Please note there are no vacancies on this course for September 2024
Please note that from September 2025 this course will be taught at our Bower Ashton campus.
Page last updated 23 September 2024
Introduction
Learn from tutors and professionals with extensive design experience and graduate ready to join industry or start your own creative venture.
Accreditations and partnerships:
Why study product design?
We have reached a point where many products work well and meet our everyday physical needs - but how well do they satisfy and enhance our lives on an emotional level?
There is always a need for highly skilled designers who can explore questions like this.
Product design is an area that rewards those who take risks, challenge conventional thinking and design products, services and user experiences that surprise and delight.
BA(Hons) Product Design will help you develop your creativity.
If you often look at the things around you and think 'this could have been made so much better', then this course will show you how to go about it.
Develop an empathetic, intuitive understanding of people and how we use and respond to products. Learn about form, ergonomics and materials. Learn from friendly tutors with extensive industry expertise and work on a series of projects in our well-equipped Design Studio.
Gain advanced skills in concept sketching and 3D form, verbal and visual communication, model making, computer-aided design (CAD) and the business of design.
Work on design briefs for a range of industry clients. Past organisations have included Jaguar Land Rover, Dremel Bosch, Omlet and Virgin Marussia Formula 1. Take part in exhibitions and grow your network at industry presentations.
Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Degree Show.
Graduate with the skill and confidence to create innovative products and build a successful career in the creative industries.
What can I do with a product design degree?
As a graduate, you'll be ready to go into industry or start your own business venture.
Career opportunities are available in service design, graphic design, brand consultancy, user experience design, brand and retail design, design research, marketing and packaging design.
Many graduates are inspired to launch their own products or establish themselves as freelance design consultants.
The image above shows the fantastic work from one of our students (Tom Worton, 2022 Product Design graduate).
Why I chose Product Design
Structure
Content
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
Year one
You'll study:
Product Design Studio 1
Design Communication
Objects and Experiences
Graphic Design
Design in Context.
Year two
You'll study:
Creative Product Design Studio 2
Product CAD
Engineering for Designers
Aesthetics and Product Language
Materials and Processes.
Placement year (if applicable)
If you study on the four year (sandwich) course, you'll spend a year away from the University on a work placement after Year two.
You'll complete a Work-Based Research Project.
See the Placements and Fees sections for more information.
Final year
You'll study:
Individual Project (Product Design)
Product Design Studio 3
Design Research Methods
Design Futures
Design in Practice.*
*This module is not available to study if you complete the Sandwich Year.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
"We had the chance to work with a big brand company on a competition, giving us real-world industry experience. My team won this competition, which helped me to stand out when applying for graduate jobs. Since then, I've started my career in kitchen and bathroom design." Maisie, 2021 Product Design graduate.
Learning and Teaching
Our lecturers all have years of professional practice within the design industry. Along with an emphasis on hands-on learning, this gives the course professional practice focus that will prepare you for your career in design.
The course is project-led and taught mainly in studios. Apply your new skills and knowledge to diverse projects that solve human-centred problems through design practice.
Get intensive one-to-one mentoring with tutors for practical guidance on your work. Attend guest lectures with professional designers and receive help with your CV and interview skills from our partner organisations.
Lay a foundation in professional design skills including 3D design, sketching, concept generation, presentations, computer-aided design (CAD) and practical workshops. Gain an understanding of people and their complex emotional relationships with products.
Learn about human-centred design, co-design and innovative design processes, materials and manufacturing and form and aesthetics development.
Work on a range of studio projects with real companies (Brabantia, Dremel, Bloodhound and Piper Moto). Research, develop and create a product that will demonstrate your skills in the design area you'd like to grow in.
Approximate percentage of time you'll spend in different learning activities*:
Year
Scheduled learning and teaching study
Independent study
Placement study
1
35%
65%
0%
2
29%
71%
0%
3
26%
74%
0%
*Calculated from compulsory and optional modules (where applicable) each year
Showcase your work
Showcase your final year projects to family and friends, as well as regional employers at the annual degree show. Take a look at some of our students' stories.
Graduates also exhibit at the New Designers exhibition in London, where awards and media interest are a springboard for careers.
Assessment
You'll be assessed mostly on your project work and the presentation of a portfolio of design and development studies. Four modules include conventional exams as a form of assessment.
Students who get work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Experience also hones your skills, industry knowledge and professional network, making you highly employable on graduation.
We have placement opportunities in the UK and Europe, US and China. Past students have worked for in-house design teams, consultancies and manufacturers such as Opel cars, Disney, Omlet, Kinneir Dufort, Trunki, Mathmos and Mira Kohler.
You'll get help to find your placement and support throughout from staff within the School and our award-winning careers service.
Fieldwork
We arrange day trips so you can visit study locations and meet people that can inform your work. We also arrange residential field trips locally, nationally and internationally.
Study facilities
Learn in modern, well-equipped school facilities that simulate industry.
Study and collaborate on group assignments in our dedicated Project Room. Brainstorm concepts in our dedicated design studios.
Develop CAD, model-making, design and drawing skills in integrated studios.
Make models and prototypes and use 3D printers, laser cutters and computer numerical control (CNC) routers in our product design workshop.
This mix of traditional and highly creative learning environments enables you to learn essential knowledge and real-world skills, standing you in good stead for your professional career.
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
Careers
Careers / Further study
After graduating, you'll find career opportunities all over the world.
Potential creative roles include product design, service design, interiors and retail design, marketing and brand consultancy, user experience, graphic or web design, teaching, and exhibition and packaging design.
Many graduates have launched their own products or established themselves as freelance design consultants.
We have strong links with local companies who provide graduate jobs. Most of our graduates go straight into product development roles for design consultancies or join in-house design teams for manufacturers and major brands.
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
International Full Annual Fee Following Placement Year
15850
International Module Fee (15 Credit)
1981
International Placement Year Fee
1981
International Reduced Annual Fee Following Placement Year
13869
Offshore Annual (Per Year) Fee
9250
Offshore Full Annual Fee Following Placement Year
9250
Offshore Module Fee (15 Credit)
1156
Offshore Placement Year Fee
1156
Offshore Reduced Annual Fee Following Placement Year
8094
Indicative Additional Costs
Fees
Amount (£)
Additional Course Costs Indicative Maximum Cost Per year
385
Supplementary fee information
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the four year course and then transfer to the three year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
GCSE: Grade C/4 in English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
English Language Requirement:
International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page.
A-level subjects: A2 in Art or Design and Technology.
EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: You must be studying one of the following: Art and Design; Creative Media Production; Production Arts.
Applicants who do not meet our standard entry requirements may be asked to provide a portfolio of their design work. For more details on the process, please visit our selection page.
International applicants
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the Country Information pages.
If you are applying to study at UWE Bristol and require additional support to meet our English language requirements, you may be able to attend one of our pre-sessional English courses. Read more about our Pre-Sessional English Programme.