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MA/MSc Industrial Design at Northumbria University, Newcastle - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Open days

9Apr
Wednesday 9th April - Return To Study A Masters Virtual Event
Postgraduate
23Apr
Wednesday 23rd April - Virtual Event Your Wellbeing
Postgraduate
28Jun
Saturday 28th June - Undergraduate & Postgraduate Open Day
Postgraduate

Course summary

The Industrial Design course at Northumbria University is highly specialised in combining the creative elements of technology, engineering, creative expression, and business entrepreneurship into industrial design. It is designed to encourage a deep understanding of how our sustainable development challenges can be addressed by applying design-for-people-and-planet theory and methodologies to smart products and services supported by emerging technologies, with particular emphasis on AI.  On our Masters course, you will learn to create better products, services, and business models that are needed to meet changing priorities in society, and you will be assessed by your coursework for all modules. Our course features two focused pathways:

  • MA Industrial Design – Designing services and promoting behaviour change or
  • MSc Industrial Design – Generative AI design and smart products.
Designing services and promoting behaviour change (MA) Service Design - better services and experiences are key to a better future.This module focuses on product development, our industrial design processes and design thinking, as these skills are now just as sought-after in reshaping services and experiences. It covers the key principles and co-design methods, which are increasingly applied to the domain of health and wellbeing, and product lifecycle services.   Design for Behaviour Change - design changes behaviour. Whether through an intuitive user interface, persuasive communications or compelling product package, design can direct user action.  In this module, you will explore how you can deliberately guide positive, ethical behaviour change by understanding desires and motivations, or shaping capabilities, opportunities, and perceptions. You will draw on underlying psychological principles such as social proof, scarcity, or reciprocity to help realise positive outcomes.  Industrial Design major project dissertation MA/MSc - now is your chance to design the future. This major design project/thesis module allows you to focus on designing products or services or, integrated product-service systems for connected futures, with reflection on and synthesis of previous learnt product and service systems design principles, approaches and practices. This MA project will focus on service design. Generative AI design and smart products (MSc) Experimental Generative Design - AI is driving a design revolution. The AI revolution is likely to change not just the way we work but perhaps also whether we can work at all. This module will introduce you to designing at a higher level with a cross section of industry leading artificial intelligence tools which help to boost design experimentation, iteration and quality of final outcomes. You will gain an understanding and practical application of emerging generative AI and related design tools and models in relation to human-centred design principles.  Smart Product Design and Practice - smart products are the future. Smart product design involves creating products that leverage digital technology such as AI and Digital twins, connectivity, and intelligent features to enhance functionality, user experience, and overall value. This module will first introduce smart product design principles, methodologies and processes across the product (ordinary) lifecycle, and then discuss how these can be applied to build smart connected products/devices.    Industrial Design major project dissertation MA/MSc - now is your chance to design the future. This major design project/thesis module allows you to focus on designing products or services or integrated product-service systems for connected futures, with reflection on and synthesis of previous learnt product and service systems design principles, approaches and practices. This MSc project will focus on product design.  

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

  • Course does not award QTS

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally have: A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in design, Business, Engineering and computing or a related discipline. Applicants with appropriate work experience and/or a relevant professional qualification will be considered Additional Requirements All students need to have some design communication skills to start the course. These skills include freehand sketching, digital sketching, 3D CAD modelling and rendering, 2D/3D mark-ups, or design videos. Therefore, students need to submit a creative portfolio evidencing the above skills. International qualifications: If you have studied a non- UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry English language requirements: International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*). *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
MA/MSc Industrial Design at Northumbria University, Newcastle - UCAS