Areas of study
The course is taught in three semesters over 12 months. There are six core modules.
Situate
This module introduces 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 discourses, power and politics, decolonising design, equity and equality, systemic complexity, and creating change through design.
Urban Strategies
The first design module introduces you to urban design strategies, methods and issues as you evolve your critical position. These are explored through a range of textual and material examples. You make an analysis of a specific city space, informed by the methodologies discussed in the studio. The analysis is tested through the generation of a site specific design, in response to a brief, which demonstrates the experiential qualities of the design at the scale of the individual and is further tested as an adaptable urban prototype.
Design Lab
In this module, you will develop your approaches to design within your specialisation through experimental practices. The module provides space to explore and develop your ideas through independently defined methods to enable you to progress to a position of authority in your chosen area of specialisation. This approach will support you in confidently and critically developing individually defined and research-informed design practices. The module provides a reflective and productive environment for you to develop self-directed projects that critically engage with current design discourses.
Critical Readings
This module provides you with the opportunity to develop skills in critical practice through the self-reflective investigation of historical, theoretical, and practical issues in architectural, spatial and urban design. There is an emphasis on the culturally situated character of the issues raised. The contemporary and historical concerns introduced in this module provide the foundations for critical enquiry, whilst also providing a context from which to begin to formulate a proposal for future research projects.
Research Practices
This module focuses on introducing research literacy in ways that are specific to design disciplines. The module proceeds from the observation that research (including scientific research) is a specific form of design activity, and that design may inform research as well as vice versa. Through the activities of the module you will re-articulate the design expertise you are already developing as a postgraduate student as expertise in (designing) research. In so doing, you will develop your own integrations of design research and design practice across your studies.
Masterwork
This module takes the form of a self-directed design research project. The Masterwork project requires you to develop and present the culmination, integration and application of experiences, methods, skills and mastery accrued throughout your studies so far. A key feature of this module is identifying and preparing for professional life after graduation.
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.