Design Degrees Online

This course aims to prepare students for future careers as professional designers and technologists in a variety of industrial and commercial environments. The course focuses on design and development for sustainability. Creativity is seen as the driving force for product development. However, whilst exploiting materials and processes for more challenging applications, the course will allow students to reflect on the constraints of diminishing resources and global pollution. Graduates are able to effectively meet the challenges of material use and their processing and integration into complex product solutions. It will also help students to develop analytical skills, IT skills and manufacturing techniques.

Assessment for module one is 100% submission and presentation of a learning agreement for module two. Assessment for module two is individually negotiated with the programme team, and may include a variety of possible outcomes such as a personal thesis, range of coursework activities, prototypes or theoretical models, the creation of a business etc.

Resources and facilities
The School of Art and Design works closely with the HIVE business incubator unit based at Nottingham Trent University. Each course is studio based, with immediate access to a dedicated IT suite (the HUB) for postgraduate use, incorporating recent updates of relevant hardware and software, modelling and prototyping equipment. Students also have access to traditional model shops for woods, metals and plastics, subject to an appropriate health and safety induction.

Study routes
The course is one year full-time, and commences each September. Applications for this course of study can be considered at any time during the year. Applications should normally be received by the beginning of July for a September start.

Overseas students can commence at the end of June on a ten-week Language and Culture Bridging course.

Special benefits
The ‘hybrid’ nature of courses located within Product Futures allows students to work closely with others within the same subject discipline. It is hoped that close collaborative activities will result in the possible formation of companies and complimentary product solutions. The team will work closely with each student to help secure any Intellectual Property Rights resulting from the course activities.

Research opportunities
Each course encourages students to engage with real issues and external connections, and would support links with other institutions through collaborations and research activities.

Professional development
Each course encourages students to engage with real issues and external connections, and would support links with other institutions through collaborations and research activities.