MA Design

Entry requirements for postgraduate courses vary and you are advised to check below for any specific requirements or with Enquiry Management. Normally the following general entry requirements apply:
- Postgraduate Diplomas, Certificates and Conversion Courses:
- A recognised British first degree or its equivalent, or a BTEC Higher Diploma/Certificate.

Taught Masters Courses:
A recognised British honours degree to a good standard, or its equivalent. Applications from all candidates will be considered on their merits and in the light of the nature and scope of the programme or work proposed. Informal enquiries are welcomed and will normally be followed by an initial advisory interview.

Applicants must demonstrate achievement of any one of the following:
- Receipt of a 2.2 degree, or higher from a British university
- A high level of achievement in undergraduate studies at a university elsewhere
- Professional experience in the field or a related field in their home country

International Students are required to show competence in written and spoken English in addition to meeting the course entry requirements: International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) - minimum 7.5.
All applicants are requested to submit digital supporting material and where possible, will be invited to attend an interview with a portfolio of recent work.

The MA Design course exists within the framework of the AAS College modular scheme. Full time study is based over 3 semesters, with 3 modules studied each semester. Each semester comprises a double 'practice' module and a single 'theoretical' module - Research and Creative Perspectives. The programme concludes with the double Practice module - Final Project -Realisation, bringing together all practical and theoretical aspects of the course, through a major investigation into a particular personal area of study, leading to final assessment presentation / public exhibition. The postgraduate dissertation allows students to develop a major piece of theoretical work supporting their practice. Throughout the duration of the course students are required to keep an ongoing 'Reflective Diary' that is used to record all lines of enquiry, development of ideas, critical reflection and analysis.

Course Content
The UCLan at AAS partner College offers an MA in Design by full-time study. The course encompasses a diverse range of craft and design activities across the areas of Visual Communication and Applied Arts, and places particular emphasis on 'practice', whilst also exploring the academic issues that underpin designing and making. The course aims to develop students' intellectual and imaginative power through a programme of study which forms cohesion between the theory. Whilst offering graduates, practising artists and designers the opportunity to develop their individual interests, the course will be made up of students representing a range of subject disciplines. This opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences is seen as a key element of the study programme.
The MA is a taught programme with one day's tuition per week supplemented by private study at the discretion of the student. A special feature of the course is the unique blend of practice and theory which underpins the student projects. The course is taught by tutors who are themselves professional design practitioners and plays a prominent role in the College's research activities. We have superbly equipped studios and workshops, supported by highly skilled technical staff. Supporting the craft workshops and design studios, we have excellent suites of high spec computers for CAD and assignment writing. The AAS College has excellent specific library / study facilities with a very extensive collection of design books and periodicals.
The course is essentially a practice based programme, so it is likely you will spend the majority of your time working in either craft workshops or design studios. Students taking a more theoretical approach are likely to spend more time researching, or away from the University examining design led commercial or manufacturing activity. The programme is made up of 'practice' modules, supported by core modules - Research and Creative Perspectives, providing the theoretical and contextual underpinning to each student's programme. These modules are delivered through a programme of lectures, seminars and tutorials and provide a forum for exploring and debating the contexts of contemporary design, visual communication and craft practice.

Semester 1
Design Practice 1
Research for Creative Design Practice 1

Semester 2
Advanced Practice 2
Research for Creative Design Practice 2/3

Semester 3
Design Practice 3
Postgraduate
Project/Dissertation

Careers
Graduates pursue successful careers within a wide range of design related disciplines, including Designer/Maker, Freelance or In-house Designer for manufacturing, Modeller, Animation Artist, Art Director, Teacher, Photographer, Fashion and Textile Designer, Design Buyer, Display or Exhibition Designer, Gallery or Exhibition Curator, Design Manager to name a few.