Program Overview

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Overview

The Product Design MA is part of the School of Art and Humanities MA Art & Design Suite, an innovative approach to postgraduate taught education that brings together disciplines from across art and design to produce a collaborative programme of courses that foreground the shared practices, processes and values of art and design in the 21st century.

This course has a practical application of 3D Design and encourages you to turn concepts into forms, and forms into real-world objects. The course aims to expand your undergraduate base by encouraging you to engage with more advanced and trans-disciplinary approaches to design development, material technologies, fabrication processes and manufacturing techniques, including an exploration of advanced 3D digital technologies in our Phidias Lab that contains cutting-edge digital tools essential as part of a 21st century toolkit.

Key Information

Entry requirements

• An Honours degree (2:2 or above) in a relevant subject or an equivalent professional qualification.
• Alternative qualifications and/or significant experience may be accepted, subject to approval.
• International students with qualifications in 'creative' or 'practice' subjects should submit a digital portfolio (pdf) of work with their application.
• All suitably qualified applicants are normally invited in for an informal chat with a portfolio or considered for admittance under alternative arrangements.
• If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent.

Start dates

• 22 September 2025
• 12 January 2026

Duration

• 1 year full-time

Course Detail

Modules

• Research Methods and Project Proposal
• Creative Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Creative Studio
• Advanced 3D Digital Design
• Product Design Major Project

Teaching and Assessment

The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops and a programme of design projects. Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course. Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results.

What can I research?

Research plays an important role in informing all our teaching and learning activities. Through research our staff remain up-to-date with the latest developments in their field, which means you have the opportunity to benefit and develop knowledge and skills that are current and highly relevant. For more information, visit the Innovative Design Lab Research Centre (IDL) and the Centre for Cultural Ecologies in Art, Design and Architecture (CEADA)

Facilities

The University of Huddersfield offers state-of-the-art facilities, including:

• Virtual Reality Lab
• Phidias Lab for VR
• 3D printers for rapid prototyping
• Barbara Hepworth Building
• Library
• Group work facilities
• Mac Studio

Fees and Finance

Tuition Fees - full-time

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate students on this course will be £8,900 (Band 2). Tuition fees for UK students will cover the cost of your study at the University. For more information about funding, fees and finance for UK students, including what your tuition fee covers, please see our Fees and Finance.

Additional costs

• Field Trips: As part of MA Design courses, students are encouraged to visit museums, galleries, exhibitions, design practices.
• Materials: You’ll need to supply some of your own materials during the course, such as sketch pads and basic drawing equipment. We also recommend you purchase an external hard drive to back up your work. For some projects, you may choose 3D printing as an alternative to making models by hand or produce a 3D animation/VR outputs. You’ll need to cover the cost if you choose 3D printing, and costs can range between approximately £20 and £300 depending on the size, output quality and complexity of the model.

Career Support

We know you’re coming to university to undertake your course, meet new people and broaden your horizons. However, we also help you to focus on life after you have graduated to ensure that your hard work pays off and you achieve your ambition. So while you’re here (and even after you graduate) the Careers and Employability Service offer professional help, support and guidance, including industry-supported workshops, careers fairs and one-to-one guidance sessions.

Research Excellence

Our researchers carry out work that makes a real difference to people's lives:

• We are in the top 50 UK universities for Research Power.
• Three quarters of all our research is world leading and internationally excellent.
• Over 60% of our research environment was classified as world leading and internationally excellent, especially in Music, Biological Sciences, Architecture and Built Environment, Social Work and Social Policy, History and Communication and Media Studies.

Student Support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey.

Important information

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.