Intro

On this established course, designers and creatives use practice-based design research to examine the challenges of sustainable development and present original ideas for more sustainable futures.

You will be learning in Brighton, a progressive city where sustainability and social concerns are high on the agenda. You will be working alongside experts in design, ecology, psychology and business in lively postgraduate studio spaces. We provide a stimulating environment that will encourage you to explore and challenge existing ideas and develop new propositions for sustainable development.

Throughout the course, you will gain knowledge and skills in speculative and critical design, design research and business-focused design innovation. You will leave us with the confidence and aspirations needed to become an effective agent of change – ready to enter a world where sustainable development forms the foundations of good design.

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Apply online

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Apply now for your place

Course content

Why study with us?

As a student of this course you will benefit from our innovative interdisciplinary approach to sustainable design that incorporates ideas from ecology, psychology and business with a balance of theory and practice.
You will be joining a vibrant community, and will study in a collaborative environment of dedicated workshops and studios.
Brighton is one of Europe's most progressive and creative cities, providing the ideal backdrop and inspiration for the subject.
Our guest lecturer programme features inspiring staff from industry including Richard Gilbert (director of The Agency for Design), Oliver Heath (founder of OH Designs) and Doug McMaster, zero-waste restaurant founder.
You will meet a diverse and inspiring group of fellow students – people join us with backgrounds in graphic design, illustration, architecture, fashion, education, politics, product design and more. Introduce yourself on our Sustainable Design Facebook group.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Extensive workshops provide a key part of the student experience.

Areas of study

Core modules

Situate
This module will introduce established and emerging principles, theories, and thematics in design. The module will help you situate yourself, your interests and practices within contemporary design discourses and global contexts and help identify and nurture personal motivations within your area of specialisation.

Themes covered may include sustainability, powers and politics, equalities, systemic complexity, and creating change through design.

Sustainable Design: Studio
In this module, you will develop your own practice in sustainable design through independently defined studio practice. You'll explore design research enabling you to progress to a position of authority in your chosen area of specialisation. This will support you to confidently and critically develop individually defined research practices. The module provides a reflective and productive environment for you to develop self-directed projects that engage critically with current discourses in sustainability and design.

Radical Modes of Design Culture and Practice
This module introduces and critically examines 'modes' of design. Design is a diverse, contested and continually changing discipline. You will learn about design through the intersecting cultures of thinking, doing, and applying design practices.

You will explore how design can re-imagine current practices to establish new codes and ways of working that engage the 'radical' (from the Latin radix, or root) changes needed to address sustainability challenges.

Sustainable Design: Masterwork
The Masterwork is a self-directed design research project applying experiences, methods, skills and mastery accrued throughout the programme. Research-led design will enable you to pioneer new directions for sustainable design, challenge existing expertise and develop new insights into design research, and establishing new ways of working in response to emergent issues in sustainability and design.

Research Practices
Research Practices introduces you to the challenges involved in designing, implementing and disseminating a research project. You will develop a written proposal that can inform the development of your masterwork project, encouraging you to consider how your investigations contribute to the academic knowledge in your field.

Options*

Distributed Design and Production
Sustainable Design: Future(s)

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Our studio

Students work in our masters centre which provides studio, seminar and tutorial space at Mithras House on the Moulsecoomb campus.

Students on our Sustainable Design MA will have dedicated studio space with access to workshop and digital model-making facilities. More specialised materials and making requirements can be supported on an individual basis with colleagues in engineering, crafts and arts.

Staff profile

Dr Tom Ainsworth, course leader

Dr Tom Ainsworth became course leader for the Sustainable Design MA in 2015. He is a design theorist specialising in design research, health and wellbeing and behavioural insights. He teaches in areas of sustainable design, design research and research ethics. He has extensive experience of large-scale research projects covering themes of sustainability, design innovation and interdisciplinary education.

