Program Overview

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Master of Design – MDes

The Master of Design (MDes) is a postgraduate qualification that allows students to develop advanced design research skills and knowledge. The program is designed to help students explore creatively, interrogate the fundamentals of their practice, and push their work in new directions.

Type of Qualification

The Master of Design is a master's degree that is classified as a postgraduate study at NZQF level 9.

Time to Complete

The program takes 1 year 6 months to complete full-time (180 credits), with part-time options available.

Where You Can Study

The Master of Design program is offered at the Wellington campus.

International Students

The program is open to international students on campus in New Zealand.

Key Dates

• Admission application due dates
• Course enrolment dates for accepted students
• Semester dates

Study a Master of Design – MDes

The Master of Design program is designed to help students develop advanced design research skills and knowledge. The program includes a thesis project, which is a supervised program of focused design research that takes a challenging real-world problem through to a well-resolved solution.

Real-World Projects

All Master of Design students complete a thesis project, which involves a supervised program of focused design research. The project takes a challenging real-world problem through to a well-resolved solution, such as a product prototype, experience, or system.

Facilities

Students have access to individual studio space and comprehensive technical expertise and facilities, including:

• An industry-scale green screen studio
• Australasia's first Fab Lab
• Industry-standard workshops
• Digital imaging facilities
• Darkrooms

Excellent Faculty and Visiting Practitioners

The program is taught by leading design researchers and practitioners who work nationally and internationally. Students are supervised by experts in their field of design.

Further Study

After completing the Master of Design project, students may be able to develop their work and produce new knowledge with a PhD.

A MDes is a Good Fit if You:

• Love design and what it can do for others
• Are keen on greater depth in conceptual thinking, design research, testing, applied design processes and skills, and transformation in your creative practice
• Are independent, self-motivated, and constantly horizon-scanning and exploring ideas
• Enjoy the challenge of an externally-connected project, whether for commercial, government, cultural, or community-based clients

Entry Requirements

To enter the Master of Design program, students must meet the university's admission requirements and:

• Have been awarded or qualified for a relevant Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification with a minimum grade average of at least B
• Have been awarded or qualified for the Bachelor of Design with Honours with a grade of at least B across the Part Four courses, or equivalent
• Have been awarded or qualified for the Postgraduate Diploma in Design with a grade average of at least B, or equivalent
• Have been granted admission under the Admission with Equivalent Status regulations and demonstrate practical, professional, and scholarly experience at an appropriate level

Students must also:

• Provide a Research Statement prior to interview
• Provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at universities other than Massey University
• If English is not their first language, supply a current IELTS (or equivalent) score

Portfolio Requirements

For more information about portfolio requirements, see the College of Creative Arts' postgraduate applications page.

Application Closing Date

The program has two intakes:

• Semester 1 (February start): Applications close on November 30 for study commencing the following year
• Semester 2 (July start): Applications close on May 15

English Language Requirements

To study this qualification, students must meet Massey University's English language standards.

Time Limits for Honours, Distinction, and Merit

Where a qualification is completed within the stated time limit and to a high standard, students may be able to graduate with Distinction or Merit.

Prior Learning, Credit, and Exemptions

For information on prior learning, exemptions, and transfer of credit, review the Recognition of Prior Learning regulations or contact the university.

English Language Skills

If students need help with their English language skills before starting university, they can take English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.

Maximum Time Limits for Completion

There are maximum time limits to complete postgraduate qualifications. If students do not complete within the maximum time, they may be required to re-apply for the qualification if they wish to continue their studies.

Official Regulations

To understand what students need to study and must complete to graduate, they should read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.

Structure of the Master of Design

The 180-credit Master of Design program takes place over 1.5 years (3 semesters) full-time, offering students time to explore creatively, interrogate the fundamentals of their practice, and push their work in new directions.

Part One

Part One builds students' research and technical skills through the creative research practices course. Students will end by developing their thesis project proposal. Part One comprises 60 credits across:

• Design Research and Development (30 credits)
• Research Methods course (15 credits)
• A 400/700 level elective (15 credits)

Part Two

By Part Two (the 120-credit Thesis Project), students will have a critically informed sense of their positionality as a creative practitioner and carry that into their final project. Those who are most successful generally start the year with a clearly identified problem or project brief.

Courses and Specialisations

Research Methods Courses

• Creative Practice Research Methods (15 credits)
• Māori Research Methodologies for Creative Practice (15 credits)

Research Development Courses

• Design Project: Ideation and Development (30 credits)
• Design Research Development (30 credits)

Subject Courses

• Designing Science Fiction (15 credits)
• Design Awards and Competitions (15 credits)
• Play, Research and Design (15 credits)
• Creative Ecologies (15 credits)
• Social Interventions Through Design (15 credits)
• Creative Arts Special Topic 4B (15 credits)
• Creative Arts Independent Study (15 credits)
• Advanced Studies in Design: Selected Topics 1 (30 credits)
• Advanced Studies in Design: Selected Topics 2 (30 credits)
• Commercial Viability (15 credits)
• Upskilling and Practice-based Knowledge (15 credits)
• Transformative Creative Practice (15 credits)

Part Two

• Design Thesis (120 credits)
• Design Thesis 120 Credit Part 1 (60 credits)
• Design Thesis 120 Credit Part 2 (60 credits)
• Design Thesis 90 Credit Part 1 (30 credits)
• Design Thesis 90 Credit Part 2 (60 credits)
• Capstone Project: Documentation and Reflection (30 credits)
• Capstone Project: Design Practice Synthesis (30 credits)

Fees and Scholarships

2026 Tuition Fees

• Domestic students: $11,615
• International students: $46,100

Tuition fees are estimates only and may vary depending on the courses selected.

Course Fees

Students can view fees for the courses that make up their qualification on the course details pages.

Student Loans and Fees Free Scheme

Students may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying their fees. The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students.

Scholarship and Award Opportunities

• Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) Scholarship
• Cat Pausé Postgraduate Scholarship
• Massey University Master's Research Scholarship
• Massey University Postgraduate Overseas Research Grant
• Massey University Postgraduate Scholarship
• Peter Turner Scholarship in Contemporary Photography
• Professor Tony Parker Scholarship in Industrial Design

Careers and Job Opportunities

Many graduates start their own businesses and have gone on to win high-profile awards and commissions. Master of Design graduates also work as:

• Web designers, here and overseas
• Directors of healthcare product manufacturing
• Creative directors in art agencies and museums
• Technical development consultants
• Design interns in fashion and industrial design companies
• Directors or account managers at publishing houses
• Secondary school art and design teachers

Accreditations and Rankings

The College of Creative Arts ranks in the global top 200 for art and design by QS World University Rankings. Massey is ranked 2nd in Asia Pacific in the international Red Dot Design Ranking for the third consecutive year.

Related Study Options

• Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts – BMVA
• Graduate Diploma in Design – GDipDes
• Graduate Diploma in Screen Arts – GradDipSCA
• Master of Māori Visual Arts – MMVA
• Master of Screen Arts – MSA
• Photography – Bachelor of Design with Honours
• Photography – Bachelor of Design
• Postgraduate Diploma in Design – PGDipDes
• Postgraduate Diploma in Māori Visual Arts – PGDipMVA
• Postgraduate Diploma in Screen Arts – PGDipScreenArts

Related Content

• Planning your study
• Application process overview
• Semester dates