Sustainable Design MA

Why choose this course?

The MA Sustainable Design welcomes those who want to direct their existing creative practice towards ambitious and inclusive visions of sustainability.

We focus on the power of social innovation, systems thinking, and design for service to drive collective sustainable change. This established course will enable you to raise your sustainability literacy, to then design meaningful responses to the challenges of unsustainability that move you the most.

The course is open to designers from all backgrounds, who want to go beyond the boundaries of their existing disciplines rather than simply refine their existing practice. The cohort includes designers of communications, clothing, products, interiors, buildings, services, and digital environments, unified by a commitment to designing sustainability itself.

We collaborate with companies, public sector and community organisations to develop proposals rooted in opportunity and need. These collaborations often lead directly to student employment, in roles such as service design, social innovation and sustainability leadership.

See what we get up to on the course on our Sustainable Design MA Instagram.

Apply for this course

Mode	Duration	Attendance	Start date
Full time	1 year	2 days a week	September 2022
Full time	2 years including professional placement	2 days a week, plus placement year	September 2022
Part time	2 years	Contact the course leader for details	September 2022

Stand-alone module: Design for Social Innovation.

Location

Kingston School of Art, Knights Park

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2021/22 entry

If you are planning to join this course in the academic year 2021/22 (i.e. between August 2021 and July 2022), please view the information about changes to courses for 2021/22 due to Covid-19.

Changes to courses for 2021/22 due to Covid-19

Continuing students

Students who are continuing their studies with Kingston University in 2021/22 should refer to their Course Handbook for information about specific changes that have been, or may be, made to their course or modules being delivered in 2021/22. Course Handbooks are located within the Canvas Course page.

Reasons to choose Kingston

We were ranked No. 1 in the UK for design and crafts* (Guardian University Guide league tables 2020)
The overarching course philosophy, with an emphasis on research, methodology and design thinking, allows you to explore your own personal concerns through focused study in sustainable design.
The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study and practice of sustainable design, by recruiting students from varied creative and design backgrounds and beyond.

* covers graphic design, interior design, illustration, animation and product and furniture design.

Taster session

Meet the course team

If you'd like to find out more about this course, why not attend our next online Postgraduate Open Evening?

Book your place or find out more

What you will study

This Sustainable Design MA is directed towards the goal of creating a more sustainable and equitable society. You will explore innovative and practical ways to help realise those visions, emphasising design, creativity, empathy, innovation and activism.

You'll be encouraged to think critically about the social and ecological agendas it addresses. The course is design-based, but not confined to design practice - it includes a significant amount of theoretical and contextual studies. You can choose to write a dissertation for the final major project.

This course is part of the Design School's Postgraduate Framework. The structure, shared with postgraduate students from other design courses, enables you to explore your individual specialist interests within an integrative learning environment.

Throughout the course, you'll understand the value and role of interdisciplinary methods and ways of working. The impact of thinking from related design subjects, on your own specialist study, is an important aspect of the identity and community of interdisciplinary practice at master's level in the Design School.

Design for Social Innovation can also be taken as a stand-alone module.

Modules

Optional placement year

Stand-alone module: Design for Social Innovation

Core modules

Design for Social Innovation

30 credits

Design for social innovation is the emerging mode of design practice and theory in which design thinking is applied to social and societal challenges. This module focuses on the development of design-based research skills and capabilities useful for responding to real-world challenges or so-called 'wicked problems'. Emphasis is placed on problem-finding and problem-setting, rather than simply seeking solutions to problems as they are currently expressed.

Designing Research

30 credits

The aim of the module is to give you an understanding of the design research tools and methods that are available to you, to inform and support the development of your practical study, and to provide the basis of your further study on your course. Practical research methods are explored, with an emphasis on the development of creative and evidence-based approaches to experimentation, and critical reflection on practical design work.

Sustainable Design Principles, Perspectives and Practices

30 credits

This module explores key principles and perspectives that inform various practices of sustainability, sustainable development and sustainable design, in developed and developing world contexts. It examines the ways in which contemporary and emerging modes of design practice and theory relate to the sustainability agenda.

Creative Futures

30 credits

This module is based on the assumption that the best jobs/careers in the creative industries do not exist – they are invented from individual creative ambitions. The module explores how this can be approached in practical terms. The programme of study encourages you to develop a personal and critical approach to your future career, and how this can inform the development of your individual major project for the Major Project.

The Major Project

60 credits

The Major Project – the capstone project – consolidates the knowledge gained in earlier modules, and is informed by your prior learning within the Design School's postgraduate interdisciplinary framework and course-specific specialist study.

