This course is aimed at media graduates with an ambition to create and market their own product or services. This course is ideal for you if you wish to start your own media enterprise.
The course comprises five modules: two media business modules, two creative practice modules and a final project that is expected to achieve a professional standard and be ready for commissioning or financial backing. The course provides a comprehensive theoretical and practical understanding of contemporary creative media that will support and motivate students to realise their professional ambitions.
Why choose this course?
MA Creative Media Start Up is very much focused on providing ambitious and enterprise-oriented students with the knowledge and skills to operate as independent production professionals for a range of clients, across a wide range of media outputs and with the agility to adapt to a rapidly evolving media landscape.
The course is designed to produce graduates with advanced skills aligned to a high degree of knowledge of contemporary media markets and business practices that will help them realise their ambition of launching a product, service or their own independent business.
The vast majority of employers across media production have moved away from permanent employment contracts towards a culture of short-term, project-specific contracts that favours freelancers, self-employed contractors and independent producers.
The course modules are designed to progress you from theory through to implementation and provide a substantial bridge between ambition and the actual conditions encountered in the market and in contemporary practices, such as IP development, commissioning and delivery.
The final project expresses this new knowledge by creating a product, service or business plan that is ready to take to market. Our graduates are expected to leave with a project portfolio that is ready for commissioning or financing.
On completing the course you will have acquired a comprehensive and critical understanding of media production work within competitive markets, plus the ability to critically analyse and evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses as independent practitioners.
Click the following link for information on how to apply to this course.
Information about scholarships and bursaries can be found here.
Are you passionate about the web? Would you like to help businesses reach and implement creative online solutions? Southampton Solent University’s MSc Digital Design programme teaches students a wide range of industry relevant skills including user experience design, front-end web development and digital marketing.
As a conversion course, this master’s degree is well suited to students from diverse academic backgrounds. The course will help you to develop sought-after digital skills and prepare you for a range of careers after graduation.
Students are also able to tailor the course to their own personal career ambitions through a research project. Many use this piece of work to springboard the start of their career or a further research study.
Students are supported to gain a range of transferable skills throughout the course. These include project management, critical thinking, organisation and presentation skills. The professional issues and practise unit helps prepare students for the workplace by looking at the wider computing industry and the contexts in which digital skills can be used most effectively.
Learning is aided by a range of industry standard equipment. Facilities include high-spec computer labs, device testing labs and a usability lab with eye tracking facilities.
The course comes to a close with students conducting their own research projects. This can be an excellent way to specialise knowledge towards desired careers, or act as a springboard for PhD study.
This conversion master’s course is ideally suited to students from a number of academic backgrounds who have a strong interest in learning web design and digital development technologies.
The course is also suited to those with extensive industry experience in the digital field, and who wish to gain an academic qualification.
Core units and CATS points:
Students have access to high-spec computer labs and make use of the latest design and development programs.
Students will test applications in our new device laboratory - a special test area integrated within one of our existing software development spaces. This arrangement allows you to test your website designs and apps on real equipment, ensuring they perform as expected on the target platforms.
Graduates from this course would be well-suited for a range of digital roles. These include:
Course content is developed with input from a variety of sources including an industrial liaison panel. This ensures that your studies include the latest technologies and working practices.
You’ll also have the chance to work directly with real-world companies on live briefs, events and projects, while regular BCS meetings hosted at the University help you to build professional connections and secure valuable work experience opportunities.
The Digital Media Practice programmes at Winchester are designed to accommodate a wide range of specialist interests within the digital media industry. Build your theoretical understanding within the context of honing practical skills in a range of specialist careers. Develop new ideas and theories through your engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms.
Your practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and work in professional contexts. Partnerships with professional practitioners and bodies give you the starting point to develop your own network of professional contacts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped digital design studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand to support you.
Your course consists of five core modules plus two optional modules, where you undertake individual projects and case studies relevant to your particular area of interest. Core modules include Digital Media Principles, Design Practice, and a project on Emerging Media. MA Digital Media Practice includes your choice of any two optional modules, while on the specialist pathways you choose two optional modules from a more specific selection. Examples of module choices include:
Graduates pursue careers in the digital media industry as lead designers, design researchers, account directors, content writers and creative producers.
UK, EU, World
Start dates: September
Teaching takes place: Daytime
Students develop new ideas and theories through their engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms. Practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and by undertaking work in professional contexts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped Digital Design Studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand during core hours.
