Course summary
Why study this course? This research-led and practice-based MA addresses the needs of graduates from furniture and related discipline backgrounds, or those who wish to collaborate with professionals in the field. Our Furniture Design MA is one of several postgraduate design courses that co-exist at the School of Art, Architecture and Design, offering rich opportunities for the collaborative and multidisciplinary approach that is a feature of the current and future design sector, and a requirement for success in the field. The course 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 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 furniture products and systems that have not yet been conceptualised. More about this course The future is largely shaped by design decisions, which implies a responsibility for designers to combine experimentation and radical thinking with care, effective research and collaboration with those who will be affected by the outcomes of designers' work. The work of a designer is not limited to ensuring that furniture is safe and functions well. You'll want to imbue your work with meaning, to use it to communicate, to engage emotions and inspire response. Furniture also needs 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 furniture products in order to be competitive. Design and research occupy a large proportion of the course; the research and development process of design is rehearsed through your project work. In parallel with theoretical research, you'll generate, communicate and evaluate all kinds of innovative ideas and concepts for furniture. You'll discover what design research will reveal the widest range of proposals for testing, how best to inform producer of what you have in mind and how best to evaluate concepts. Our 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. We aspire to effect real, meaningful and beneficial change through our design work and MA Furniture 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
Assessment is based on portfolios of written, research, visual and physical project work. 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 degree, plus related employment or consultancy within the field can also 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 | £1170 | Module |
| Northern Ireland | £1170 | Module |
| Scotland | £1170 | Module |
| Wales | £1170 | Module |
| EU | £2020 | Module |
| International | £2020 | Module |
| Channel Islands | £2020 | Module |
| Republic of Ireland | £2020 | Module |
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