You will extend your work on the course thus far in the form of a practical design proposal, defining and developing a substantive solution to an individually defined design-related problem. In so doing, you will demonstrate advanced understanding and application of contemporary design practice as it can be brought to bear on a specific challenge of sustainability.

Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.

Read about our student Katie Sharman's work placement on our blog: she completed a ten-month placement as the Communications and Sustainability Coordinator at Hackney Herbal, a community-focused social enterprise.

Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.

Optional modules

Professional Placement

120 credits

The Professional Placement module is a core module for those students following a masters programme that incorporates professional placement learning, following completion of 120 credits. It provides you with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to an appropriate working environment, and to develop and enhance key employability skills and subject-specific professional skills in your chosen subject. You may wish to use the placement experience as a platform for your subsequent major project module, and would be expected to use it to help inform your decisions about future careers.

Design for Social Innovation

Design for social innovation is an emerging mode of design practice gaining popularity and interest within the design professions and more widely, for example in the public sector. Local authorities are increasingly looking to employ designers to redesign public services and to deliver their programmes more effectively.

There is therefore demand for training in design for social innovation. This is a distinguishing feature of the Sustainable Design MA, but there are designers and other practitioners who do not yet wish to embark on a full MA course. This module is for them.

The module will be based around a 'live' project brief, and include sessions with leading practitioners in the field.

"This module will be useful to designers and those who come from the world of frontline social impact services, who want to learn more about innovation and design - and to gain practical experience with which to develop." Mat Hunter (Chief design officer, Design Council)

About the stand-alone module

This is currently a course-specific module within the Sustainable Design MA. It is also available as a credit-bearing stand-alone module, whereby it can be taken without enrolling on the Sustainable Design MA (although the credits could be used subsequently for entry to the course). Students enrolled on the MA and stand-alone modules are part of the same module cohort, participate equally, and have the same module experience.

Sessions

Please note that this is an indicative list of sessions and is not intended as a definitive list.

The role for design in social innovation
Design process models (including the Double Diamond framework)
User-centred design research methods (such as personas, journey mapping, role playing, user diaries)
Designing your design brief
Physical prototyping of your concepts
Research ethics in social innovation
Design studio visit(s)

Dates

This is a 12-week module, beginning in the week of Monday 27 September 2021 (specific day to be confirmed).

Ten full teaching days (10.30am–1pm, 2–4.30pm), one day per week (specific day to be confirmed)
One self-directed project day (Week Six, the University's Enrichment Activity Week)
Some teaching days include individual and group tutorials to support development of your work for submission for assessment. This means you will not attend for the whole day on those days.
Project hand-in date: the week of Monday 13 December 2021 (Week 12)

Cost

The standalone module Design for Social Innovation is charged on a pro-rata basis from the Home full-time MA fee (one sixth).

Apply or enquire

How to apply for the stand-alone module.

Please email Paul Micklethwaite with any enquiries about this stand-alone module.
p.micklethwaite@kingston.ac.uk

The information above reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. Updates may be made on an annual basis and revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year. The regulations governing this course are available on our website. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered.

Student work

Arth

How can artisans contribute to India’s sustainable development via collaboration with a consumer brand? by Antara Ghosh

Zi Shahri

A proposal for safe educational transportation for women in Kabul, Afghanistan, by Lama El Desouky

Make It Better Social Club

Sharing little things we do in our daily lives to try and live more sustainably, by Emma Friedlander-Collins

Student work

Sense the World

Using sensory design to nurture intimacy with the natural world, and cultivate a pro-sustainability attitude, by Tzu-Yun Liu

Co-design Toolkit

Used during workshops to visualise the co-design process and foster active contribution from participants, by Ying-An Chen

The Purpose Journal

A zine about meaning-making, social and environmental sustainability, community, lifestyle and business, by Katie Sharman

Service Design Toolkit for Collaborative Consumption of Children's Products

By Maria Fernandez Marinovic

Student work

How to embed social innovation and sustainability in a makerspace

By Giuliana Gheza

Cradle to Grave, Grave to Cradle

Sustainability in human end-of-life practices, by Burcu Turkay

Entry requirements

Typical offer

You'll normally need to have:

A 2:1 or above honours degree or equivalent in a related art, design or craft subject and/or appropriate professional experience.
A portfolio of work reflecting your experience and skills working in 2D and 3D.
We also welcome applicants with relevant professional or vocational experience

English language requirements

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirement, which is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall, with no element below 5.5. Make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements, which includes details of other qualifications we consider.

Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements could be eligible to join our pre-sessional English language course.

