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Sculpture by Sally Sutherland

Sustainable Design MA

  • Intro
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
  • Entry
    criteria
  • Fees
  • Location
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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.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Join an online event

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

Art and design at Brighton is ranked 8th in the UK and 51st globally by the QS World University Rankings 2020.

Course content

How this course is delivered

Students have a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that keeps everyone safe, connected and involved in university life. Lots of opportunities are provided to interact and engage with lecturers and other students. The balance between online and on-campus learning varies by module, and in response to the external environment.

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 of School of Architecture of Design students, studying 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.

Workshop

Extensive workshops provide a key part of the student experience.

Areas of study

Sustainable Design: Present(s)

Semester one, 20 credits

In this module you will gain a broad introduction to established principles, theories and methodologies in sustainability and design.

Themes covered may include, for example, the circular economy, low-carbon building and production, sustainable food systems, sustainable communities, systems thinking, critical design and climate communication.

Teaching delivery will take the form of lectures, seminars, workshops and presentations from specialist practitioners, writers, researchers, manufacturers and theorists.

For assessment, you are required to create a three-minute 'video manifesto' and a research poster as well as a workbook of supporting research, process and development.

Research Methods

Semester one, 20 credits

This module gives you the opportunity to understand and
develop research as an integral part of your design practice.
You will develop a substantive research position piece that will likely be related to your ongoing design work and generally inform your specialisation research project.

We will ask you to engage with research through:
- Examining the scope and value of research in design relative to other aspects of design practice and other disciplinary fields.
- Considering a variety of practical and intellectual approaches to design research as well as challenges and limitations.
- Developing your individual position piece, including
definition of subject area and topic, research aims,
identification of research material and approach, planning of research process.

Studio

Semesters one and two, 60 credits

In this module, you will develop your practice in sustainable
design through independently defined studio practice, enabling you to progress to a position of authority in your chosen area of specialisation.

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.

It spans two projects and your final mark is based on the combined output of the two projects.

Sustainable Design: Future(s)

Semester two, 20 credits

In this module, you will expand your work outwards to the
edges of the discipline to consider new opportunities for
sustainable design innovation. You will be required to develop a more expansive comprehension of contemporary issues relating to sustainability and design, and develop the ability to situate your practice with greater clarity and purpose.

Specific module content will change year on year. Themes covered may include, for example, complex systems thinking, criticality in design, morality and ethics of design.

For assessment, you are required to develop and present a
‘model of sustainable design’ and a workbook of research, process and development.

Master

Semester three, 60 credits

This module takes the form of a self-directed design research project structured by an individually-defined 'statement of intent’ developed under supervision.

It requires you to develop and present the culmination, integration and application of experiences, methods, skills and mastery accrued throughout the course.

You are challenged to establish new ways of working, characterised by individually defined approaches to emergent issues in sustainability and design.

The final body of masterwork must be developed through practice(s) relevant to your research aims. These might include, for example, the development and production of design proposals, a written thesis, a documentary or film, an article for a leading publication, the development of a business plan, an exhibition, or a combination of the above.

Our studio

Students work in our Masters Centre at Mithras House on the Moulsecoomb campus.

The Masters Centre provides studio, seminar and tutorial space for all postgraduate students in the School of Architecture and Design.

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.

 Mithras frontage

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.

Tom Ainsworth

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.
  • Sally Sutherland
  • Hannah Hansell
  • Felicity Reid
  • Ali Rees
  • Jo Weaden
  • Jo Leeds
‹ ›

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

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

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.

‘Waste It’s Mine It’s Yours’

‘Waste It’s Mine It’s Yours’

The Dreamcatcher Foundation and staff from the University of Brighton have been working with residents of Melkhoutfontein, South Africa to turn waste into products, helping to generate income and clean up the environment.

MA Show goes live!

MA Show goes live!

Postgraduate students from the School of Art and School of Media are getting the chance to showcase their work in the third and final part of Graduate Show 2020.

Opportunities for creatives to connect, reflect and prepare

Opportunities for creatives to connect, reflect and prepare

The current global pandemic presents uncertainty for everyone looking for work, whether you’re about to graduate, or you’re looking for ways to develop your skills and experience over the summer.

Read more from our blog

The course gave me the time, support and space to explore in depth my role as a designer in relation to urgent issues of sustainable development, stretching my existing skills and developing many new ones. The interdisciplinarity of fellow students, guests, lecturers and seminars was an exceptional environment for critically examining my research subject. My confidence and competence as a designer and researcher have progressed immeasurably. I can't praise the lecturers and programme highly enough for what I achieved on the course and since graduating.

Sally Sutherland, graduate

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

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course for students planning to start their course in 2021, and should be used as a general guide.

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 the Extended Masters programme at the university's Language Institute.

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)  7,704 GBP

International (full-time) 15,300 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, although we have tried to keep this to a minimum. 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, whilst studying a course in the School of Architecture and Design are listed below:

  • 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.
  • Most essay and report submissions can be made online however, you should budget around £25 for printing and binding dissertations in your final year.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Most courses include mandatory site visits and travel expenses are included in the fees.
  • There will be opportunities to attend additional study trips throughout the course but these are not required to pass your course. The cost of travel to them will be covered by the course but there may be additional costs varying from a packed lunch to entrance to a museum.
  • International field trips are offered in each year which are optional and are not required to pass your course. You should expect to budget approximately £150–£350 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.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further 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 2021–22.

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

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.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus. Subjects taught here include architecture, business, computing, construction, engineering, geography, product design, law, journalism, media and pharmacy.

On campus you will find professional-standard facilities including a flight simulator, trading room, design and digital media suites and specialist research laboratories, alongside the library, student centre, a nursery, fitness facilities and Students’ Union. There are excellent public transport links.

The Big Build
A major transformation of our Moulsecoomb campus began in summer 2018. By the time the Big Build is complete, there’ll be new halls of residence, academic building, and Students’ Union and fitness facilities – all created with sustainability, inclusivity and community in mind.

As the development grows it will provide many exciting learning opportunities for our students, ranging from live projects, placements and internships with the companies involved to guest lectures and site visits.

The Big Build

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.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Moulsecoomb Place, 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.
    • Moulsecoomb Place halls are all self-catered and are located right on campus.

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

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Students eating at the Hub

Students eating at the Hub

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

Stay in touch

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Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

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