Creative Unions: Designing Resilience
With the Central Saint Martins Creative Unions exhibition now at a close, we continue to take a closer look at the themes and works which comprised the show. Society is organised […]
MA Industrial Design
College
CSM
Start date
September 2019
Course length
Extended full time: 2 years (60 weeks) - learn more
Course summary
MA Industrial Design develops students to take on strategic roles, identify and respond to trends, initiate new design approaches and thrive in multidisciplinary teams.
Through project work, the course engages four design emphases: Enterprise, Publics, Discourse and Service. These disciplinary frames locate broadening professional practices and offer forward-looking conceptualisations of Industrial Design as a discipline that is open for exploration, advancement and challenge.
Central Saint Martins' Product and Industrial Design courses are recognised for world-class excellence by the award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education 2013.
This course is part of the Product, Ceramic and Industrial Design Programme.
Great reasons to apply
- Benefit from a multi-disciplinary art school environment made up of an exceptionally diverse community of creative individuals
- Explore and develop new perspectives and design methods in an intense and challenging curriculum
- The course has a strong track record of work with businesses and social enterprises
- Use the world’s most cosmopolitan city as a living resource
- This programme is recognised for excellence by the award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its contributions to the creative economy.
Open days
Saturday, 12 January at 2pm
Saturday, 13 July at 2pm
Scholarships, awards and funding
Jane Rapley Scholarships
UAL Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships:
Home/EU | International
Subject specific awards
The Conran Foundation Scholarship
Rodney Fitch Scholarship
MA Industrial Design Bursary
The David Peacock Trust
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Industrial Design Studentships
Postgraduate loans of up to £10,000 are now available for eligible UK and EU students. A full list of eligibility criteria and information on applying can be found on the postgraduate loans webpage.
Students Lily Saporta Taguiri, Zhen Jiang, Lucy Mulholland and Xiang Guan discuss their Degree Show work.
Queen's Anniversary Award awarded for Innovation in Design Education.
MA Industrial Design stories
Creative Unions: Making Public
With our Creative Unions exhibition now open at Central Saint Martins, we take a closer look at the themes and works which comprise the show. The 53 works in the exhibition are […]
Take Five: Yuie Yu
With Degree Show season now at a close, we look back at our students’ final projects and the inspirations behind them. MA Industrial Design student Yuie Yu’s final project examines […]
What is Critical Design?
Last week the College celebrated the launch of Critical Design in Context by Course Coordinator for MA Industrial Design Matt Malpass. The first book to describe the discipline, Critical Design […]
Show Two Theme: Mind Matters
For Show Two: Design, we connect the dots on students presenting their work to the public for the first time. Visitors to Show Two could see an old man, dressed in […]
Making Connections with MA Industrial Design
For the past decade, Connections has been the first project for students on MA Industrial Design. Each student creates a dynamic, mechanical object that reflects their own personality, which then link together to form a […]
Course details
MA Industrial Design lasts 60 weeks structured as three consecutive periods of 20 weeks each (i.e. two academic years) in 'extended full-time mode' which means that students typically commit 30 hours per week to their studies and scheduled teaching is programmed over 2-3 days
MA Industrial Design is credit rated at 180 credits and comprises three units. Unit One (60 credits) lasts 20 weeks. Unit Two (60 credits) runs for 10 weeks in the first year and 10 weeks in the second year. Unit Three (60 credits runs for 20 weeks)
Units One and Two must be passed in order to progress to Unit Three
The MA certification (Pass, Pass with Merit or Pass with Distinction) derives from the assessment for Unit Three only
An exit award of Postgraduate Certificate can be awarded on completion of Unit One
An exit award of Postgraduate Diploma can be awarded on completion of Unit Two
Teaching consists of lectures, seminars, demonstrations, workshops, fieldtrips, tutorials and project work carried out individually and in groups.
Industry collaborations
The Course has extensive experience of collaboration with external agencies. MA Industrial Design has recently enjoyed collaborative projects with Visa, Renault, Microsoft, Kenzo, Roche Bobois, Camper, Dior, Hermès, Public Collaboration Lab with Camden Council and Design Against Crime Research Centre.
