Course summary
Why study this course? The Product Design MA addresses the needs of graduates from product design and related discipline backgrounds, or those who wish to collaborate with professionals in the field. MA Product Design is one of several postgraduate design courses that co-exist at our School of Art, Architecture and Design, offering rich opportunities for the collaborative multidisciplinary approach that is a feature of the current and future design sector and a requirement for success in the field. In the most recent Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, 100% of all 2017 graduates from this course were in work or further study within six months. More about this course Product Design MA is grounded in the understanding that design is a key driver for change in society and the environment. However, traditional roles in design are increasingly blurred and designers need to be able to negotiate complex and ambiguous problems. The challenges and opportunities for design and designers are being constantly reimagined, as the unpredictability of the future tests our capacity to adapt, invent and apply creative design solutions to emerging needs. Graduates of this course will design products and systems that have not yet been conceptualised. Knowing that the future is largely shaped by design decisions gives a responsibility to designers to act in a manner that combines experimentation and radical thinking with care. The work of a designer is not, however, limited to ensuring that products are safe and function well. You'll want to imbue your work with meaning, to use it to communicate, to engage emotions and inspire response. Products also need to be designed to be attractive and desirable in the marketplace and relevant to consumers, meaning you'll need an exhaustive overview of current and forthcoming products in order to be competitive. Design and research for design occupies a large proportion of the course. In parallel with theoretical research, you'll generate, communicate and evaluate all kinds of innovative ideas and concepts for products. You'll discover what design research methods will reveal the widest range of proposals for testing, how best to inform the user and producer of what you have in mind and how best to evaluate concepts that exist in virtual form only. London Met's School of Art, Architecture and Design is a community that shares a commitment to contemporary design and its global and local contexts, a passion for design in all its forms, and desire to test the premises of the field, theoretically as well as practically. We aspire to effect real, meaningful and beneficial change through our design work and MA Product Design is a part of that vision.
Modules
Modules include: Democratising Luxury Material Thought Design Research for Practice Design Project Development Major Project and Professional Context
Assessment method
You'll be assessed through portfolios of written, research, visual and physical project work, all directly related to the requirements of practice in the field. The MA is concluded with a major project in which you'll select an area of study, formulate your own argument or theoretical position and produce an independent body of work. The project challenges you to study in a topic that interests you, which will test your creative ambition. This work will be exhibited at the MA graduation show in our central London location.
Entry requirements
You will be required to have: a first class or strong upper second class degree, or equivalent, in a related subject Applicants will also be expected to present a portfolio and provide a statement demonstrating their ambition for the subject area and for studying at postgraduate level. A related undergraduate degrees plus related employment, or consultancy within the field can be considered alongside the portfolio and statement. All applicants must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £10500 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £10500 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £10500 | Whole course |
| Wales | £10500 | Whole course |
| EU | £18150 | Whole course |
| International | £18150 | Whole course |
| Channel Islands | £18150 | Whole course |
| Republic of Ireland | £18150 | Whole course |
Additional fee information
Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees. Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.
Provider information
London Metropolitan University
Admissions Office
166-220 Holloway Road
City of London
N7 8DB