Human-Centred Design

Program Overview

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MA, PG Cert, PG Dip Human-Centred Design

Introduction

Studying Human-Centred Design at ARU pushes your design thinking and design practice beyond existing boundaries, towards interconnected, holistic, and systemic approaches addressing human and planetary challenges, and makes a positive contribution to society, health, and planet through ethical and systemic design interventions.

Course Options

• 1 year full-time
• Start dates: September
• Location: Cambridge

Key Facts

• Study options: 1 year full-time
• Start dates: September
• Location: Cambridge
• Fees:
  • £11,100 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)
  • £19,500 International students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

Student Experience

• Work closely with students from across the Cambridge School of Art
• Deliver public-facing events
• Collaborate on industry-led projects
• Develop a broad understanding of people, culture, and context from the perspective of design

Teaching and Assessment

• Studio-based activities and industry-led briefs
• Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary group projects
• Self-initiated and self-directed research project
• Assessment methods:
  • Research analysis and translation
  • Design process, experimentation, concept generation, and realisation
  • Portfolio and visual communication
  • Critical understanding and reflective practice
  • Employability skills
  • Market, human, and planet identified issues and plans of action
  • Backcasting and forecasting skills and approaches

Entry Requirements

• A good honours degree (or equivalent), normally in a related subject
• Applicants with professional experience are also encouraged to apply
• IELTS 6.5 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification

Fees and Paying for University

• Tuition fees for UK students: £11,100 (2025/26, full-time, per year)
• Tuition fees for international students: £19,500 (2025/26, full-time, per year)
• Funding options: postgraduate loans, ARU scholarships, and alumni discounts

Facilities and Showcase

• Industry-standard equipment: Adobe Creative suite, Apple iMacs, wide-format printers, and scanners
• Futures Lab and workshop equipment: 3D printers, laser cutters, and material-specific extruders
• Creative Showcase: a digital platform showcasing student work and university events

Lecturers

• Idrees Rasouli: Deputy Head and Course Director
• Other lecturers: experienced professionals with industry connections

Careers

• Career paths: Human-Systems Designer, Ethical Researcher and Interventionist, New Product Designer, Innovation Designer, UX/UI Designer/Researcher, and more
• Employability skills: personal innovation, risk-taking, independent enquiry, effective communication, negotiation, interpersonal, management, team-working, and research
• Support: Personal Development Planning (PDP) tool, ARU Employability Service, and ARU Enterprise and Innovation

Apply Now

• Apply online for MA, PG Cert, PG Dip Human-Centred Design
• Contact Admissions Customer Service Team for more information

Life in Cambridge

• Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge
• Explore ARU's favourite places in Cambridge and discover the city's charm

Benefits of Postgraduate Study

• Improve employability, progress in your career, and take on an intellectual challenge with our flexible postgraduate degrees
• Postgraduate study at ARU: a great way to enhance your skills and knowledge

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Program Outline

Assessment:

Through studio-based activities and industry-led briefs, you will develop knowledge, skills and understanding in human-centred design including technical and digital skills. You’ll also take part in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary group projects, which will help you develop a range of transferable skills considered essential in the successful creative practitioner, including personal innovation, risk-taking, independent enquiry, effective communication, negotiation, interpersonal, management, team-working and research. A third of the course will be devoted to your own self-initiated and self-directed research project, in which you will produce an artefact and business plan. You will also receive training in research methods and ethics, applying and testing your knowledge and understanding of this throughout the course, as well as learning about historical, economic, contextual, cultural, environmental, and professional aspects of the field, delivered as part of your projects. You will be assessed through a range of methods that reflect the current needs of the design industry, including research analysis and translation; design process, experimentation, concept generation and realisation; portfolio and visual communication; critical understanding and reflective practice; employability skills; market, human, and planet identified issues and plans of action; backcasting and forecasting skills and approaches.

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Careers:

Our MA Human Centred Design will help you achieve a career within the public, private, and third sector in roles such as: Human-Systems Designer Ethical Researcher and Interventionist New Product Designer Innovation Designer UX/UI Designer/Researcher Human Behaviour Strategist Human-Service Designer Experiential Designer Human-Machine Designer Usability Specialist Policy Designer Mobility and Environments Designer. All of our modules integrate professional practice, and you’ll be introduced to different aspects of the design industry by the teaching team and external guests. This will help you develop an appreciation and awareness of the changing role of designers, and the increasing responsibilities within possible career paths. Your awareness of current practices and responsibilities will develop at an early stage of your studies, particularly in the Design Ethics and Design Practices modules. You’ll also use the Personal Development Planning (PDP) tool to record, map and review your employability skills and experience across the course, and through the self-initiated and self-directed Human-Centred Design project, develop your own personalised employability plan. Supported by academic and technical staff as well as the ARU Employability Service and ARU Enterprise and Innovation, you’ll develop project-specific business plans, commercialisation and intellectual property objectives, as well as CV and interview skills. These in-house centres also provide: daily drop-in sessions careers advice and guidance workshops covering job search, making applications, and designing CVs interview preparation Job Fairs, employability events and presentations from employers job opportunities, internships, and work placements.

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Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

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Tuition fees for UK students (2024/25)

£10,600 UK students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year) ARU graduates may be eligible for an Alumni Scholarship and get a 20% fee discount. Fees are payable upfront, in full or in instalments, but there's no need to pay until you've accepted an offer to study with us. Find out more about paying your fees.

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Tuition fees for international students (2024/25)

£18,600 International students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year) Tuition fees for international students (2024/25) £18,600 International students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year) You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter Find out about paying your fees. For postgraduate courses, international ARU graduates are automatically considered for an International Alumni Scholarship, worth £3,000 off first-year fees.