He has had work published in international journals including: the International Journal for Art and Design Education, BMC Medical Education and the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development. He is a regular reviewer for international publishers Routledge and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts and Manufactures (FRSA).

Read Tom's full profile.

Find out about our other staff Nick Gant, Dr Damon Taylor and Duncan Baker-Brown.

Student views

Gabriel Wulff

"The multi-disciplinary nature of the Sustainable Design MA course makes it a very diverse and exciting space. My classmates included economists, graphic designers, school teachers, industrial designers, architects and artists, representing just a few of the disciplines that come together to tackle one of the most important challenges of our era: sustainability.

"The course structure allowed the freedom to explore my personal research while delivering a solid background on sustainable design, its origins, evolution and current tendencies. The diversity of speakers invited to the course and the variety of subjects delivered, coupled with the different academic and cultural backgrounds of the students, offers an exceptional environment in which to explore sustainable approaches."

Rodrigo Bautista Medina

"The university continued to provide contact with industry, advice for job interviews, programs to enhance my CV and frequent communication even after I graduated."

Raquel Sereno

"I´m forever grateful to the University of Brighton, my tutors and fellow pupils. It was a remarkable time in my life when I got to open up my outlook and ideals. I particularly enjoyed the interdisciplinary courses and the fact that the MA was very much self taught, a learning curve of research and experimentation – trial and error. At masters level, the feedback of ideas between tutors and pupils was always very enriching. I met the most remarkable and lovely people and we have kept a strong bond."

Student work

The MA gives you plenty of opportunities to make an active contribution to sustainable design. Many of our students have begun projects at university that they have carried over into their working life.

Jewellery designer Holly Budge launched the 96 Elephants a Day campaign, which aims to promote awareness of the illegal elephant ivory trade. Her showpiece was an 'infographic necklace' that displayed 96 mini-elephants in the shape of Africa (96 being the continent's daily poaching rate).
Manjul Rathee led a team of classmates in the Share the Rain project, which won the AIGI's Cause/Effect competition. The idea was a social network for the unemployed that encouraged its users to try something new and develop their skillset.

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Recent graduate work featured here, includes:

Sally Sutherland 'Milk matters’ is a collection of design experiments which challenge current beliefs and explore potential future narratives for milk.
Hannah Hansell This project aims to address how the role of design could change in the textile and apparel industry if synthetic biology is established as a new technology and production method.
Felicity Reid The Tea Cene Experience explores the use of language and narrative as a means to start purposeful conversations about climate change.

Jo Weaden This project examines the luxury furniture and interiors industry, and its use of unsustainable and unethical materials and processes.
Ali Rees This project presents a design research probe developed to engage farming communities, local consumers and policymakers in strategic discussions that aim to facilitate more sustainable food futures.
Jo Leeds “Suck it Up” is a project that tackles plastic consumption and waste within the hospitality sector by presenting proposals for reprocessing plastic into new objects for use within the system that generated the waste.

Our latest news

Meet us at our postgraduate events

There’s no better way to explore your future study opportunities than by meeting lecturers and researchers at a postgraduate event.

Masters and Undergraduate design students exhibit at London Design Festival 2022

Over 1500 visitors came to see graduates from our Sustainable Design MA and Product Design with Professional Experience BSc (Hons) courses showcase their projects in the Design District on the Greenwich peninsula opposite the O2.

Brighton graduate scoops major sustainable design award in Milan

3D Design and Craft BA(Hons) and Sustainable Design MA alumni Tom Meades has continued his post-graduation success story by winning a prestigious £10,000 award at Milan Design Week.

Design graduate Tom Meades making a global noise with waste plastic speakers

A Brighton company founded by graduate Tom Meades is pioneering the use of old e-bike batteries to power portable music speakers made from waste plastic.

