Flexible, imaginative, innovative and collaborative, industrial designers must respond to rapid commercial and technological change. Increasingly, designers are called on to take a proactive role in industry and to get involved in strategic decision-making.

MA Industrial Design students anticipate and initiate change in all areas of industrial design - in consumer-durable and capital goods, in transport, packaging and sanitary ware, in furniture for private, corporate or public environments, in architectural space, in interface design and design management, and in strategies for corporate and governmental development.

The relationships between industrial designers, manufacturers, retailers, purchasers and users are constantly being renegotiated, demanding greater flexibility and wider knowledge of industry and commerce. Against this backdrop, managerial skills are often as important as the engineering and creative skills required to develop design concepts. MA Industrial Design emphasises self-directed and peer-group learning, benefiting hugely from the range of cultures and backgrounds represented by our students.

MA Industrial Design lasts 60 weeks structured as two consecutive periods of 30 weeks each (i.e. two academic years) in its 'extended full-time mode'.

MA Industrial Design is credit rated at 180 credits, and comprises 2 units. Unit 1 (60 credits) lasts 20 weeks. Unit 2 (120 credits) runs for 10 weeks in the first year and 30 weeks in the second year.

Both units must be passed in order to achieve the MA, but the classification of the award of MA derives from your mark for Unit 2 only.

You are expected to commit 30 hours per week to your studies, within which, your taught input will normally be scheduled over three days. MA Industrial Design has been designed in this way to enable you to pursue your studies, whilst also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities

Course outline

MA Industrial Design is comprised of two Units. The first consists of a series of projects varying in length from one to six weeks. These introduce you to a variety of research methods and issues relevant to the discipline, which are then directly implemented in the creation/realisation of design work.

Unit two sees the process become less closely defined in the brief, as you are given more freedom to explore a 'theme' in the transitional project. Together, these projects form the structural and contextual basis from which you plan and then undertake your own project. You define your own research question, aims and objectives and decide on an appropriate research methodology. Through and iterative process of planning, research, design, making, testing and evaluation, your project will evolve to a point of partial or complete resolution for the final assessment.

The course postgraduate culminates in an exhibition.

Most MA Industrial Design graduates work in design consultancies or manufacturing industries worldwide. Some go on to do PhD studies or commercial research. Others are distinguished and influential designers or design managers in global companies.

MA Industrial Design provides a professionally oriented environment that applies intellectual development directly to design practice. It enables students to evolve as designers able take on a strategic role, to develop their ability to identify and respond to social, technological and economic trends, to initiate new approaches to design, and to participate at a high level in the work of multidisciplinary teams.

MA Industrial Design has recently enjoyed collaborative projects with BT, Camper, Dior, GlaxoSmithKline, Hermès, J Paul Getty Museum, London Underground, the Metropolitan Police service, Rémy Martin and Virgin Megastores.

Employers of recent MA Industrial Design graduates include: Fitch, Tangerine, Seymour Powell, Nokia, LG, Samsung, Herman Miller, Nestle, The Future Laboratory, Tangerine, Lenovo, BenQ, Acer.

MA Industrial Design entry requirements are: Honours degree; evidence of experiential learning equivalent to a degree; and normally at least one year of relevant professional experience.

Relevant fields are: product design, three-dimensional design or furniture design.

Applicants are also considered from related disciplines such as ceramic design, interface design, architecture, jewellery design, engineering and ergonomics.

Portfolios from these areas must demonstrate some proficiency in industrial design skills, however, and demonstrate that personal and professional aspirations are compatible with the aims of the course

Applicants normally have at least one year of professional experience.

Scholarships

David Peacock Trust. A small registered charity (number 1080160), established in 2000 in memory of David Peacock, an industrial designer who became Chairman of a UK-based manufacturing and service group that achieved international success under his leadership.
The Trust’s objective is to support the advancement of education in the field of industrial product design in Britain, focusing on support for postgraduate students on selected UK courses. For further details please visit the David Peacock Trust website.
 

Royal Commissions for the Exhibition of  1851 Industrial Design Studentships. Background:
To stimulate industrial design capability among the country’s most able science and engineering graduates.
About eight Industrial Design Studentships are offered each year for outstanding engineering or science  graduates who wish to develop their capabilities in industrial design and who  aspire to becoming leading designers in British industry.
For further information please see the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 website. (NB application deadline 26 April 2012)

English language requirement

All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language, we strongly recommend you send us an English language test score together with your application to prove your level of proficiency. If you have booked a test or are awaiting your results, please clearly indicate this on your application form. When you have received your test score, please send it to us immediately. The standard English language requirement for entry is IELTS 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in any one paper, or equivalent. For further information visit the Language Centre website.
 
