Course summary
Do you want to a socially responsible creative making innovative designs? On this course you’ll discover how to craft products from scratch, taking them from scale drawings to the final prototype. You’ll lean towards an environmentally aware and technologically innovative approach, supported by a sound understanding of cultural and critical insight and user behaviour. Why study BSc (Hons) Sustainable Product Design at BNU? A sustainable future A sustainable product design course is essential to all walks of life, whatever industry you work in having the skillset to problem-solve and ensure the user-experience is as efficient as possible. The products and designs you create can change the future by answering ethical, environmental and social issues with tangible objects and well-considered concepts as we respond to global sustainability challenges. State-of-the-art facilities We’ve invested in workshops that replicate those you’ll find in industry. We keep on top of the best equipment, using professional facilities and software for your designing needs. You’ll get hands-on with our industry standard 3D CAD systems, and benefit from our workshop facilities to produce 3D models, fully working prototypes, and computer models to demonstrate your design solutions. In these workshops you’ll be able to experiment with a range of different materials including wood, metal, ceramics and mixed media, developing traditional hand skills and working with new technologies such as our MetraSCAN 3D and utilising the latest CNC machining and techniques. You’ll explore different solutions for several areas, engaging with live industry briefs as you use your expertise to create products with a purpose. We also have specialist technicians and demonstrators on site to support and share their knowledge with you. Taught by industry-experts With a history of delivering expert craft, art, and design education for more than 130 years, Buckinghamshire New University is the perfect place to start your creative career. This rich history mixed with contemporary teaching techniques and hands-on learning, makes this course unique. Led by a dedicated teaching team with a wealth of experience within the product design, model-making, and design visualisation industry, many of your tutors on this course are still involved with design practice and research. Not only will you benefit from a rich and varied programme, you will also have direct access to guest lectures, live project briefs, master classes, and plenty of networking opportunities with industry professionals. Location Our Product Design degree is situated at our High Wycombe campus, a town with a rich history within furniture making and manufacturing. Our university Chancellor is also the renowned Furniture Designer and Restorer, Jay Blades MBE, makes this course strictly unique. With London only a short journey away, and access to a range of business and organisations relevant to product design, there are ample opportunities for visits to sites of historical and contemporary interest. What will I study? This product design degree course offers you the opportunity to successfully design innovative and functional products that include a successful interface between products and users. You’ll become a multi-disciplinary designer who have a focus on sustainability within Product Design. You’ll adapt and work on a range of different products for different industries, whilst gaining hands-on knowledge on how to work with materials, processes, components, and products to meet user requirements. By working through a sequence of challenging projects, you will acquire a wide range of creative and technical skills, which enable you to complete sustainable design projects from the stages of consultation and research through to final product presentation. You’ll learn how to communicate an idea from concept, to functioning product.
Modules
Year one Core Modules Craft Skills Materials and Processes Design Communication Sustainable Practice Critical and Historical Thinking Design Project Year two Core Modules Design Visualisation Sustainable Design Design Research and Theory Professional Studies in Product Design Applied Production and Manufacture Industry Brief Year three Core Modules Final Major Project Professional Practice Dissertation Design for Manufacture
Assessment method
As a BSc (Hons) Sustainable Product Design student you’ll have to complete a series of modules and projects across your time spent studying with us. Projects are designed to present new challenges to you as you progress through the course. They involve working with varied briefs, clients and requirements. By the end of your time with BNU, you’ll benefit from a full portfolio of work to go to employers with. You’ll also benefit from lectures, 1:1 or small group tutorials, seminars that enable open discussions, guided research and reading, group critiques and self-directed study. We also aim to provide industry brief opportunities for you to apply your knowledge, skills and understanding into real-world contexts. The theoretical underpinning of practice encourages the development of critical perspectives in relation to the history and language of design. Our graduate network continues to spread through many companies in the industry. You’ll be a part of this network, gaining valuable contacts with a variety of work opportunities.
How to apply
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- HW72
- Institution code:
- B94
- Campus name:
- High Wycombe Campus
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
Visit bnu.ac.uk/international to find out more about applying to BNU as an international student!
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 88 - 112 points
A level - BCC - CCD
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DMM - MMP
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Additional entry requirements
Interview
Portfolio
English language requirements
Test | Grade | Additional details |
---|---|---|
IELTS (Academic) | 6 | We require an IELTS score of 6.0 (with no element lower that 5.5) or a recognised equivalent. |
If English is not your first language or if you have studied in a non-majority English-speaking country, then you will typically be required to demonstrate your English language ability (speaking, listening, reading & writing) by way of a test such as IELTS.
BNU English Language Requirements
Student Outcomes
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
Republic of Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
England | £9250 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
EU | £15150 | Year 1 |
International | £15150 | Year 1 |
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
Sponsorship information
There are several ways you can fund your studies, including sponsorship and student loans. You may be able to use ELCAS credits for some of our courses. We also have scholarships and bursaries to help support our students.
Provider information
Buckinghamshire New University
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
HP11 2JZ