The course is online and builds on an integrated mode of learning where the knowledge acquired in one unit provides the foundation for the learning in the next. Annual knowledge-gathering sprints will bring the student community together to exchange, share and help build an online community.
Unit 2 is designed as an elective unit to broaden access to the wider postgraduate community through interdisciplinary group and work addressing themed global ecological challenges.
Unit 1: Design for Life
Living Systems Approach to Design
In order to reach beyond the limitations and pitfalls of sustainable design, we need to shift how, what and why we design. Informed by deep ecology principles, living system thinking and scenarios for regenerative cultures, this unit deconstructs prior learning. It challenges you to re-evaluate your design practice with radical new lenses that embody living systems thinking and places biodiversity, climate, cultural and socio-economic equity at the heart of your creative process.
By integrating knowledge, tools and methodologies from the fields of ecology and cultural anthropology, this unit will enable you to build the foundations of a holistic and regenerative design practice. The unit starts with a three-day workshop to build an online cohort dynamic by sharing cultural values, design tales and backgrounds as well as introduce the course ethos.
The unit comprises a series of short design briefs combined with lectures, seminars, tutorials, group critiques and workshops. These design briefs will provide a creative canvas for you to experiment with new knowledge informed by planetary boundaries, permaculture, regenerative systems, biodiversity framework, climate research and science-based targets, nature conservation and rewilding, international frameworks and governance, cultural anthropology, decolonisation and indigenous methodologies, holism and ethics of care.
Unit 2 (Elective): Design with Permaculture Principles
Translating permaculture principles in design to address planetary challenges
This unit is shared with other postgraduate courses at Central Saint Martins. You will work in interdisciplinary groups to respond to a global planetary challenge via a regenerative design lens. The challenge will be identified on an annual basis and the unit will start with a workshop to present and frame the design challenge.
Unit 3: Design for and with your local biosphere
Place-based action research
In this unit you will research and develop an individual regenerative design brief related to your local biosphere and community via an action research project. You will explore how to adopt a multi-species approach to design where humans and non-humans can co-habit holistically. You will use living system thinking tools to frame a pertinent research question, establish a relevant network of stakeholders and develop experimental design work.
This unit will include lectures and seminars on ecological, anthropological and design research tools, ethics, as well as new economic frameworks and business models (for example doughnut economics and the circular economy).
At the end of this unit you will present your research proposal, situate your action research (including rationale, research methodology and stakeholder cartography) and map out the regenerative blueprint for your design practice in terms of biodiversity, climate and communties.
Unit 4: Design for regenerative futures
Regenerative design development and conclusions, evaluation and legacy
In this concluding unit, you will use the research and outcomes produced in Unit 3 as a platform to develop a well-resolved final regenerative design project. You will also evaluate and forecast the holistic impact and regenerative legacy of your project in terms of planetary care.
The unit will start with a knowledge-gathering sprint when students will come together for a three-day online workshop to share the outcomes of Unit 3, map regional knowledge for regeneraative design and generate a world view of key stakeholders based on their individual research and development. At the end of this Unit, you will submit an annotated design portfolio and a project presentation at an online public symposium.
Mode of Study
MA Regenerative Design is offered in extended full-time mode which runs for 60 weeks over two academic years. The course is delivered entirely online. You will be expected to commit 30 hours per week to study, which includes teaching time and independent study.
The course has been designed in this way to enable you to pursue studies, while also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities.
Credit and Award Requirements
The course is credit-rated at 180 credits.
On successfully completing the course, you will gain a Master of Arts (MA degree).
Under the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, an MA is Level 7. All units must be passed in order to achieve the MA but the classification of the award is derived from the mark for the final unit only.
If you are unable to continue on the course, a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) will normally be offered following the successful completion of 60 credits, or a Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) following the successful completion of 120 credits.
