Program Overview

2. How you learn

Watch tutors and students talk about what it's like to study as part of an interdisciplinary postgraduate design programme at Sheffield Hallam University.

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

This course is part of the Sheffield Institute of Arts — our creative community within Sheffield Hallam.

The initial modules are taught to all postgraduate design students. You'll focus on gaining a critical understanding of design thinking, theoretical studies, research methods and making practices. In subsequent modules, you will follow your own personal practice, supported by key specialist staff. You are encouraged to consider social and cultural contexts when positioning your creative output. The aim is to develop accessible and marketable products, services, interventions and other forms or propositions.

You learn through

Course leaders and tutors

Melanie Levick-Parkin

MFA Design Course Leader, Senior Lecturer Design

My research interests revolve around Design Anthropology, Co-design and other participatory approaches, which I am exploring in relation to projects focusing on heri … Read more

Applied learning

Live projects

We embed an understanding of, and dialogue with, the creative industries and the world of professional practice beyond the postgraduate studio. Live projects are embedded into specific modules, and you're encouraged to seek industrial sponsors or collaborators for individual projects. The long-established link with our Art and Design Research Centre (ADRC) supports a continuing tradition of graduates from the Masters courses working as research assistants and/or continuing their studies to PhD.

Field trips

There are opportunities to participate in study trips and visits to design conferences and debates.

Networking opportunities

You benefit from studying within a cross-disciplinary, vibrant, international, collaborative and supportive postgraduate environment. You can work alongside our Design Futures consultancy, and with researchers from the ADRC. We also have contacts with leading design agencies and organisations, museums and practitioners, and encourage you to work collaboratively with them.

Your Graphics tutors also have connections and experience in diverse areas such as user-experience design, advertising, structural graphics, typography, branding and marketing.