MA Design Management

at University of the Arts London

As part of this initiative, we’ve shaped our courses around social and environmental sustainability principles that ensure learning outcomes reflect the urgent need to equip you with the understanding, skills, and values to foster a more sustainable planet.  Our aim is to change the way our students think, and to empower you to work towards a sustainable future.  

MA Design Management is a four-term, full-time programme. Each course is divided into units, which are credit-rated. The minimum unit size is 20 credits. The MA course structure involves six units, totalling 180 credits. 

Autumn, Term 1 
 

• Design Management and Innovation (40 credits) 
• Design Research Methods and Critical Practice (20 credits) 

In the Autumn Term, you will critically engage with design thinking and concepts and principals of design management and innovation. You will experiment with a range of interdisciplinary research methods. 

Spring, Term 2 
 

• Design Leadership, Enterprise and Culture (20 credits) 
• ​Collaborative Unit (20 credits) 

At the start of the Spring Term, you will take the Collaborative Unit, which is common to all courses at master's level.

This is a group-based unit and may involve a live brief, external and or internal collaborators from the creative industries, cultural sector, public sector or commercial sector. 

You will develop your understanding of leadership and management roles and the various ways in which design engages and interacts with stakeholders across various sectors and cultural contexts. 

Summer, Term 3 
 

• Global Design Futures (20 credits) 
• Final Major Project: Proposal and Thesis (60 credits)    

In the Summer Term, you'll consider how design management can bring about transformation within a global context.

You will apply your design research skills to explore trends and investigate the impact of and on design, and the drives behind the creation of social, political and cultural meaning. 

You'll take the knowledge, skills and experience from the units studied to date on the course and bring these together in the production of a proposal for your self-directed major project that you will submit mid-way through the Summer Term.

You will then be assigned a tutor and develop this project which will culminate in a written thesis and an end of year show in Term 4. 

Autumn, Term 4 
 

• Final Major Project and Thesis (continued) 

If you are unable to continue or decide to exit the course, there are two possible exit awards.

A Postgraduate Certificate will be awarded on successful completion of the first 60 credits and a Postgraduate Diploma will be awarded on successful completion of the first 120 credits.

The MA Design Management team recognise that applicants come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds from across the world. We are actively seeking open-minded graduates from diverse academic and industry/professional backgrounds who want to explore design management at a high level.

A key characteristic of our candidates will be their desire to work across disciplines and professional boundaries, to explore the future changes of design management. Educational level may be demonstrated by:
 

• Honours degree at 2.1;

• Possession of equivalent qualifications;

• Prior experiential learning or professional training, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required;

• Or a combination of formal qualifications and professional training which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
 

• Related academic or work experience

• The quality of the personal statement

• A strong academic or other professional reference

• OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

Language requirements

All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language, we strongly recommend you let us know your English language test score in your application.

If you have booked a test or are awaiting your results, please indicate this in your application. When asked to upload a CV as part of your application, please include any information about your English test score.

IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four skills.

Home fee
£11,550

International fee
£23,610

Graduates of MA Design Management will be equipped to make a contribution to both private and public sectors in areas such as private enterprise, public sector service provision and the voluntary sector.

They will leave with an in-depth understanding of design business and management with the skills of critical analysis and debate usually associated with the humanities and social sciences. 

Career opportunities include setting up your own business, managing design projects, strategic leadership in a variety of industries, forecasting, consultancy, research and entrepreneurship.

You could take up a career within a wide range of creative industries or organisations such as museums, galleries, auction houses, publishing, arts administration, Public Relations, marketing, forecasting consultancies, design and branding agencies, advertising and retail. Alternatively, they may go on to work as editors, design critics, journalists, event and exhibition curators or educators.