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Postgraduate

MA Designer Maker

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Sculptural furniture by Ning Zhang.
Sculptural furniture by Ning Zhang. - Credit: Ning Zhang.
College
Camberwell College of Arts Start date
October 2021 Course length
15 months (full time)

MA Designer Maker at Camberwell College of Arts aims to take the lead in re-asserting the position of craft and making in the contexts of contemporary design discourse, society and humanity.

An introduction to MA Designer Maker

Student work

  • Camberwell-MA-Designer-Maker-Chieh-Ting-Huang-1000.jpg
    , Chieh Ting Huang - MA Designer Maker
  • Camberwell-MA-Designer-Maker-Meghan-Hutchins-1860.jpg
    , Meghan Hutchins - MA Designer Maker
  • Camberwell-MA-Designer-Maker-Emily-Rohrer-MA-Designer-Maker-1860.jpg
    , Emily Rohrer - MA Designer Maker
  • Camberwell-MA-Designer-Maker-Ruining-Han-1000.jpg
    , Ruining Han - MA Designer Maker

Course overview

In the last 10-15 years craft and making activities have been attracting more attention in the design industry and beyond. Engaging fully with the broadening and diversifying debates around making, the course reflects the notable shift in the discipline’s focus towards ethical and environmental issues.

These may manifest in the development of new materials, or reconfiguration of existing systems and resources, while others address diversity, ecology, inclusivity and empowerment of individuals.

Students on the course typically come from craft, product, furniture design and architecture backgrounds.

What to expect

  • To develop a project from proposal to final exhibition
  • To explore new and existing materials and processes
  • To be part of an inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural cohort where multiple perspectives and diversities are recognised as a rich resource for learning
  • A transdisciplinary learning environment in which MA Designer Maker students are part of a community of postgraduate design students who share the same teaching and learning spaces
  • Seminars and discussions that cover material culture studies, anthropology, philosophy, sustainability, consumerism, museum studies, psychology and literature
  • Access to collections, makers' studios, galleries and museums
  • To engage with contemporary debates in applied arts, design and object-based art
  • To explore human-object relationships and the meaning of making
  • A lecture programme
  • The opportunity to access the ILEA collection housed at Camberwell College of Arts, working with the UAL Archives and Special Collections curator
  • Access to Material and Spatial Practices digital resources as well as Camberwell's shared workshops that include printmaking, photography, film, moving image, digital, plastic, ceramics, wood and metalwork. View the Camberwell facilities

Mode of study

MA Designer Maker is offered in full-time mode and runs for 45 weeks over 12 months. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, including teaching hours and independent study.

Please note this course will be moving to a 15 month mode of study from 2021/22.

Course units

A short description of each unit and what you can expect.

Unit 1 - Exploring and understanding research context and methodology

This unit is an introduction to your course, the college and the university.

  • Inductions to learning resources and workshops at Camberwell
  • An introduction to the notion of practice as research, which is one of the guiding principles of the course
  • To devise your own brief and use it as a tool to develop and refine a project proposal
  • To be encouraged to move between studio practice and theoretical research
  • To critically reflect on the nature of your practice and skills, as well as the types of knowledge you engage with through your practice
  • A programme of personal and professional development
  • To explore contemporary debate and historical discourses
  • Seminars, tutorials, crits, lectures and workshops
  • To submit a research portfolio that includes practical work, experimentations, visual material and theoretical research
  • To keep an online reflective journal throughout the course

Unit 2 - New practice methodologies

This unit builds on your chosen research theme in your project proposal.

  • To form and test a methodology through experimentation or field work
  • Encouraged to actively seek opportunities to collaborate with external partners
  • To use your research findings and outcomes to form a unique approach to your work
  • Seminars, tutorials, crits, lectures and workshops
  • To identify the target audience for your project
  • To submit a research portfolio and project proposal
  • To write a 4000-5000 word research paper

Unit 3 - Synthesising research and implementation of practice

The final unit of the course will focus on the production of your personal project.

  • To present work in the college postgraduate show
  • To submit a professional statement, research portfolio, project proposal and resolved body of work

Note: 120 Credits must be passed before the final unit is undertaken.

Learning and teaching methods

  • Context seminars
  • Group and one-to-one tutorials
  • Guest practitioner lectures and workshops
  • Lecture series
  • Professional development 
  • Student-led crits
  • Workshop inductions

Assessment methods

  • Contextual and evaluative writing
  • Exhibition
  • Presentations
  • Project proposal
  • Reflective journal
  • Research portfolio
  • Writing on critical practice

Staff

How to apply

Opportunities for all

We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and to supporting all of our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on disability@arts.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.

Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:

  • BA (Hons) degree or equivalent academic qualifications
  • Alternative qualifications and experience will also be taken into consideration
  • Personal statement
  • Portfolio of work

Entry to this course will also be determined by the quality of your application, looking primarily at your portfolio of work and personal statement.

APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) 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
  • A combination of these factors

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

English language requirements

All classes are taught in English. If English isn't your first language you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:

Selection criteria

We look for:

  • The ability and competence to creatively formulate and develop design concepts and to clearly organise and present your ideas
  • Demonstrable affinities to materials and processes
  • Demonstrable interest and involvement in material-based practice with a consideration of associated historical, social and cultural contexts
  • Evidence of proactive engagement with the critical debate around designer maker practice
  • Demonstrable ability and capacity for self-reflection
  • Ambition and aspiration for higher level of practice and research

Making your application

Personal statement

This should be about 500 words long and include:

  • Your reasons for choosing the course
  • Your current creative practice and how this will help with your future plans
  • If you do not have any formal academic qualifications please describe your relevant education and experience

Portfolio advice

The portfolio should show the following:

  • Approximately 10 to 30 images of your work that provide a good overview of your creative practice
  • Show a selection of your work that is relevant to your application. This can include both finished work and examples of your research and development
  • For video, sound or web based work please provide links
  • Where appropriate include captions or short explanations that give context for your work. If you have worked on any group projects explain your role
  • Provide indications of the size and media used
  • A range of work that demonstrates technical skills and documentations of material experimentations and model making, showing complete design development process
  • Examples of professional and or industry experience if appropriate
  • A coherent selection of work which demonstrates a selective approach, that focuses on the work and skills relevant to the proposed MA project
  • Work that demonstrates a close understanding of material qualities and processes which may form the basis of your research

Apply

Apply

What happens next

Communicating with you

After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.

Please add ccw.ukeu@arts.ac.uk to your contacts to ensure that you do not miss any important updates about your application to UAL.

Initial application check and selection

We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to submit a digital portfolio through UAL’s online portfolio review system. These will be reviewed by the academic team.

Following the review of the digital portfolio we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process. These applicants will be invited to book an online interview selection event.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

You will receive the final outcome of your application through the UAL portal.

Applicants for this course may be given an alternative offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.

Feedback requests:

This course receives a high number of applications. Unfortunately, we can’t provide feedback to everyone who is unsuccessful. We can only provide feedback after you’ve had an interview. We are only able to provide feedback to you directly, or to someone you have told us in writing can receive it on your behalf. If you would like to request feedback please email ccw.ukeu@arts.ac.uk.

Deferring your place

This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.

Transfers

If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current postgraduate course and wish to continue your studies at Camberwell College of Arts, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible. Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Application deadline

15 May 2021

We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.

When you’ll hear from us

Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. We’ll be in touch shortly after you apply with information about next steps. Find out more about what happens after you apply.

2021/22 entry

We are no longer accepting applications from international students for 2021/22 entry to this course. We are unable to say at this point if places will become available later in the cycle. If they do, we will reopen applications.

Apply

There are 2 ways international students can apply to a postgraduate course:

Read our immigration and visa information to find out if you need a visa to study at UAL.

What happens next

Communicating with you

After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.

Please add ccw.international@arts.ac.uk to your contacts to ensure that you do not miss any important updates about your application to UAL.

Initial application check

We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to submit a digital portfolio through UAL’s online portfolio review system. These will be reviewed by the academic team.

Following the review of the digital portfolio we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process. These applicants will be invited to book an online interview selection event.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

You will receive the final outcome of your application through the UAL portal.

Applicants for this course may be given an alternative offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.

Feedback requests:

This course receives a high number of applications. Unfortunately, we can’t provide feedback to everyone who is unsuccessful. We can only provide feedback after you’ve had an interview. We are only able to provide feedback to you directly, or to someone you have told us in writing can receive it on your behalf. If you would like to request feedback please email ccw.international@arts.ac.uk.

Deferring your place

This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.

Transfers

If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current postgraduate course and wish to continue your studies at Camberwell College of Arts, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible. Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Application deadline

15 March 2021

We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.

When you’ll hear from us

Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. We’ll be in touch shortly after you apply with information about next steps. Find out more about what happens after you apply.


Fees and funding

Home fee

£11,220 per course

This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 entry. Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Home fees are currently charged to UK resident nationals. However, the rules are complex and you can find out more on our tuition fees pages.

From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information webpage

International fee

£22,920 per course

This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 entry. Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

International fees are currently charged to students from countries outside of the UK. However, the rules are complex and more information can be found on our tuition fees pages.

From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information webpage

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Telephone

+44 (0)20 7514 6302
Address
Camberwell College of Arts
45 - 65 Peckham Road
London
SE5 8UF