Careers

After graduation, many students secure influential positions within major global businesses, charities and NGOs. Previous students include:

a product designer for Thammasorn in Bangkok, Thailand
an assistant professor at Suwon Science College in Hwasung, South Korea
a media designer at AKT II
a sessional lecturer at the University for the Creative Arts
a designer at the Graphic Thought Facility
a media producer at Paper Tiger Television
a design and technology teacher at Brighton and Hove College
a lecturer at Petra University in Amman, Jordan
creative head at Archeng Designers
a BIM engineer at CC
a senior sustainability advisor at Forum for the Future.

A number of our students establish independent design agencies, social innovation labs and research centres. Many decide to continue their research in the form of a PhD, and have a particularly strong record of achieving fully funded studentships, both here at Brighton and internationally.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Degree and experience
Candidates will normally have a previous degree, although this does not have to be in a design subject, or equivalent.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International students whose language skills do not match the IELTS scores set out here should consider applying for this course through our Extended Masters programme.

Other
There is no formal deadline for receipt of applications, and applications may be made at any time. At the point of admission, students are expected to have clear reasoning behind their choice to undertake this programme, nominal understanding of the context of sustainable design underpinned by a desire and determination to know more. Direct access to semester 3 of the programme will be considered only where applicants have accrued appropriate number of credits at either masters-level or postgraduate study in a relevant subject.

Applicants must demonstrate through their personal statement within the application form and, where appropriate, at interview a clear motivation to engage with issues of sustainability and design through demonstrating:

an ability to articulate individual perceptions and understandings of sustainable design
an ability to positively engage in critical discussion regarding their and its broader implications in relation to sustainability
to present a body of work that demonstrates experience and competency
an ambition to critically appraise and develop their practice within the context of sustainability.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time) 8,100 GBP

International (full-time) 15,800 GBP

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

Travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips, but you’ll need to provide your own food and drink.
There will be opportunities to attend additional study trips or optional taught residential field trips throughout the school, but these are not required to pass your course. Normally, a contribution will be required towards expenses such as travel, entrance fees and accommodation. This will vary depending on where and how long the trip is, but you should budget around £1,500.
Where optional international field trips are offered, these are not required to pass your course. You should expect to budget £300–£500 for these, to cover flight, accommodation, food and entrance to museums. The total amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
If you choose to take an optional paid placement, you’ll be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation, food and drink.
Some students require specialist outdoor equipment and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) and should budget up to £150.
You will have access to computers and necessary software; however, many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices, but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses. Find out what free software is available from the University of Brighton.
Course books are available from the university, but you may wish to budget from £15 to £100 per year to buy your own copies and subscribe to design magazines.
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but students may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.
Costs of up to £50 are included in the fees for students on engineering courses to pay for materials for their final year projects. On rare occasions where material costs exceed £50, they will need to be paid for by the student.

For architecture, interior architecture, design and product design, additional costs are as follow

Students should budget around £25 for printing and binding dissertations in their final year.
In your first year of studies, you will need to buy a drawing and modelling toolkit. Each course will suggest a list of items of which some will be essential, and others optional. You should budget around £100–£250 for these.
For most courses you will need to budget between £100 to £300 per year for printing and portfolio costs. Costs will vary depending on type of printer and type and size of paper used. Some students tend to work digitally, spending more on printing and some by hand, spending more on materials so these costs vary widely between students.
For most courses you will need to budget between £10 and £100 for material costs per design project. Costs will vary depending on how and what you use to make models. You are encouraged to recycle used materials where possible.
You will need to budget between £5–£50 to exhibit work for the end-of-year show. Fundraising by the student society, BIAAS, normally helps towards this cost.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Over the last four years Moulsecoomb has undergone a major transformation, planned with accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability in mind.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

On campus you’ll find professional-standard facilities and learning resources for all of our subjects and a brand new academic building Elm House, alongside the library, student centre, fitness facilities and the Students’ Union.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Mithras halls and Varley Park. All halls are self-catered.
Varley Park offers a mix of rooms. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Halls

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Park

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Students eating at the Hub

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition.

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Stay in touch