Course Outline
Course Structure
The multi-disciplinary, professionally focused curriculum explores design management and its function within organisations. Your work will be tailored around your own particular design discipline and address the relationship between design and business, design leadership, the strategic role of design in business and marketing, and design practice including project management, law and finance. The course team of established design professionals and academics also places great emphasis on the development of interpersonal and professional communication skills.
The course offers:
· The opportunity to tailor the programme of study around your own particular area of interest and career plan.
· Collaboration with external organisations involved in design at all three stages of the programme, including an optional six week placement.
· The opportunity to work directly with designers, providing insight into the crucial relationship between designers and non-designers.
· Learning and networking opportunities resulting from the integration of full-time, part-time and flexible learning students.
· A wealth of guest speakers and extra-curricular opportunities.
· The unique option for UK and EU students to study part-time via flexible learning
Flexible Learning
This requires around 15-20 days attendance over a two year period and enables practicing designers and design managers to develop their careers through work-based learning, whilst remaining in full time employment. Students studying by flexible learning are able to tailor their programme of study around personal and work related needs.
Pathways
The course offers three specialist pathways in addition to the core pathway which is entitled Professional Practice. These are Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Sustainable Design Policy and Service Design. These pathways reflect the changing nature of the global design context and create opportunities for those interested in design management to specialise. The pathways operate at the MA stage of the course via the dissertation.
Professional Practice
Design management aims to bridge the gap between design and business, designers and non-designers. Students examine aspects of the design management process and the strategic role of design. Insight into design practice enables students to develop their strategic skills, learning how to manage people and process, identifying the real value of design and articulating how return on investment can be quantified.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Entrepreneurship and innovation are at the heart of design with over half of UK design businesses employing five or less people. Students interested in setting up their own businesses explore the nature of entrepreneurship and innovation and may develop a business plan as their dissertation.
Sustainable Design Policy
Sustainability is high on the agenda for all businesses and organisations worldwide. This pathway provides the opportunity to research the relationship between design and organisational policy and explore the role of designers in achieving a sustainable future.
Service Design
The dramatic growth of the service economy means that service design is becoming increasingly important. This pathway creates the opportunity to explore the specific role that design plays within the design of services and the service sector.
Course Modules
Stage 1: The Postgraduate Certificate, has four interrelated modules:
Research Methods
The Research Methods module is designed to prepare students for the academic requirements of the Master’s in Design Management. The skills, knowledge and rigour acquired during this module are designed to be equally valuable to the development of an evidence based approach to design practice.
Professional Development
This module is designed to ensure students fully exploit the opportunities provided by the master’s programme and maximise their future opportunities. This will involve students learning about themselves, personal goal setting, identifying what knowledge and skills they need to achieve their career goals and planning how they will use the course to acquire these.
Business Perspectives
This module is designed to help students gain insight into the context that businesses and organisations operate in, business and market research, consumer insights; how businesses view and use design, and their relationship with designers.
Design Strategy
Design Strategy examines the role of design and how it helps businesses and organisations achieve their objectives. The module aims to bring together the language of design and the language of business, the nature of design interventions and how return on investment (ROI) in design can be evaluated.
Stage 2: The Postgraduate Diploma, builds upon Stage 1 with increasing emphasis on independent study:
Managing Design
This module addresses the professional practice of design and design management, the ‘hands- on doing’ of design. The module explores various aspects of professional practice such as design protection, sustainability, design finance, business models and setting up in business.
Team Project
The Team Project provides the opportunity for students to explore the nature of design leadership and interpersonal skills, gaining insight into team working and motivation, learning how to gain people’s co-operation and get the best out of different types of individuals working around design.
Placement or Case Study
This module is designed to develop independent study skills and involves students in the research of a design related topic / question of their choice. Students conduct both secondary and primary research and explore the relationship between these. Students have the opportunity to conduct their research whilst taking part in a placement or on a case study basis.
Stage 3: The Master’s stage is the final part of the MA and is dedicated to the Dissertation, where students conduct a major piece of work in their chosen area of specialisation. The subject of the dissertation is decided by the student, with guidance from their supervisor, and can be based on any subject related to the management of design. Student are encouraged to choose a subject that will contribute directly to their career goals.
Assessment
Assessments are designed to be directly relevant to the workplace. The course provides continuous formative assessment via group and individual tutorial feedback. Summative assessment is based up on a combination of individual seminars, team presentations, industry standard reports, individual essays, team reports and briefings plus the final dissertation.
Study Commitment
The full time course comprises 45 weeks within an academic year that starts and finishes in mid-September. The Postgraduate Certificate trimester (Stage 1) runs from mid September to early January, the Postgraduate Diploma trimester (Stage 2) runs from early January to late April, and the Master’s trimester (Stage 3) from late April to mid September. The part time course is run over two years.
Study by flexible learning takes two years and involves around 15-20 days attendance at the University. Further information about this mode of study is available separately.
If you would like to discuss your career goals or learn more about the course you are welcome to contact Caroline Norman, the Course Director at caroline.norman@bcu.ac.uk