What Will You Study
Lancaster’s approach to design reflects a department that is actively seeking new and innovative ways to apply design. The degree is taught by leading design researchers, and it moves beyond the scope of traditional disciplines such as graphic or product design. Instead you will be given the opportunity to develop the skills to solve complex cultural, social and environmental problems by combining design thinking with innovation, technology, business and research. This will equip you for a range of exciting careers in new and emerging industries.
- The course is structured around four aspects of design: materials, people, products and places. They allow you the opportunity to develop vital problem-finding and problem-solving abilities.
- History, theory and intellectual content are combined with creative design practice and design management.
- You will have the opportunity to develop practical skills in prototyping, visualisation and presentation in our purpose-built design studios and workshop.
- Through authentic projects and live briefs, including a group consultancy project, you’ll gain real world experience and prepare yourself for your future career.
- We aim to include guest speakers and external organisations to provide insight into design and related industries, giving you the opportunity to build professional contacts and gain work experience during your degree.
You will have the opportunity to spend Year 3 on a placement with a public, private or voluntary organisation in the UK or overseas. This experience should boost your employment prospects and help you to decide on your career direction and the kind of organisation in which you want to work once you graduate. You will be doing a real, responsible job – with all the satisfaction that brings.
Applying for a placement is a competitive process and our Placements Team will support you in finding and applying for a suitable placement. The preparatory modules you will complete in years one and two are designed to give you the best chance of success in both your placement applications and the placement itself.
One of the aims of the placement year is to enhance your understanding of the connections between theory and practice which could benefit your final year of study. Placements provide an exciting opportunity to build up experience and transferable skills, as well as to make contacts with potential employers, which can place you a step ahead in the graduate recruitment market.
The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.
If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and would continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.
Modules
Year 1
Core
Year 2
Core
Optional
Year 3
Core
Year 4
Core
Optional
Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and others which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism. We divide academic study into two sections - Part 1 (Year 1) and Part 2 (Year 2, 3 and sometimes 4). For most programmes Part 1 requires you to study 120 credits spread over at least three modules which, depending upon your programme, will be drawn from one, two or three different academic subjects. A higher degree of specialisation then develops in subsequent years. For more information about our teaching methods at Lancaster please visit our Teaching and Learning section.
The following courses do not offer modules outside of the subject area due to the structured nature of the programmes: Architecture, Law, Physics, Engineering, Medicine, Sports and Exercise Science, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedicine and Biomedical Science.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research.
Entry Criteria
Grade Requirements
A Level ABB
IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.
Other Qualifications
International Baccalaureate 32 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects
BTEC Distinction, Distinction, Merit
We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualification. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.
Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk
Careers
This degree gives you the opportunity to develop skills preparing you to respond creatively to tomorrow’s fast moving business environment through the development of future visions for innovative products and services. Our degree addresses the need for graduates that are capable of transcending the traditional boundaries of design and possess the requisite knowledge, skills and creative experience to develop novel interactions between people, products, virtual and physical environments.
Graduates from the scheme will have a number of potential career avenues with graduates going on to become: concept designers, user experience designers, design researchers, design ethnographers, interaction designers, graphic designers, product designers, service designers, design developers or design managers. You will also build-up numerous transferrable skills, which can be applied to a variety of creative practices and careers.
The Design degree at Lancaster will give you the opportunity to develop the necessary skills and experience to work in the fast-paced, changing, creative and digital industries.
Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, but that you also graduate with relevant life and work based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development. Visit our
Employability section for full details.
Studying
Teaching and Learning Methods
At Lancaster we offer a broad range of learning environments which include the traditional lecture-tutorial , interactive workshops, laboratory and practical activities, student-led seminars and web-based delivery.
The modules which make up a programme of study are assessed using a variety of different methods, enabling students to demonstrate their capabilities in a range of ways. Typical coursework assignments include laboratory reports, essays, literature reviews, short tests, poster sessions, group work assessment and oral presentations. Formal examinations include short answer questions, essays and data analysis. Students are supported in the production of final year project reports and dissertations. Details of the assessment methods for individual modules can be accessed via the university's online module catalogue.
In addition to these learning and teaching methods we encourage independent study, meaning you take responsibility for your own learning. For more information visit our Teaching Approach page.
Assessment Methods
We offer you a variety of stimulating and effective approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. This enables you and your tutors to explore the very latest thinking within your subject and develops your skills in problem solving, analysis and critical reflection, communication, application of knowledge and modern technologies.
As a University, we commit to providing all our undergraduates with a minimum number of contact hours per week, providing you with timely feedback on your work and a maximum number of 15 students per seminar group.
Fees
Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session,
starting in the October of your year of study.
Our Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2021/22 are:
| UK/EU |
Overseas |
| £9,250 |
£19,930 |
Tuition fees for programmes are set annually for all new and continuing students. If you are studying on a course of more than one year's duration, the fees for subsequent years of your programme are likely to increase each year. Such increases are normally calculated based on increases in the costs incurred by the institution, or in relation to UK government regulations which set the maximum fee for certain categories of student.
For the majority of undergraduate students, the most recent annual increase was 2.8%. Any change in fee rates will be communicated to students and applicants prior to the start of the academic year in question, and normally at least eight months prior to enrolment. Further details can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
Some science and medicine courses have higher fees for students from
the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. You can find more details here:
Island Students.
Funding
For full details of the University's financial support packages including eligibility criteria, please visit our fees and funding page
Students also need to consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation it may be necessary to take out subscriptions to professional bodies and to buy business attire for job interviews.