Applicants from a recognised majority English speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.

Portfolio guidance

In addition to a written 300-word personal statement discussing why you have applied for the course, applicants are required to prepare a portfolio of up to 20 pages in landscape format (with A3 dimensions) and saved as a PDF file of maximum size 10MB.

The portfolio should present a range of creative projects completed by the applicant which demonstrate creative thinking and design capabilities. Projects should be included which ask interesting questions about the world around us, particularly in relation to concerns of social and/or environmental sustainability.

Please show how your ideas were developed through research, sketching, experimentation and development, leading to final outcomes. Try to show your thinking as it developed. Indicate the extent to which each project was successful, and its intended audience.

Films or other media, including social media accounts if relevant, can be included as weblinks in the portfolio.

Your portfolio should be personal to you, and reflect your own distinctive design interests and approaches, and your own voice as a creative practitioner. It should not follow a formulaic structure or approach, or look like everyone else's; it should make you stand out as an individual.

Teaching and assessment

Design project work, live projects, research project folders, 5,000-word creative essay, and a major design research project.

Guided independent study

When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically involves reading and analysing articles, regulations, policy documents and key texts, documenting individual projects, preparing coursework assignments and completing your PEDRs, etc.

Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the University's online virtual learning platform.

Support for postgraduate students

At Kingston University, we know that postgraduate students have particular needs and therefore we have a range of support available to help you during your time here.

Your workload

Year 1: 15% of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity.

Contact hours may vary depending on your modules.

Type of teaching and learning

Scheduled teaching and learning: 270 hours
Guided independent study: 1530 hours

How you will be assessed

Assessment typically comprises exams (eg test or exam), practical (eg presentations, performance) and coursework (eg essays, reports, self-assessment, portfolios, dissertation). The approximate percentage for how you will be assessed on this course is as follows, though depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose:

Type of assessment

Coursework: 100%

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 20 students and lecture sizes are normally 100 within the Design School Postgraduate Framework. However this can vary by module and academic year.

Who teaches this course?

You will be taught by leading academics and practitioners in sustainable design, social design, social innovation, participatory design, strategic design, service design, design-led innovation, and related topics.

This course is delivered by Kingston School of Art, which has its roots in the studio-based approach of Britain's art school system (the original School of Art was founded in the 1890s).

Today, for most courses, learning still takes place in our specialist studios, each subject area having its own fully-equipped studio, where you take part in classes, tutorials and critical reviews with fellow students. This strong studio culture also ensures regular interaction between students and tutors.

For non studio-based courses, learning takes place in classroom-based seminars, tutorials and lectures, alongside site visits to museums, galleries, auction houses and other creative professional environments.

Our students are encouraged to engage closely with the diverse businesses that make London one of the most important centres for the creative industries. Our industry connections mean we provide unique study opportunities, such as:

the chance to have your work seen by eminent members of your profession;
'live' projects, site visits and placements in prestigious companies or institutions; and
project work and workshops with visiting lecturers and industry specialists.

Our excellent reputation means that industry leaders regularly visit our student shows to see the best of the new talent.

Postgraduate students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Dr Paul Micklethwaite

Course leader

Dr Anke Jakob

Fees for this course

2022/23 fees for this course

Home 2022/23

MA full time £10,640
MA part time £5,852

International 2022/23

MA full time £18,200
MA part time £10,010

2021/22 fees for this course

Home 2021/22

MA full time £10,450
MA part time £5,748

International 2021/22

MA full time £17,800
MA part time £9,790

Tuition fee information for future course years

If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.

If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.

Fees for the optional placement year

If you choose to take a placement as part of this course, you will be invoiced for the placement fee in Year 2. Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme and the costs for the placement year.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to, or be required to, buy your own copy of key textbooks.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet you can use around campus and in halls of residence. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses.

Printing

In the majority of cases coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Travel

Travel costs are not included but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses and halls of residence.

Funding and bursaries

Kingston University offers a range of postgraduate scholarships, including:

If you are an international student, find out more about scholarships and bursaries.

We also offer the following discounts for Kingston University alumni:

Chevening scholarships

Students on this course have gained Chevening scholarships to support their studies. These awards go to outstanding candidates who are pursuing postgraduate course subjects which their home country considers to be important to its future development.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks, this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free Wi-Fi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Travel

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston upon Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

Facilities

Knights Park facilities

There is a wide range of facilities at our Knights Park campus, where this course is based. Kingston School of Art has recently completed an ambitious programme of investment, making significant improvements to our workshops and other resources, to ensure that students are exposed to as many creative pathways as possible.

