programme will provide you with the concepts and skills for undertaking ethnographic research for completion of design projects. These skills can be applied and developed in both the interdisciplinary and international design projects that provide the core of the programme.
Our MA in Design and Culture will encourage you to explore the dynamic, contingent relationships between design and its many cultural contexts. You will have the opportunity to develop your analytical and research skills through undertaking a substantial design innovation and evaluation project that draws on the influences of culture in design. These projects will provide you with the experience of working in cross-cultural and interdisciplinary design-driven teams.
Your personal development
Enterprise Through the Curriculum is an intrinsic element of every master’s programme at Loughborough University London and has been carefully designed to give students the best possible chance of securing their dream role. From employability profiling to live group projects set by a business or organisation, and from site visits to organisation-based dissertation opportunities, Loughborough University London is the first of its kind to develop a suite of activities and support that is positioned as the underpinning of every student’s experience.
Future career prospects
We have excellent industry links with the capital and upon graduation, you will be equipped with key skills sought by employers. Our programme will provide you with the right skills and knowledge to enhance your career prospects in user-centred design. You will be a qualified professional versed with many new and developed design skills.
Graduates will also have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and career prospects further by undertaking an MRes or PhD programme.
Speak to a programme specialist
If you'd like to know more about this programme, you can request an email or telephone call from an academic responsible for the teaching of this programme.
Complete the contact request form
Scholarships for 2018 entry
Our ambition is to inspire high achieving students from all backgrounds, to benefit from our outstanding teaching and cutting edge research facilities.
Inspiring Success Scholarship
The Inspiring Success Scholarship offers 100% off the full cost of tuition fees for selected unemployed and underemployed graduates, who obtained GCSE or A-level (or equivalent) qualifications from Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham or Waltham Forest.
East London Community Scholarship
The East London Community Scholarship offers 50% off the full cost of tuition fees for students who obtained GCSE or A-level (or equivalent) qualifications from Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest.
Excellence scholarship
The Excellence scholarship automatically awards high-achieving students 20% off the full cost of our master’s tuition fees, regardless of their full-time programme or nationality. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must have an upper-second class degree or equivalent qualification recognised by Loughborough University.
Alumni Bursary
The Alumni Bursary automatically awards graduates of Loughborough University 10% off the full cost of our master's tuition fees, regardless of their full-time programme or nationality.
Further details about the full range of scholarships we offer are available on our website.
Demand is growing worldwide for experts who have the technical skills to measure and manage financial risk. This masters degree prepares you to meet these requirements, equipping you to respond to emerging developments in the global capital and money markets.
You’ll gain comprehensive knowledge of essential topics including the dynamics of financial markets, the causes and effects of financial risk and professional practices for measuring and managing portfolio risk. You can also choose optional modules allowing you to specialise in areas such as accounting, international banking and security investment analysis.
Learning from highly qualified teaching staff involved in world-class research in financial risk management, you’ll test your knowledge in genuine business scenarios during practical case study exercises and simulations. Thanks to our excellent links with industry and commerce, you’ll gain an understanding of the latest challenges in financial markets worldwide.
Academic excellence
As a student you will be able to access the knowledge of our advanced specialist research units, which also have strong links with leading institutions in the US, Europe and Asia. These include the Centre for Advanced Study in Finance (CASIF), the Institute of Banking and Investment (IBI) and the Credit Management Research Centre (CMRC). This research makes an important contribution to your learning on the MSc Financial Risk Management; you will benefit from a curriculum that is informed by the latest knowledge and critical thinking.
You will also benefit from our strong relationships with the finance, credit and accounting professions. This provides a connection to the latest practitioner and policy developments, giving you a masters degree that is relevant to the contemporary environment.
The course builds your understanding of essential topics such as corporate finance and applies financial theory to practical problems. You’ll study financial modelling, risk and insurance, managing portfolio risk and derivatives. You’ll also undertake professional skills training throughout the year to help you develop the critical skills to apply your knowledge into the workplace.
Beyond these core areas of study, you’ll be able to specialise in areas that suit your career plans with your choice of optional modules. You’ll take at least one of Behavioural Finance or Discrete Time Finance, and can choose from topics such as forensic accounting and finance, international banking and finance or information and organisation design.
You’ll also develop your knowledge of research methods in finance and by the end of the year, you’ll be prepared to design and carry out your own research dissertation on a related topic of your choice, developing your ability to tackle the most pressing challenges currently facing the industry.
Compulsory modules
You’ll study eight compulsory modules including your dissertation.
Optional modules
You’ll also take two optional modules. One of these must be either Behavioural Finance or Discrete Time Finance.
For more information on typical modules, read Financial Risk Management MSc in the course catalogue
We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies. These will include lectures, seminars, workshops, online learning and tutorials. Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills.
In addition to the assessed modules and research dissertation, you benefit from professional training activities and employability workshops. For example, students have developed their knowledge of financial markets through a one-week trading simulation delivered in partnership with Amplify Trading. Read more about our professional skills activities for finance students.
Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. They include formal exams, group projects, reports, computer simulation exercises, essays and written assignments, group and individual presentations.