Applicants who will need a Tier 4 General Student Visa should check the External English Tests page which provides important information about UK Border Agency (UKBA) requirements. 

Student selection criteria

Applicants will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

• That you can generate and communicate a range of ideas
• You can analyse a design problem from a number of perspectives and generate a range of design responses to a particular problem
• That you can show that your personal and professional aspirations are compatible with the aims and objectives of MA Industrial Design
• That you can demonstrate the necessary fluency in your design process to be able to benefit from the postgraduate course

Application advice

As part of the application you are asked to write a project proposal using the following guidelines:

Project title

Subject area What disciplines or external expertise will inform the development of your project?

Aim(s) of the project What would you expect to achieve in one year?

Plan of work Research plan, indicative timetable, etc.

Project outcome(s) What would be the main focus of the design outcome for this project?

You are also asked to submit an accompanying portfolio. We recommend that you send bound printouts rather than original artwork (including sketchbooks). We prefer not to review portfolios on screen – please send flat work rather than disks.

Home/EU and Intrnational applicants

Download your MA Industrial Design application pack:

• MA Industrial Design application pack - international [Word, 0.5mb]
• MA Industrial Design application pack - home/EU [Word, 0.5mb]

Each form contains detailed information about the application process.

Your application must include:

• A completed application form
• A project proposal explaining what role the course would play in your personal and professional development and where you aim to locate yourself within the cultural and commercial industries
• Copies of your latest qualifications certificates
• Two references. At least one should be an academic or professional reference.
• Documentation of your work, where applicable in the form of digital prints

Please ensure your application is complete. If you're sending references separately, please state this clearly. We recommend you send your application by recorded mail. Due to the large number of applications we get, we cannot send confirmation that your application has been received.

Further information for International applicants

Our website includes all the information you need to successfully apply. However, if you still have unanswered questions about the admissions process, please contact us. Email: international@csm.arts.ac.uk

The University has a dedicated team to help prepare you for your studies. For help on visa requirements, housing, tuition fees and language requirements visit the University's International section.

The Language Centre offers international students quality language training from qualified and experienced teachers. The Pre-sessional Academic English Programme is available to all international (non-EU) students who have been offered a place on a full time course at the University of the Arts. For further information visit the Language Centre website.

We also offer a number of short courses that enable students to improve their portfolios and English skills before applying to their chosen course. For further information visit our Short Course section.

Home/EU applicants please send your completed application to: Student Administration, MA Industrial Design, Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, University of the Arts London, Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA

International applicants please send your completed application to: International Office, MA Industrial Design, Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, University of the Arts London, Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA

When to apply

Applications can be submitted throughout the year. Places are limited, however, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible (prior to March/April) to avoid disappointment. We start interviews in January.

Home/EU applicants who wish to apply for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) bursary should apply to the college before 1 March 2012

Deferred entry

Entry can only be deferred in exceptional circumstances. Please contact us before submitting your application if you're considering applying for deferred entry.

What happens next?

We read and consider all application forms and personal references. Please note we give particular attention to your project proposal and references.

Subject to your meeting the entry requirements and consideration of your application form, preliminary selection is based on your project proposal and documentation of work and supporting information. You may then be invited to attend an interview when you should bring an up to date portfolio of your work. For candidates applying for external funding, interviews will be scheduled prior to funding body deadlines.

Can't attend the interview?

If you're a home/EU or international applicant unable to attend for interview, the MA Industrial Design Course Leader would hope to discuss your application by telephone.

In the case of applicants unable to attend for interview and unable to discuss their application by telephone, a decision regarding the offer of a place on the course will be made on the basis of a review of the application materials. We keep notes about decisions made following the initial application review and the interview process.

Selection is by two members of staff (normally the Course Leader and one other), and offers of places are made on the basis of our selection criteria. Applicants are informed of the decision via either Student Administration or the International Office.

Open days

Open days are a great opportunity to meet staff and students and to find out at first hand about courses, teaching and student life. Visit the open day section for dates to book your session. Bookings can only be made online, not by phone or email.