| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-19 | - |
| 2024-09-01 | - |
| 2025-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
UCA Canterbury's BSc (Hons) Industrial Design program equips students with the skills and knowledge to excel in diverse industries, from mass fabrication to automotive design. The program emphasizes object analysis, problem-solving, sustainability, and industry-leading software. Graduates are prepared for careers as industrial designers, product designers, and design engineers, among others.
Program Outline
Bachelors of Science (Hons): Industrial Design at UCA Canterbury
Degree Overview:
UCA Canterbury's BSc (Hons) Industrial Design program is a technical design course that equips students with the skills and knowledge to excel in diverse industry spheres, from mass fabrication and engineering to technical firms and the automotive industry. The program boasts great studio spaces with exceptional making facilities, alongside experienced lecturers, tutors, and technicians who will provide extensive support throughout the journey.
Outline:
Year One:
- Launch Week: Introduces students to the course staff, peer group, and School community.
- Design 01 – Sketch and Build: Develops core skills in concept development and representation through sketching, model making, diagramming, and time-based media.
- Design for Equity 01: Explores technological principles, civil regulations, and societal challenges in contemporary design and manufacture, focusing on social justice and climate crisis implications.
- Briefs and Positions 01: Prepares students for their design proposal development by engaging in studio-based speculation, professional site analysis, and culturally critical research.
- Opportunity Week: Intensive collaboration with external partners to broaden knowledge and skills.
- Design 02 - Iterate and Adapt 01: Develops fundamental design practice processes through spatial or product analysis, focusing on sketching, drawing, assembly/disassembly, accurate survey and measurement, material analysis, and program documentation.
- Critical Analysis 01: Critically engages with histories and theories of spatial and object design practice.
- Material and Digital Practices: Introduces basic representation as a critical practice and core theories of small-scale object design and production.
Year Two:
- Launch Week: Prepares students for their second year of study.
- Design 03 – Fabricate and Form: Refines skills in sketching, model making, and visualization with a focus on digital representation methodologies, material and manufacturing constraints, and opportunities. Develops research practices, examining the relationship between place/product and user, brand value, user or spatial experience, and form. Responds to research through design proposals.
- Design for Equity 02: Expands knowledge of technological principles, civil regulations, and societal challenges in contemporary design and manufacture, focusing on non-western perspectives, culturally diverse contexts, and vernacular practices to inform low-carbon approaches to spatial and product design. Explores ideas of transformation, surprise, and unknown futures.
- Pathways and Mentors: Reflects on acquired design skills, knowledge, and techniques and identifies potential alternative career paths. Mentorships with design professionals included.
- Critical Analysis 02: Develops challenges to interrogate ideas, designs, and actions using theory.
- ATOM Activities: Individual learning activities across the university for diverse exposure.
Year Three:
- Launch Week: Prepares students for their final year of study.
- Design 05 – Pitch and Prototype: Engages with exciting new technologies and produces compelling digital and physical prototypes through rapid skill acquisition and integration. Develops individual and group working skills, experiencing the pace of work in practice.
- Critical Analysis 03: Develops a self-directed research project on a subject related to the historical, theoretical, and critical concerns of industrial design, informed by personal interests developed throughout the course.
- Briefs and Positions 03: Prepares an advanced set of briefing materials to inform a medium-scale design proposal development for the final major project.
- Opportunity Week: Intensive collaboration with external partners to broaden knowledge and skills.
- Major Project: Defines and develops a final project using all acquired skills in design, making, research, and project development. The project should reflect a deep understanding of contemporary practice.
Assessment:
Assessment methods are expected to include a combination of written essays and critical reports, presentations, portfolios of design work, and the final major project. The exact details of the assessment methods will likely be provided in the course handbook or departmental documentation.
Teaching:
The program is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, and individual supervision. Students will have access to experienced lecturers, tutors, and technicians who will provide support and guidance throughout their studies. The program also encourages active learning and peer interaction through group projects and collaborative exercises.
Careers:
Graduates of the Industrial Design program can pursue a wide range of career opportunities in diverse industries, including:
- Industrial designer
- Product designer
- Design consultant
- Digital product designer
- Design engineer
- Design consultant Further study options include pursuing a postgraduate degree in a related field.
Other:
The program offers the opportunity to study abroad at a UCA partner university, gain industry experience through the optional professional practice year, and participate in various workshops and activities outside the formal curriculum.
UK
Tuition fees - 2024/25 entry Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250 BSc course: £9,250 If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2024 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,850. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year.
EU
Tuition fees - 2024/25 entry Integrated International Foundation Year: £9,250 (see fee discount information) BSc course: £9,250 (see fee discount information) If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2024 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,850. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year.
International
Tuition fees - 2024/25 entry Integrated International Foundation Year: £16,950 BSc course: £17,500 If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2024 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,390. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year.
