Product Design at UCA

At UCA Canterbury, we believe that design is universal. Whether you're creating a product, shaping a space or crafting an experience, great design begins with a deep understanding of people, context and purpose. Our MA Product Design course is built around this belief.

This Product Design masters degree will help you develop a holistic, research-led design approach that extends far beyond the object itself.

We welcome applicants from across all design disciplines. This including areas such as architecture, craft, engineering and interaction design. Whether you’re looking to refine your direction, build new skills or define your design identity, this Masters in Product Design offers you the opportunity to discover your specialism and master your craft.

You’ll explore how products connect with the world around them; emotionally, spatially, and environmentally. You'll also learn to approach complex problems with critical thinking, curiosity and creativity through strong research, rigorous testing and hands-on prototyping.

Our Product Design MA course combines traditional making with emerging technologies. It gives you the freedom to experiment, challenge convention and shape your own design method.

You’ll work with an expert team of academic and visiting professionals. There are also opportunities to collaborate and test ideas across disciplines as you work within a community of students, including those studying MA Interior Design.

You’ll undertake self-directed research projects throughout your postgraduate degree, using an integrated design process that emphasises deep inquiry, iterative process development and real-world relevance.

By studying Product Design at UCA you'll have access to industry-standard equipment and facilities. These spaces will support your ability to develop innovative, high-quality outcomes that stand out in a competitive field.

Previous graduates have gone on to launch businesses, join leading design studios and take on roles in design strategy and management. Whatever your path, we will help you build the knowledge, confidence and professional presence needed to thrive as a designer in a fast-moving global landscape.

Integrated Pre-Masters

We also offer this degree with an Integrated Pre-Masters course for international and UK students. The course prepares you for postgraduate study by improving your academic and creative skills before your degree begins.

 

Course entry options

Select from the following options to find out more about the different study options available for our MA Product Design degree:

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Campus
canterbury
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
1 year full-time
Entry requirements

Honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in the subject/related discipline
and/or
Relevant work experience 

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Campus
farnham
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
2 years full-time
Entry requirements

A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject

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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
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Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements

Upcoming webinars

We offer a range of webinars throughout the year that Product Design students may be interested in.


This includes subject talks, masterclasses, application proccess advice and student life guides. Check out our upcoming webinars and book your place today.

What you'll study

What you'll
study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

Our Integrated Pre-Master's course will prepare for postgraduate study by improving your academic and creative skills before your degree begins.

You'll build a portfolio of work whilst you explore your subject specialism and benefit from personal development tutoring that will support your academic growth and help refine your specialism. 

If you need to enhance your English language skills you can opt to join a pre-sessional English course to improve your IELTS score as well.

Learn more about the Integrated Pre-Masters course

Launch
This intensive week of study is to help you get ready for starting your course, and getting to know your course staff, peer group and the school community in greater depth. Activities include a multi-story guest lecture super session, an all staff pecha kucher, Canterbury and surroundings walking orientation tours and a studio launch collaborative making project.

Experimentation and Innovation
A space for orientation, adventure, and exploration of your subject and practice, this unit provides opportunities to develop and discover new perspectives on design, analytical techniques and production methods. In so doing it will situate your current and future practice, expanding your critical framework for the units ahead.

Research and Professional Contexts 1
Designed to help you develop advanced skills in research, conceptual understanding, appropriate analysis techniques and application of knowledge, this unit will help position you within the contextual foundations which support the past and future of your discipline.

Opportunity
Opportunity Week is an intensive week of activity conceived and undertaken in collaboration with an external partner(s). Typically, this will sit outside the your subject areas, and could cover topics including politics, economics, business, culture or philosophy.

Studio Practice
Studio Practice’ extends your research and development from term one and acts as a design accelerator unit. In the early stages, in collaboration with your specialist tutor, you will formulate a research and project proposal to be carried out through the remainder of your studies. This unit is an intensive, fast paced, and productive “engine” of your course, the outcome of which will be a comprehensive and sophisticated project that demonstrates a developing mastery of your practice.

Research and Professional Contexts 2
Research and Professional Contexts 2 further extends and focuses your research, critical analysis, and communication skills through two components. The first is a contextual practice presentation, in support of the development of your individual project. This should demonstrate your ability to situate your research, experimentation, and knowledge in a wider field, and express your comprehension of the impact of your work on that field. The second is a collaborative practice project where you can work with others on a collectively defined brief.

Final Realisation
The culmination of your Masters course, this unit gathers all of your prior research, experimentation, concept development, and contextual analysis into a focused synoptic outcome. The project is a natural continuation and resolution of the work you began and the goals that you set yourself in Studio Practice and includes the dissemination of your work to external audiences.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Tuition fees

  • 2025/26: £10,500

Tuition fees

Tuition fees

  • 2025/26 (MA): £18,000
  • 2025/26 (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - Sept & Jan): £17,500
  • 2025/26 (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - May): £8,750

Please note: the fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. For more detailed information about our course fees please see our fees and finance pages

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of financial support information available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Current UCA students and alumni may be eligible for a tuition fee discount.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our scholarships and fee discounts.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Document for more details of the costs you may incur.

Career opportunities

Our range of industry contacts include:

  • Industrial Design Consultancy
  • TheAlloy (product and interaction consultants)
  • IDEO (design consultants)
  • Philips
  • Kenwood/De'Longhi
  • Priestman-Goode

And recent guest lecturers include:

  • John Gertsakis, product ecology
  • Philip Davies
  • Stuart Heron, Design Director

Our course will equip you with a host of valuable and transferable skills. Graduate opportunities exist within:

  • Product design practice
  • Independent design studios
  • Specialist design consultancies
  • Design teams in manufacturing industry
  • Design management
  • Environmental management
  • Service design sectors.

You may want to undertake further study or research to specialise even further.

Christina Fountoulaki

"I had a great year completing my MA, the facilities were fantastic and I was able to gain a lot of knowledge thanks to the expert staff. I also found the workshops to be very useful – it was amazing to see my products come to life."

Christina Fountoulaki

Entry & portfolio requirements

For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. You can either submit a digital portfolio or request an in-person portfolio review with the course team. 

View postgraduate portfolio advice

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