Course units
Course outline
- Unit One: Critical and Methodological Approaches to Design, consists of a series of projects varying in length from one to six weeks. These introduce a variety of research methods and issues relevant to the discipline which are then directly implemented in the creation/realisation of design work. The unit also includes collaborative projects with students from other courses in the college
- Unit Two: Positioning and Professional Practice focuses on a review and positioning of contemporary design territories and engagement with external experts and agencies. The unit typically consists of 1x8 week project, 3x1 week projects and six weeks of studio practice
- Unit Three: Self-Directed Design Research requires the student to specify, manage, implement and evaluate a self-directed design project informed by themes and issues identified in Unit Two. This unit consists of 20 weeks self-directed study with tutorial support.
Staff
Nick Rhodes
Programme Leader, Product, Ceramic and Industrial Design; Course Leader, MA Industrial Design
Matt Malpass
Course Coordinator, Course Tutor, MA Industrial Design
Ralph Ball
Course Tutor, MA Industrial Design; Subject Leader Furniture, MA Design: Ceramics, Furniture or Jewellery
Stephen Hayward
Course Tutor, Associate Lecturer, MA Industrial Design
Tutor: Betti Marenko
Associate Lecturer: Adrian Allen
Associate Lecturer: Michael Burton
Associate Lecturer: Michiko Nitta
Associate Lecturer: Erika Renedo Illarregi
Associate Lecturer: Mark Simpkins
Associate Lecturer: Nigel Burgess
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 entry requirements for this course are as follows:
- An Honours degree in a relevant field: product design, 3D design, furniture design, service design, interaction design, architecture, engineering and ergonomics. Applicants are also considered from related disciplines but portfolios from these areas must demonstrate proficiency in industrial design and demonstrate that personal and professional aspirations are compatible with the aims of the course
- Or an equivalent EU / international qualification
AND normally at least one year of relevant professional experience.
APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning
Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. 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.
English Language Requirements
IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English Language requirements webpage).
Selection criteria
Applicants will be selected on the basis of the following criteria relevant to the discipline of industrial design. These criteria are assessed through a review of the Personal Statement, Portfolio and Interview. Interviews are only arranged on the basis that the portfolio demonstrates the applicant’s ability to skilfully generate and communicate a range of ideas addressing problems relevant to the discipline of industrial design.
- Demonstrate that your personal and professional aspirations are compatible with the aims and objectives of MA Industrial Design (Personal Statement/Interview)
- You can demonstrate the necessary fluency in your design process to benefit from the course (Portfolio review/Personal Statement/Interview).
You can demonstrate the necessary fluency in your design process to be able to benefit from the postgraduate course (Portfolio review/Personal Statement/Interview).
Making your application
For EU applicants concerned about Brexit, please see our dedicated page: Brexit Information for Students.
You should apply by clicking on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
Start your application now
Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:
General information
Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
Current English language level
Current and/or previous education and qualification details
Employment history
Personal Statement
You will need to submit a short statement about why you want to study MA Industrial Design. This gives us a picture of your interests and your suitability for our course.
Here are some tips for what you could include:
- Please give your reasons for applying to your chosen course?
- Please provide details of your particular subject interests, relevant experience or abilities?
- What you wish to achieve on the course, and your career aspirations?
We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all of the information above.
Application deadline
To guarantee consideration for entry you must successfully complete an online application with all supporting documents by 25 January 2019, and submit a digital portfolio by 31 January 2019. We reserve the right to close the applications after the above deadline subject to the spaces available.
There are two ways international students can apply:
- One of our official representatives in your country
- A direct application.
If you are applying directly you click on the link to the direct form below. The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
For further advice on how to apply please visit the UAL International Application page.
Start your application now
Central Saint Martins does not accept applications for deferred entry. You should therefore apply in the year you wish to study.