Taught elements of the course take place on our King Alfred Campus (Winchester) or at our West Downs Campus (Winchester)
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
The Digital Media Practice programmes at Winchester are designed to accommodate a wide range of specialist interests within the digital media industry. Build your theoretical understanding within the context of honing practical skills in a range of specialist careers. Develop new ideas and theories through your engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms.
Your practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and work in professional contexts. Partnerships with professional practitioners and bodies give you the starting point to develop your own network of professional contacts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped digital design studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand to support you.
Your course consists of five core modules plus two optional modules, where you undertake individual projects and case studies relevant to your particular area of interest. Core modules include Digital Media Principles, Design Practice, and a project on Emerging Media. MA Digital Media Practice includes your choice of any two optional modules, while on the specialist pathways you choose two optional modules from a more specific selection. Examples of module choices include:
Graduates pursue careers in the digital media industry as lead designers, design researchers, account directors, content writers and creative producers.
UK, EU, World
Start date: September
Teaching takes place: Daytime
Students develop new ideas and theories through their engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms. Practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and by undertaking work in professional contexts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped Digital Design Studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand during core hours.
Taught elements of the course take place on our King Alfred (Winchester) or at our West Downs Campus (Winchester)
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
Through the undertaking of projects, students engage with real-world tasks, with assessment reflecting the solutions and outcomes expected in the digital media industry. Assessment takes place throughout the life of a project in order to test and offer feedback on the process and integration of skills. Students are required to complete a final substantial piece of work in the form of either an appropriate digital media project or a written dissertation.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
The Digital Media Practice programmes at Winchester are designed to accommodate a wide range of specialist interests within the digital media industry. Build your theoretical understanding within the context of honing practical skills in a range of specialist careers. Develop new ideas and theories through your engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms.
Your practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and work in professional contexts. Partnerships with professional practitioners and bodies give you the starting point to develop your own network of professional contacts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped digital design studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand to support you.
Your course consists of five core modules plus two optional modules, where you undertake individual projects and case studies relevant to your particular area of interest. Core modules include Digital Media Principles, Design Practice, and a project on Emerging Media. MA Digital Media Practice includes your choice of any two optional modules, while on the specialist pathways you choose two optional modules from a more specific selection. Examples of module choices include:
Digital Media Practice
Choose from any of the modules available on the specialist pathways
Advertising, Marketing and Branding Design
Design Thinking
Interaction Design
Motion Graphics
Visualisation
Graduates pursue careers in the digital media industry as lead designers, design researchers, account directors, content writers and creative producers.
Graduates pursue careers in the digital media industry as lead designers, design researchers, account directors, content writers and creative producers.
UK, EU, World
Start Date: September
Teaching takes place: Daytime
Students develop new ideas and theories through their engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms. Practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and by undertaking work in professional contexts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped Digital Design Studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand during core hours.
Taught elements of the course take place on our King Alfred Campus (Winchester) or at our West Downs Campus (Winchester)
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.Feedback
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
The Digital Media Practice programmes at Winchester are designed to accommodate a wide range of specialist interests within the digital media industry. Build your theoretical understanding within the context of honing practical skills in a range of specialist careers. Develop new ideas and theories through your engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms.
Your practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and work in professional contexts. Partnerships with professional practitioners and bodies give you the starting point to develop your own network of professional contacts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped digital design studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand to support you.
Your course consists of five core modules plus two optional modules, where you undertake individual projects and case studies relevant to your particular area of interest. Core modules include Digital Media Principles, Design Practice, and a project on Emerging Media. MA Digital Media Practice includes your choice of any two optional modules, while on the specialist pathways you choose two optional modules from a more specific selection. Examples of module choices include:
Graduates pursue careers in the digital media industry as lead designers, design researchers, account directors, content writers and creative producers.
UK, EU, World
Start Date: September
Teaching takes place: Daytime
Students develop new ideas and theories through their engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms. Practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and by undertaking work in professional contexts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped Digital Design Studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand during core hours.
Taught elements of the course take place on our King Alfred Campus, Winchester or at our West Downs Campus, Winchester
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
Through the undertaking of projects, students engage with real-world tasks, with assessment reflecting the solutions and outcomes expected in the digital media industry. Assessment takes place throughout the life of a project in order to test and offer feedback on the process and integration of skills. Students are required to complete a final substantial piece of work in the form of either an appropriate digital media project or a written dissertation.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures
The Digital Media Practice programmes at Winchester are designed to accommodate a wide range of specialist interests within the digital media industry. Build your theoretical understanding within the context of honing practical skills in a range of specialist careers. Develop new ideas and theories through your engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms.
Your practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and work in professional contexts. Partnerships with professional practitioners and bodies give you the starting point to develop your own network of professional contacts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped digital design studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand to support you.
