MA Design Innovation
Manchester, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 22,000 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
MA Design Innovation considers how design acts as a catalyst for innovation, leading to new products, services and user experiences. It focuses on design thinking approaches, to address contemporary societal and business challenges to develop a rich understanding of where design can add value. It will provide you with the skills to strategically apply design to solve complex problems in the global market.
The application of design thinking is explored with the latest research and practice in design innovation, design management and design strategy, which supports you to develop a holistic view of design and creatively apply the theory in your specialist area.
Features and benefits
- This programme will provide a research-informed and cutting-edge curriculum that maximises connections with the creative industries in the region and beyond, providing opportunities for engagement with the ‘real world’, through live projects and engagement with practitioners.
- Dedicated spaces have been developed to enable the postgraduate community to flourish. These spaces, for thinking and practice, are located at the heart of the Manchester School of Art, allowing easy access to an extensive range of workshops where the combination of traditional and industry-standard equipment opens up a world of exciting possibilities.
- You will be taught by research-active staff who are part of the Manchester School of Art Research Centre and experts in their field.
- The University library has outstanding Art and Design holdings, including a special collection of artists' books and ephemera.
Admissions
Curriculum
MA Design Innovation comprises five units, totalling 180 credits.
Core modules
- Art & Design: Culture & Context (MA:X) - This module offers a focused opportunity for students to extend and enhance their practice by including working in a wider design research community.
- Design Thinking - This module introduces an applied understanding of how design can be used as an iterative process for creative problem-solving. It will enable you to understand how to apply design thinking processes to your specialist area through understanding users, challenging assumptions, redefining problems and creating innovative solutions to prototype and test.
- Design Innovation - This module introduces the core principles of design innovation and develops a broad understanding of how design can be used as a strategic resource to drive innovation. It will explore a range of design processes and expose their application in different project settings.
- Design Futures - This module provides an in-depth understanding of the scope, nature and role of how design can be used to shape the future. A series of future-focussed tools will be explored from a creative perspective to understand how to employ design as a catalyst for new products, services and experiences that address contemporary societal and business-related challenges.
- Synthesis Project: Design Innovation - The self-directed module provides opportunities for you to direct your own learning in line with personal interests and career aspirations. It enables you to initiate, develop, resolve and disseminate a significant body of work alongside opportunities for collaborative, outward facing, or international learning experiences.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Career prospects
The course aims to cultivate highly motivated, independent and creative thinkers who can transfer their skills into the creative marketplace, as entrepreneurial innovators, freelance practitioners and innovative team players.
Program delivery
Study
- Full-time 35% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 65% independent study
Assessment
- Full-time 100% coursework; 0% practical; 0% examination
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.