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following information when completing the online application form:
General information
Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses)
Current English language level
Current and/or previous education and qualification details
Employment history
Personal Statement
You will need to submit a short statement about why you want to study MA Industrial Design. This gives us a picture of your interests and your suitability for our course.
Here are some tips for what you could include:
- Please give your reasons for applying to your chosen course?
- Please provide details of your particular subject interests, relevant experience or abilities?
- What you wish to achieve on the course, and your career aspirations?
We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all of the information above.
Immigration history check
Whether you are applying online or through a UAL representative you will need to complete an immigration history check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL. If you do not complete the check we will not be able to proceed with your application.
We cannot consider your application if you do not provide all of the information above.
Application deadline
To guarantee consideration for entry you must successfully complete an online application with all supporting documents by 25 January 2019, and submit a digital portfolio by 31 January 2019. We reserve the right to close the applications after the above deadline subject to the spaces available.
After you apply
Communicating with you
After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents or book an audition, through the portal. You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.
What happens next
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 portfolio through the UAL Portal.
Portfolio Review
Your portfolio should demonstrate your ability to skilfully generate and communicate a range of ideas addressing problems relevant to the discipline of industrial design including:
- The generation and communication of a range of ideas
- The analysis of a design problem from a number of perspectives to generate a range of design responses to a particular problem
- The necessary fluency in your design process to be able to benefit from this postgraduate course
- Your thinking and decision making through a design process
Interview
Following the review of your application and portfolio, we select a number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process. These applicants will be invited to a telephone interview. Notification of these will be sent out by mid-February 2019. We aim to complete all interviews by end of March and to communicate all decisions by mid-April 2019.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
You will receive the outcome of your application through the UAL Portal.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU fee
Tuition fees for 2019/20: £6,265 per year. Please note that fees for second year of study will be subject to inflationary increase.
£500 per annum discount for all students who have completed a PG Dip/Cert or an undergraduate course including Grad Dip/Cert, at UAL.
You can pay course tuition fees in instalments for this course.
ELQ
Home/EU students whose chosen course is at a level equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification that they already hold, would will be charged the fees shown above, plus an additional £1,100 (called the 'ELQ' fee). Students in receipt of Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) are exempt from ELQ fees and will pay the original fee, regardless of the highest qualification held. If you have a query regarding the ELQ fee, please use this register your interest form.
International fee
Tuition fees for 2019/20: £14,305 per year.
£500 per annum discount for all students who have completed a PG Dip/Cert or an undergraduate course including Grad Dip/Cert, at UAL.
You can pay course tuition fees in instalments for this course.
Additional costs
In addition to tuition fees you are very likely to incur additional costs such as travel expenses and the cost of materials. Please read the information on our additional costs page.
Accommodation
Find out about the accommodation options available and how much they will cost.
Scholarships and awards
There are a number of scholarships and awards available to students on this course. Use our search tool to find out more information.
Careers and alumni
A typical graduate should have a thorough knowledge of contemporary product design and development, and be able to adopt a critical perspective on both their own work and that of their contemporaries. In addition, the emphasis on self-directed study should equip graduates with appropriate methods and strategies for successful project management both within teams and as individuals. The typical aspiration of graduates is to find work in the consulting field. Following significant shifts in this industry over the last 10-15 years, many graduates working in consultancy find themselves in roles that can be described as designer, design strategy, service innovation, forecasting, or management in addition to straightforward new product development.
The second largest area of graduate employment is through in-house design for manufacturing companies. Increasingly students establish their own studios and have moved to work in charitable organisations and the third sector. A number develop careers in commercial research and also progress to study at PhD. Graduates are now distinguished and respected designers and design managers in international companies.
Employers of recent MA Industrial Design graduates include: Plan UK, Projects by If, Mother, Catapult Satellite Industries UK, Itsu, Arup, Microsoft, Open Desk, Fitch, Tangerine, Seymour Powell, Nokia, LG, Samsung, Herman Miller, The Future Laboratory, Tangerine, Lenovo, BenQ, Acer.