Your course consists of five core modules plus two optional modules, where you undertake individual projects and case studies relevant to your particular area of interest. Core modules include Digital Media Principles, Design Practice, and a project on Emerging Media. MA Digital Media Practice includes your choice of any two optional modules, while on the specialist pathways you choose two optional modules from a more specific selection. Examples of module choices include:
UK, EU, World
Start Dates: September
Teaching takes place: Daytime
Students develop new ideas and theories through their engagement with several live client projects, which may culminate in the real-time release of output through different media platforms. Practical work is supported and enhanced through masterclasses, seminars, discussions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed study, and by undertaking work in professional contexts. There is a dedicated, fully equipped digital design studio, with practitioner-based lecturers on hand during core hours.
Taught elements of the course take place on our King Alfred Campus, Winchester or at our West Downs Campus, Winchester.
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
Through the undertaking of projects, students engage with real-world tasks, with assessment reflecting the solutions and outcomes expected in the digital media industry. Assessment takes place throughout the life of a project in order to test and offer feedback on the process and integration of skills. Students are required to complete a final substantial piece of work in the form of either an appropriate digital media project or a written dissertation.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
Graduates pursue careers in the digital media industry as lead designers, design researchers, account directors, content writers and creative producers.
The MSc Advanced Home Futures course is designed to revolutionise the building and construction of houses and homes. It was developed adhering closely to TV architect George Clarke’s MOBIE modular building concept and advanced home construction principles.
This course places an emphasis on the innovative design and construction of new homes, conceptualising prototypes of how we will live in the future and the exciting new materials and building techniques that are becoming available.
You develop knowledge of housing design and are introduced to the role of CAD, BIM and model making. These are all developed alongside a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the housing provision for health, wellbeing and universal needs creating a learning experience that disrupts and challenges the concept of ‘home’ as we traditionally know it.
Hosted by the School of Science, Engineering & Design this course has academic input drawn from across the University to consider housing design, materials and technology, the role of the home in health and wellbeing and in society, and methods of effectively managing projects and leading change. You learn about concepts of sustainability, design thinking, design processes and technological innovations and you are challenged to develop new ideas and approaches to the housing and homes for the future.
This course emphasises group work and collaborative learning, and mixes practical and theoretical experiences.
George Clarke’s social enterprise, the Ministry of Building, Innovation, Education (MOBIE), is kickstarting a fundamental change to the building industry and our courses have been designed to adhere closely to the modular building concept and advanced home construction principles of MOBIE.
Course structure
Core modules
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You study four 30-credit modules and then work on a 60-credit project.
How you are assessed
You are assessed within each module through a variety of methods including writing reports, creating artefacts and presentations. Each module is led by a different academic School within the University to embed the culture of multidisciplinarity into the course.
You are challenged to develop new ideas and approaches to housing and homes for the future. Graduate career opportunities exist primarily in the home design and construction industry, but also in town and social housing planning and management.
Digital technology plays a significant role in the new digital and creative economies and in a progressive digital society. This programme uses digital lab and digital projects to innovate creative solutions to real-world issues. You are encouraged to mediate between people, places and technology in asking the bigger questions that put people, innovation and design at the centre of the digital economy.
Digital practice lies at the heart of this course. It seeks to build an understanding of current and emerging technologies and their application, as well as specialist expertise in your chosen area of digital art or design practice. You are encouraged to work in collaboration with others where appropriate.
You learn through initiatives and activities that stimulate and develop creative practice, problem-solving, manufacture and distribution. Thinking, making and observation are applied to practical and social contexts. Your playful and fictional approaches are encouraged through workshops and connections with international events and research projects. The progrramme is an opportunity to enhance your qualification by spending one semester completing a vocational internship, research internship or by studying abroad. Although we can’t guarantee an internship, we can provide you with practical support and advice on how to find and secure your own internship position. A vocational internship is a great way to gain work experience and give your CV a competitive edge. Alternatively, a research internship develops your research and academic skills as you work as part of a research team in an academic setting – ideal if you are interested in a career in research or academia. A third option is to study abroad in an academic exchange with one of our partner universities. This option does incur additional costs such as travel and accommodation. You must also take responsibility for ensuring you have the appropriate visa to study outside the UK, where relevant.
The programme begins with a group research project, sharing information and references from diverse sources. Collecting and analysing information from a theme of common interest helps to develop your awareness of the subject from multiple perspectives. Stage one involves developing professional skills, ideas, research, project work and the opportunity for co-working, partnerships and collaborations. Your interests are evaluated for their enterprise potential and innovative outputs are proposed.
