MA in Design - Expanded Practice (Pathway 6 - Culture and Ecologies)

This is a radical post-disciplinary programme for practitioners who want to push the boundaries of what design can be and do.During the Masters we work with you to transform your practice as a critical and social undertaking.By challenging the role and norms of traditional design towards an emerging type of ‘advanced design’, unshackled from the history of specialisms and entrenched methods, you will become part of a community of practice. You'll be encouraged to actively contribute to a deep understanding of how design is set to address and affect change within contemporary society.Whatever your background or previous degree we expect you to examine your own practice. This might be in a traditional field of design such as graphic design, product design, fashion design or interior design. Other fields such as teaching, social science, humanities, curating, engineering, science and business are also considered practices and are welcomed on the programme.The MA is structured around thematic areas of investigation (Studios) which situates you – the practitioner – in a particular field of study and reference. Culture & EcologiesThis Studio considers the role of design (as both an outcome and a practice) in the formation of cultures, or ‘worlds’. Considering ‘ecologies’ as the messy collections of – and interdependencies between – matter, artefacts, and species grounded in particular spaces and timeframes, the studio supports designers to critically reevaluate the socio-cultural-material systems of which we are a part.Through the facilitation of interventions, events, adjustments, research and workshops, the studio fosters practitioners' ‘response-ability’, allowing for practical engagement with questions concerning design’s ethical responsibilities to the planet, environments, and cultures (both human and non-human). These responsibilities are seen not as barriers, or things to be ‘overcome’ or ‘solved’, but rather departure points.

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject.

If you don't have a related undergraduate degree, we also welcome those who have significant practical experience in a design-related field: you will be judged on the relevance of your previous work experience and on your art and/or design work. We will also consider applicants who do not have a design-related background but who have engaged in research either in academia (as students or academics) or at work.

We expect a high standard of achievement in design or other creative practice, and competencies in the use of equipment used to produce design work (IT and/or manufacture workshop skills).

You need to present, in portfolio and at interview, evidence of evolved critical and creative thinking in design.