This diversity enables you to develop a broad range of skills as preparation for professional life.
Graduates of this course are equipped with the skills and knowledge to pursue a range of career options within finance, including risk management, credit risk analysis, derivatives, insurance and finance research.
Previous graduates have gone on to work for a variety of financial institutions, investment banks, regulators and standard setters, international insurers, asset managers, underwriters and investment funds.
This degree is also an excellent qualification for individuals seeking to pursue further postgraduate research.
We help you to achieve your career ambitions by providing professional development support and training as part of the Masters programme. You benefit from the support of a Professional Development Tutor, who will work with you to develop the important professional skills that employers value.
We’re committed to offering a wide range of development and training opportunities. Recent activities have included field trips to corporate headquarters, CV building and interview sessions, professional risk management workshops and commercial awareness networking events.
Read more about our careers and professional development support.
The University of Leeds Careers Centre also provides a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate.
Institute for Design Innovation
The Institute for Design Innovation is committed to delivering high-quality teaching and research that aims to address real-life enterprise and social innovation needs.
Our Design Innovation Management programmes allow students to engage in globally connected creative projects whilst studying in the ‘design capital of the world’. These projects will provide students with experience of working in cross-cultural and globally distributed design-teams, skills increasingly required by industry.
We are committed to helping our students achieve great things, and encourage all of our students to build professional relationships with the organisations that interest them the most. Whether your goal is to launch your own business or support the development of an existing product or service, the Institute for Design Innovation is dedicated to making your future ambitions a reality.
For more information, see our programme page for Design Innovation MA/MSc
This programme
You will be exposed to the latest knowledge and advances in design, and will learn innovative design skills and collaborative behaviour through a mixture of active learning and project work.
Our students will develop their knowledge by analysing and evaluating problems and responding to genuine industry challenges in real time. This learning environment will inform critical thinking and improve students’ effectiveness as innovation designers.
You will enhance your design skills and knowledge through theoretical and practical application individually and in multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary teams. You will learn how to solve problems in creative and innovative ways through developing strategies and generating project briefs.
Your personal development
Enterprise Through the Curriculum is an intrinsic element of every master’s programme at Loughborough University London and has been carefully designed to give students the best possible chance of securing their dream role. From employability profiling to live group projects set by a business or organisation, and from site visits to organisation-based dissertation opportunities, Loughborough University London is the first of its kind to develop a suite of activities and support that is positioned as the underpinning of every student’s experience.
Future career prospects
Upon graduating, you will be equipped with advanced knowledge to enhance your career opportunities in design and branding consultancies, in-house design and marketing departments as designers and design managers. You will become a professional versed with design skills and interdisciplinary teamwork.
Graduates will also have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and career prospects further by undertaking an MRes or PhD programme.
Speak to a programme specialist
If you'd like to know more about this programme, you can request an email or telephone call from an academic responsible for the teaching of this programme.
Complete the contact request form
Scholarships for 2018 entry
Our ambition is to inspire high achieving students from all backgrounds, to benefit from our outstanding teaching and cutting edge research facilities.
Inspiring Success Scholarship
The Inspiring Success Scholarship offers 100% off the full cost of tuition fees for selected unemployed and underemployed graduates, who obtained GCSE or A-level (or equivalent) qualifications from Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham or Waltham Forest.
East London Community Scholarship
The East London Community Scholarship offers 50% off the full cost of tuition fees for students who obtained GCSE or A-level (or equivalent) qualifications from Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest.
Excellence scholarship
The Excellence scholarship automatically awards high-achieving students 20% off the full cost of our master’s tuition fees, regardless of their full-time programme or nationality. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must have an upper-second class degree or equivalent qualification recognised by Loughborough University.
Alumni Bursary
The Alumni Bursary automatically awards graduates of Loughborough University 10% off the full cost of our master's tuition fees, regardless of their full-time programme or nationality.
Further details about the full range of scholarships we offer are available on our website.
Design Informatics combines Data Science with Design Thinking in a context of critical enquiry and speculation. We build a value-aware, reflective practice at the interface between data and society by combining theory and research with an open-ended process of making and hacking.
Human activity is being constantly shaped by the flow of data and the intelligences that process it, moving towards an algorithmically mediated society. Design Informatics asks how we can create products and services within this world, that learn and evolve, that are contextualised and humane. Beyond that, it asks questions about what things we should create, speculating about the different futures we might be building and the values behind them.
The central premise is that data is a medium for design: by shaping data, we shape the world around us. Data Science provides the groundwork for this, with Design Thinking underpinning reflective research through design. You will use this in working with the internet of things and physical computing, machine learning, speech and language technology, usable privacy and security, data ethics, blockchain technologies. You will connect technology with society, health, architecture, fashion, bio-design, craft, finance, tourism, and a host of other real world contexts, through case studies, individual, and collaborative projects. You will understand user experience in the wider socio-cultural context, through an agile programme of hacking, making and materialising new products and services.
Please be aware that the structure of the programme may change.