In stage one, you also develop your professional skills to build your digital expertise and skills in research. Stage two culminates in a feasibility study for a negotiated research project. Stage three enhances your learning through practice with the potential to spend one semester working full time in industry, on a major research project, or studying or working abroad. Finally, stage four enables you to complete major project work, supported by regular tutorial contact and studio interaction.
Course structure
Core modules
Advanced Practice options
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
This programme enables you to progressively build on your knowledge and experience. At MA level it is vital that you take an active role in structuring your own learning, and engage with the relevant methods and underpinning theories of your discipline.
At Teesside University, teaching and learning is student-centred. You develop your knowledge, skills and practice through a variety of appropriate teaching and learning strategies. We constantly review our methods and the philosophy behind them to ensure they remain relevant, rigorous and progressive.
Tutorials, seminars and workshops enable you to apply key learning principles to your day-to-day interactions. Individual support, provided by a personal tutor, is an integral feature of the learning and teaching strategy. Research is also an intrinsic part of your study.
Approaches to teaching and learning tend to have the following underlying principles:
How you are assessed
Your assessments are primarily in-course assessments – you submit work during the module rather than sit timed exams at the end.
Design modules are generally project based and primarily assessed through appraising your portfolio of work, often accompanied by a verbal presentation. Art and design work is largely developmental and you are assessed on your problem-solving process as well as the result, so it is essential you provide clear evidence of your development work.
Work placement
There may be short-term placement opportunities for some students, particularly during the project phase of the course.
Career opportunities
Graduates have the opportunity to go on to a range of design-related employment, develop new enterprise propositions or receive project funding to take their ideas to market.
You can work across a broad range of design-related employment requiring specialist digital knowledge and skills. Further study at doctoral level is also an option.
This innovative, industry-facing programme allows you to work in a cross-disciplinary way or in a specialist area of study. Students on this course come from a diverse range of disciplines to apply ideas and findings from research towards problem-solving, social design and environmental issues. Approaches to future design range from the artistic design, such as illustration, printmaking, book arts and decorative arts, to more functional and problem-solving pursuits.
Creative, forward-thinking individuals and groups are key contributors to the new economic and social agenda. We welcome applications from disciplines outside of art and design if there is evidence of ability and desire to develop better systems, services, products and experiences.
You learn through initiatives and activities that stimulate and develop creative practice, problem solving, manufacture and distribution. Thinking, making and observation are applied to practical and social contexts. Playful and fictional approaches are encouraged through workshops and connections with international events and research projects. Future design challenges us to enquire into what happens next – in our careers, ambitions and responsibility to society. Knowledge and awareness in futurology are increasingly desirable attributes in business, employment, innovation and enterprise. Creative individuals prepare for professional practice, developing new business ideas, products, systems and services. Working in a stimulating environment you explore emerging and future aspects of design practice, through individual and collaborative action. Project-based learning activities enable knowledge, skills and experience to be acquired according to negotiated plans and professional directions. This two-year programme enhances your qualification by spending one semester completing a vocational internship, research internship or by studying abroad. Although we can’t guarantee an internship, we can provide you with practical support and advice on how to find and secure your own internship position. A vocational internship is a great way to gain work experience and give your CV a competitive edge. Alternatively, a research internship develops your research and academic skills as you work as part of a research team in an academic setting – ideal if you are interested in a career in research or academia. A third option is to study abroad in an academic exchange with one of our partner universities. This option does incur additional costs such as travel and accommodation. You must also take responsibility for ensuring you have the appropriate visa to study outside the UK, where relevant.
The programme begins with group research projects, sharing information and references from diverse sources. Collecting and analysing information from a theme of common interest helps to develop your awareness of the subject from multiple perspectives. Stage one involves developing your professional skills, ideas, research, project work and provides the opportunity for co-working, partnerships and collaborations. Your interests are evaluated for their enterprise potential and innovative outputs are proposed.
Stage two culminates in a feasibility study for a negotiated research project. Stage three enhances your learning through practice with the potential to spend one semester working full-time in industry, on a major research project, or studying or working abroad.
Stage four enables you to direct and display your major project work, supported by regular tutorial contact and studio interaction. You show future ambitions and plans for the project including how it may be distributed or realised beyond the University.
Course structure
Core modules
Advanced Practice options
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
At MA level it is vital that you take an active role in structuring your own learning, and engage with the relevant methods and underpinning theories of your discipline.
Tutorials, seminars and workshops enable you to apply key learning principles to your day-to-day interactions. Individual support, provided by a personal tutor, is an integral feature of the learning and teaching strategy.
