Our Alumni Scholarship can reduce fees by up to 20 per cent for UK students. See our Scholarship and Bursaries page for more information.
Full-time
1 year
Part-time
2 years
Typical Offer
School
Campus
Brayford Pool
Validation Status
Validated
Fees
Course Code
DESIGNMA
Dr Jim Shorthose - Programme Leader
Jim completed his PhD at Warwick University Business School in 1997, and has since managed various research units and creative business support programmes, combined with teaching in the university sector - since 2014 in the School of Design at the University of Lincoln. He has written Understanding Creative Business: Values, Networks and Innovation (2011); Where is Creativity?: A Multidisciplinary Approach (2014); several 'pop-up' books and numerous articles dealing with creativity, the creative industries and professional development.
Academic Staff List Make an EnquiryMA Design at the University of Lincoln is a practice-based, multi-disciplinary programme with a studio culture and your self-initiated creative project at its heart.
Taught elements of the programme are geared towards consolidating and expanding your creative thinking, planning, and design execution. You will be encouraged to strengthen your reflective creative practice via explorations of the creative process itself and those allied to future-facing practical design applications in your chosen specialism.
By asking you to reflect on the bridge between design theory and practice, you'll be able to enhance your professional development via improved skills in research, devising and managing particular projects, thinking about end users, and building design communication skills.
MA Design is centred around the belief that the future of the design professions lies in working across traditional design specialisms, being more effective in the 'gig economy', and building a career relevant to the concrete realities of the new cultural economy.
The programme offers insights into a broad range of conceptual debates to help contextualise your creative project and these debates are integrated with practical inquiries to help in the studio and workshop.
Students have access to a wide range of creative technologies and dedicated workspaces, a wide network of creative practitioners from across the Lincoln School of Design, staff working in other disciplines within the University, and creative industry contacts - all of which can help you develop your unique creative project.
If you have any questions about the programme, please contact the MA Design Programme Leader, Dr Jim Shorthose at jshorthose@lincoln.ac.uk.
Modes of study within the course include lectures by staff and visiting practitioners, student-led seminars, student presentations and 'crit' sessions, industry visits, and one-to-one tutorials. There is scope to work on live projects and collaborations with industry when appropriate. You will be asked to contribute to the MA final show in our dedicated exhibition space.
MA Design is made up of six core modules
- Research for Design
- Project Development for Design
- Design: Purpose and User
- Writing Design Proposals
- Critical Review of Current Practices
- Final Major Project
MA Design is a studio-based programme of practice, study, and research. Modes of study within the programme include lectures by staff and visiting practitioners, seminars (staff and student-led), studio practice sessions, studio critiques and presentations, interim exhibitions and reviews, visits, workshops, and skills training sessions. There are an increasing number of one-to-one tutorials as the course progresses towards the individual Major Project.
† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.
The different modules which make up the programme have different forms of assessment. These include keeping a reflective journal, a portfolio of practical design work in progress, student presentations, written reports, a critical review of practice, and a final show.
For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, you can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.
Students may need to acquire specialist equipment in order to complete their proposed negotiated projects. These materials are dependent on the nature of the design practice. These are in addition to the Universitys own equipment and specialised facilities, such as computer labs, the maker lab, the print workshop, and the machine workshop, which are available for students to use.
Please note that international applications for taught postgraduate programmes starting in September 2022 have now closed.
A minimum 2:2 honours degree or equivalent professional experience.
If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages for information on equivalent qualifications.
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/
Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page.
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/
If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-session English and Academic Study Skills courses.
https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills/
These specialist courses are designed to help students meet the English language requirements for their intended programme of study.
Award-winning furniture designer, Sebastian Cox, developed his unique style at the University of Lincoln. He has showcased work specially commissioned by Sir Terence Conran, and has created pieces for Burberry. He was asked to create a bespoke item of furniture to exhibit as part of the The Wish List installation, held at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in September 2014. Sebastian is recognised as a pioneer of sustainable design in Britain.
Sebastian took part in a live interview discussing his work as part of the 2020 Virtual Design Festival.
We interview all applicants where appropriate.
The MA Design programme maintains regular links with current practising designers and these individuals form part of a vibrant and regular visiting lecturer series.
The MA Design programme maintains regular links with current practising designers and these individuals form part of a vibrant and regular visiting lecturer series.
Find out more about how postgraduate study can help further your career, develop your knowledge, or even prepare you to start your own business at one of our postgraduate events.
Find out MoreMA by Research Art is designed to allow independent research in an area of personal choice.
A studio-based course for those who wish to develop their critical, research, practical, and professional art practice at the highest level
This MA is designed for art, architecture, and design graduates who wish to specialise in creative approaches to the making of interior
At Lincoln, we strive to make sure our student experience is engaging, supportive, and academically challenging. That is why, in response to the issues presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been prioritising face-to-face teaching sessions for our new and returning students in areas where they are the most valuable, such as seminars, tutorials, workshops, and lab and practical sessions. Additional online opportunities have been introduced where they support learning and have been shown to be successful and popular with our current students.
Safety remains a key focus. We are fully prepared to adapt our plans if changes in Government guidance makes this necessary, and we will endeavour to keep current and prospective students informed. For more information about how we are working to keep our community safe, please visit our coronavirus web pages.