Throughout the programme, you will be working both individually and in teams of designers and computer scientists. Everyone will have to write code during the course, and everyone will have to make physical objects. Several courses, including the dissertation, will involve presenting the artefact, product, service, or interactive experience that you have created to the general public in a show.
In the first year, you will study:
In Design with Data and Design Informatics Project, you are likely to work with an external partner, such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Amazon, Edinburgh City Council, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh or the National Museum of Scotland.
MSc and MA students then undertake a dissertation in the summer before graduation.
MFA and Advanced MSc students take a summer placement with a relevant digital organisation then return for a second year of study, comprising:
Elective courses are drawn from the Masters Programmes of the School of Informatics, Edinburgh College of Art, and Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences. Courses are typically 10 or 20 credits.
This programme will put you at the cutting edge of the intersection between data science, design, and information technology, opening a host of opportunities in working with companies, charities, and the public sector. We encourage entrepreneurship. For those who wish to stay in academia, the course provides a solid foundation for a PhD in related areas.
Design Informatics combines Data Science with Design Thinking in a context of critical enquiry and speculation. We build a value-aware, reflective practice at the interface between data and society by combining theory and research with an open-ended process of making and hacking.
The central premise is that data is a medium for design: by shaping data, we shape the world around us. Data Science provides the groundwork for this, with Design Thinking underpinning reflective research through design. You will use this in working with the internet of things and physical computing, machine learning, speech and language technology, usable privacy and security, data ethics, blockchain technologies. You will connect technology with society, health, architecture, fashion, bio-design, craft, finance, tourism, and a host of other real world contexts, through case studies, individual, and collaborative projects. You will understand user experience in the wider socio-cultural context, through an agile programme of hacking, making and materialising new products and services.
The Advanced MSc programme offers students a unique opportunity to deepen their learning through an additional 6-10 week internship, followed by an additional two semesters at Design Informatics where students can develop further as reflective practitioners, makers, and innovators.
Please be aware that the structure of the programme may change.
Throughout the programme, you will be working both individually and in teams of designers and computer scientists. Everyone will have to write code during the course, and everyone will have to make physical objects. Several courses, including the dissertation, will involve presenting the artefact, product, service, or interactive experience that you have created to the general public in a show.
Year 1:
Compulsory Courses:
In Design with Data and Design Informatics Project, you are likely to work with an external partner, such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh City Council, or the National Museum of Scotland.
Elective Courses:
In addition to the compulsory courses, you can choose 1-4 elective courses from the Masters Programmes of the School of Informatics, Edinburgh College of Art, and Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences.
Students in the Advanced MSc programme will complete a 6-10 week internship with a company, charity, government, or third sector organisation over the summer.
Year 2:
Compulsory Courses:
Elective Courses:
In addition to the compulsory courses, you can choose 2-4 elective courses from the Masters Programmes of the School of Informatics, Edinburgh College of Art, and Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Sciences.
This degree will put you at the cutting edge of the intersection between data science, design, and information technology, opening a host of opportunities in working with companies, charities, and the public sector. We encourage entrepreneurship. For those who wish to deepen their research practice, the course provides a solid foundation for a PhD in related areas.
The MSc Design: Products and Technology course is designed to enable students to acquire advanced design, technological and manufacturing skills to enhance their potential to become leading professional product designers and technologists. The course encourages a broad and diverse range of approaches to design practice which include manufacturing, computer science and technology, artificial intelligence for control, robotics, project management, inclusive design and emerging technologies such as advanced internet techniques.
The course provides opportunities to develop professional design and technology skills,and to acquire a critical understanding of the roles of advanced technologies in product development using modern tools and techniques within a manufacturing environment.In addition to providing a broader, analytical and integrated study of technologies and strategies, the course emphasises the importance of independent learning, collaborative team working, creative problem solving and self-organisation skills.
The main emphasis of this course is exploration of the technological relationships, strategies and interfaces between the user and the product in a manufacturing context. With strong industrial relationships and input, the course aims to provide you with a rich design multidisciplinary experience, providing you with the tools, knowledge and critical thinking to drive process and practice in the commercial world.
You'll study modules designed to expand your awareness and understanding of product design while developing a wider appreciation of a designer's role within modern society, and the impact of new thinking in business in the design industry.
Through it's project-based nature, the course emphasises the importance of independent learning, collaborative team working, creative problem solving and self-organisation skills. You'll develop a practice-based project for your final Major Study Project via the creation of a learning agreement as part of the Research Methods module; this is written in consultation with tutors and informs your final learning outcomes.
Learning and teaching methods will comprise:
This course has been developed to meet the needs of industry in the UK and overseas. It is specifically designed to increase the employability of its graduates in a business context by identifying new service, strategy and product opportunities, and conducting projects in collaboration with industrial partners. You'll become more strategically aware and technically literate, and will communicate concepts and outcomes at an advanced level in an ever changing global market place.
On completion, graduates will have acquired skills and knowledge to set up their own businesses, to work in manufacturing industries, design consultancies, and research and development organisations, or to progress to PhD study by engaging in further research.
The University's Employability Team is available to all students, offering individual consultation and support.
Take a look at our postgraduate fees and funding page for more information on scholarships, loans, and other funding opportunities.
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