Research is also an intrinsic part of your study. You need to find and make sense of a wide variety of information from books, newspapers, journals, magazines, websites, archives and many other sources, then analyse and discuss your findings to inform the creative process. Lectures and briefings introduce topics and impart key aspects of disciplinary knowledge, usually to larger groups.
You develop your practical and professional skills with hands-on experience, informed by subject knowledge and critical understanding. Practical workshops introduce specific skills, followed by independent learning, project work, tutorials and critiques.
Critical reflection is key to all successful problem solving and is essential to the design process. You are expected to test and assess your solutions against design criteria which you develop in the light of your research.
How you are assessed
Your assessments are primarily in-course assessments – you submit work during the module rather than sit timed exams at the end.
Design modules are generally project based and primarily assessed through appraising your portfolio of work, often accompanied by a verbal presentation. Design work is largely developmental and you are assessed on your problem-solving process as well as the result, so it is essential you provide clear evidence of your development work.
Work placement
There may be short-term placement opportunities for some students, particularly during the project phase of the course.
Career opportunities
Graduates have the opportunity to go on to a range of design-related employment, develop new enterprise propositions or receive project funding to take their ideas to market.
You can work across a range of professions within design and the creative industries such as freelance designers, creative entrepreneurs, designer makers and creative directors. Further study at doctoral level is also an option.
The course is aimed at both professional practitioners wishing to pursue a sustained period of time developing new ideas or recent graduates wishing to focus their studies and refine ideas at an advanced level. The course will also consider students from a non-industrial / product background, providing they can offer clearly articulated and informed reasons for wishing to study Product Design at an advanced level.
A student defined placement module in the second semester of studies allows the student to further explore areas of relevance to their studies, either through arranged placement, collaborative activity or research visits. As well as ‘hard skills’ such as modelling, new product development, styling and product graphics, they are now also beginning to embrace the ‘soft skills’ of branding, user interface design, trend spotting and forecasting. Spin offs of these activities can now be seen as production management, new start up initiatives / own product development, corporate identity and qualitative market research
Students will be supported by staff input through a series of design activities during semester one that are designed to identify an area or interest that can then be fully explored through the following two semesters. Complementary to the design modules are two research modules that provide theoretical underpinning. There are opportunities to explore issues through a dynamic research experience that again is defined and structured by the individual. The final semester of studies allows students to bring together all that has been developed and researched during the course.
We have well equipped studios and workshops, supported by highly skilled technical staff. Supporting the craft workshops and design studios, we have excellent suites of high spec computers for CAD, assignment writing and image manipulation. The University has excellent library / study facilities with a very extensive collection of design books and periodicals, together with many e-resources and support.
Graduates have developed successful careers within a wide range of design related disciplines, including designer / maker, freelance or in-house designer for manufacturing, teacher, design buyer and design manager to name a few.
This postgraduate Games Design course has been developed to provide part-time students the opportunity, support and guidance to fully explore the study of games design. The course is completely distance learning and there is no requirement for on-campus attendance.
The course team offers a rich mix of staff with current industry experience as well as practiced academic staff with significant experience in postgraduate delivery and academic research. The course seeks to encourage the inquiry into generally accepted ‘game design practice’ and strive to push the boundaries of what is achievable in this young discipline. It seeks to challenge all aspects of game development and through informed research synthesise new responses to practice and research.
On this course our students will be engaged through a wide ranging programme of stimulating lectures and tutorials to develop their knowledge and skills in games design research. Weekly lessons are delivered electronically and the contents are discussed during video-based tutorials. Set exercises test the students understanding of each topic before moving on to the next.
The MA Games Design has been specifically designed to accommodate the needs of part-time provision via distance learning. Students tend to be adults in employment who want to take the course on a part-time basis to fit around their other working commitments.
We accommodate such needs by offering a clear structure of progression, balanced by flexible personal tutorials: for which students can expect to have weekly one-to-one contact with academic staff via web based visual conferencing. It is this bespoke interaction with academic staff that our students tell us they find both supportive and inspirational.
The MA will help further career opportunities within games design research. Graduates will improve their chance of employment in games design research with their demonstrated enhanced specialism and understanding developed on the course. They will also find themselves strongly placed to develop their own practices and consultancies or further themselves with the developing field of games design academia.
Sample modules:
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
Our graduates have an excellent employment record. Many take up positions in type design studios, with publishers and general design studios, and wayfinding and information design studios. Others develop their own businesses, or take up managerial roles in creative firms. Employers include Apple, Monotype, Microsoft Typography, Victoria & Albert Museum, Oxford University Press, Financial Times and Nokia.
