Program start date | Application deadline |
2025-10-01 | - |
2026-02-01 | - |
2026-10-01 | - |
2027-02-01 | - |
Program Overview
Design
Course Overview
A design research degree offers you the opportunity and time to explore innovative research practice through original, critical works. You’ll have the choice to work on your own design, or with staff on international and external projects in collaborative research in our ongoing practice-based projects.
You’ll make research connections that allow you to explore new concepts and meanings in design. For doctoral study, there’s a key need for design to offer experimentation within environmental, social and sustainable futures in the subject and your discipline.
We understand your research may change as you make new connections and as relevant modes of thought and action become important to you through the course of your research. We’ll work with you as you find the appropriate practice for pursuing your research and related form for consolidating and disseminating your findings.
Research Areas
You’ll be supported by staff whose specialisms include:
- Sustainable technology
- The relationship between music and landscape
- Alternative methods of representation
- Augmented aurality and digital tools for sound representation
- Biophilic design for improving health and wellbeing
- Digital and traditional
- The theory and practice of illustration in advertising and design
- Representational drawing and painting techniques
- The atelier system
- Colour theory
This research contributes to the research priority area Being Human: Past, Present and Future and Creative Practice as Research.
Entry Requirements
- MA or MSc by Research/MRes
- At least a 2.1 honours degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject area
- PhD
- A master’s degree or equivalent in a subject area relevant to the proposed research topic
- Applications from a range of diverse backgrounds
- We actively encourage applications from students from a range of diverse backgrounds who demonstrate appropriate research experience and achievement
- Research methods training
- Candidates who do not possess a master’s degree that includes research methods training at an advanced level are required to complete research methods training
- Interview requirements MA/Mres Art/Design related subjects
- All applicants will be interviewed to ascertain experience, aptitude and current level of innovation, creativity and critical thinking. The interview will also be an opportunity to identify an appropriate supervisory team
- IELTS 6.5 (6.0 writing, 5.5 all other components)
- EU and international students need IELTS 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in any other component) or equivalent
- Research proposal
- Your application should include a research proposal up to 1,000 words (excluding references/appendices) which follows the structure outlined in the research proposal guide
Fees and Costs
You're viewing fees for the PhD Full Time (4 years) course option. Choose a different course option to see corresponding course fees.
Please be aware that students may have to pay a continuation fee if their study continues after the expected duration of their programme.
Start date | Course code | Fee (UK) Fee per year | Fee (international) Fee per year ---|---|---|--- February 2026 | — | £5,350 | £13,425 October 2025 | — | £5,350 | £13,425 February 2027 | — | TBC | TBC October 2026 | — | TBC | TBC International students can benefit from a range of scholarships and bursaries across many undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Careers
Our postgraduate research students cultivate a diverse set of skills that are highly valued in the UK and internationally, preparing them for successful careers within academia and beyond.
As a postgraduate research student at UoG, you’ll develop and refine a range of skills across research, academic practice, project management and critical analysis to equip you for your future. Whether it’s contributing to ground-breaking academic research or applying problem-solving skills in the workplace, we’ll ensure you’re ready to take on your next challenge.
This versatility opens doors to opportunities across various sectors, from education and research institutions to commercial organisations and NGOs, where you’ll have the confidence to apply your researcher skills and develop innovative solutions to meet your ambitions.
Teaching Staff
Academic Course Leader
Prof Abigail Gardner
Academic Course Leader for Design
Visit academic course leader's profile
Can't see your research area listed?
With research submitted in each of our research areas judged to be internationally excellent according to the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), our research supervisors have a broad range of specialisms across a diverse range of subjects.
Get in touch to find out how we can support your research interests by emailing.
Develop your ideas
Challenge your own practice and ideas in a community of practitioners and academics – with a deep commitment to discourse and exchange around their subject and field(s) of knowledge.
Present your ideas
The School of Creatives can help you with opportunities to present conference papers and participate in seminars, public exhibitions and other forms of critical exchange – all as part of your research process.
Practice as research
We’re dedicated to PaR (Practice as Research) and Design Thinking principles that move the work of the designer from the 20th Century artisan who responds to stimulus into the 21st Century design creative where your actions are at the centre of cultural change.
School of Creative Arts
Explore and collaborate with creatives from across the spectrum. We offer the perfect environment to practice your craft and prepare you to graduate career-ready.
Visit the School of Creative Arts
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"I feel completely supported and part of a community"
“My supervisors have provided invaluable leadership to carry me through my PhD, not with praise and cajoling remarks, but instead, through honest evaluation and their confidence that I have the wherewithal to carry out the work.”
Shelley Campbell, research student
Program Outline
Design MA by Research - University of Gloucestershire
Degree Overview
The Design MA by Research program at the University of Gloucestershire offers individuals the opportunity to engage in innovative contemporary research by pursuing original works. Students choose between individually driven research projects or embark on collaborative endeavors with staff, contributing to ongoing, externally focused design projects. The program's objective is to foster exploration at the intersection of design and critical analysis. By delving into new concepts and meanings within the design world, participants engage in the development of novel research methodologies, especially within the realm of environmental, social, and sustainable futures related to their chosen design discipline. The University of Gloucestershire acknowledges the dynamic nature of research and embraces flexibility as research progresses. Collaboration between staff and students ensures appropriate practices are utilized for pursuing individual research objectives and disseminating the final findings effectively.
Outline
Program Content:
- MA by Research participants can explore diverse topics related to design, aligned with their individual interests and research focus.
- Collaborations with staff on ongoing and external research projects provide additional avenues for exploration.
- Specific research themes and areas of expertise embraced by staff include:
- Biophilic design for health and well-being considerations
- The relationship between music and landscape
- Sustainability-focused practices and technologies
- Alternative approaches to artistic representation
- Incorporation of digital tools and augmented aurality for sound representation
- Theory and practice of illustration within advertising and design context
- Traditional and digital rendering techniques
- Implementation of the atelier system within design
- Advanced understanding of color theory
Program Structure:
- Candidates may choose between full-time (2 years) or part-time (3 years) enrolment options.
- The program aligns with the "Being Human: Past, Present and Future" and "Creative Practice as Research" research priority areas.
Modules:
Specific module information is not provided within the context.
Assessment
The context lacks details about the assessment methods employed in the Design MA by Research program.
Teaching
- Instruction focuses on cultivating critical thinking, innovation, and creativity.
- The curriculum adopts the principles of "Practice as Research" and "Design Thinking" paradigms.
- The university emphasizes engagement within a dynamic community of researchers and practitioners.
Careers
Information regarding career paths associated with the Design MA by Research program is not found within the context. However, the focus on research-driven methodologies suggests an emphasis on careers emphasizing advanced research, teaching, or consultancy within the design field.
Other
- Students can present their research findings at conferences, seminars, exhibitions, and through other public forums.
- Participants receive guidance on research ethics and practice guidelines.
Tuition Fees and Payment Information:
UK Fees:
- £5,100 per year