The workshops and studios at Knights Park are open for creative exploration and allow opportunities for students and staff to collaborate on projects and share ideas, whether they are studying or researching. There are many adaptable studio and workshop spaces, active breakout spaces and stronger vertical and horizontal connections.

Our ground-breaking facilities include:

3D workshop, with ceramics, concrete, resin-casting, plastics, metalwork, woodwork and a bronze-casting foundry, as well as a Big Build space for Architecture, set design and large scale model making
Animation and post production studios
Digital Media workshop
Fashion (knitting and sewing workshops), with digital and analogue facilities, plus a working dress archive which includes pieces from 1750 to the present day
HackSpace (for collaborative, creative, solutions-focussed projects)
Letterpress and printmaking workshop, with digital and analogue facilities, to experiment creatively
Moving Image workshop, with studios, editing suite, and industry-standard equipment
Photography workshop, including studios, colour, and black and white darkrooms, processing facilities
All our facilities are open access, meaning you can use them whenever you want, and irrespective of what degree you're studying.

The University also has its own on-site galleries, including:

Dorich House - the former studio home of the sculptor Dora Gordine and her husband the Hon. Richard Hare, a scholar of Russian art and literature. Now Grade II listed, the building was completed in 1936, to Gordine's design, and is an exceptional example of a modern studio house created by and for a female artist.
Stanley Picker Gallery - one of the leading examples of a university gallery in the UK. Its public activities are dedicated to the research, commissioning and presentation of innovative new practice across the fields of art, design and architecture for general, academic and specialist audiences.
project spaces at Knights Park campus, which you can book for the exhibition of large-scale work.

Resources in London

Kingston is just a 30 minute train journey away from central London. Here you can access world-famous museums and galleries.

New Stories showcase

Images from the MA Sustainable Design New Stories showcase held at The Rose Theatre Kingston (photos by Monika Jastrzebska). Work presented included projects on perishable jewellery, urban desire lines, the real value of our public spaces, activating the core economy through co-produced services, and establishing a fibreshed for London.

What our students and graduates say

MA Sustainable Design is ideal for showing how designers need to adapt and respond better to current challenges we face locally and globally. The lectures were exceptional, with a breadth of industry experience led by one of the best course leaders a university could have. We benefited from being taught every pillar of sustainability, and being able to dive deeper into how it all joins up and relates to us personally.

After the course we had an impulse to be part of the change we want to see in the world, applying practical design methods to address the various strands of sustainability, so we set up Climate Labs.

The experience on the course was way over my expectations - meeting like-minded people from such diverse backgrounds was a real eye opener. Being able to collaborate with talented designers from various disciplines helped produce some amazing projects.

As governments, private sector and civil society are now being asked to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the relevance of this course couldn't be greater - inspiring future generations to design better services, products and experiences for the prosperity of people and the planet.

Ahsan Khan - Climate Labs

I can honestly say the Design for Social Innovation stand-alone module was one of the most interesting, sufficiently challenging and thoughtfully delivered courses I've completed, and I've done a fair few.

I wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and providing the opportunity, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm finding the tools extremely useful day to day, working with live 'wicked problems.

I'm gaining deeper insight, being disciplined enough to do sufficient iteration and co-designing products to prototype and develop better outcomes.

Carmel Ring (stand-alone module student)

The course was more than what I expected - a professional and personal growth.

It was an intense year where I had the chance to deconstruct the concept I had of sustainability and social innovation, and then rebuilt and reframe it with a new postmodern perspective.

The course made me skilled with different social design and social research methodologies, ethnographic methods, service design tools, human centered and participatory design approaches, as well as developing sustainability literacy. It really helped me to understand my role as a designer, and what I can offer.

Nowadays I am working as a Social and Service Designer for SocialFare, the Centre of Social Innovation based in Torino, Italy.

During the course, me and my classmates often discussed the right name for our future job position. We identified ‘social and local designer'. The Sustainable Design MA showed me the right path to follow in order to bear that title.

Giuliana Gheza, Social and Service Designer for SocialFare

For me, the course was an ideal combination of practical research methods and theory, of innovation and design, all with a continuous focus on sustainability.

Being on the course broadened my horizons, and gave me the confidence and a setting from which to explore topics I wouldn't have otherwise considered.

For my masters major project, I investigated streets as public spaces in a suburban setting (specifically, Surbiton), and how participatory design could contribute to the creation of such places.

Ultimately, the course led me to my current role, which I wouldn't have considered, or have had the right skillset for, before doing the course.

Saskia Baard, Innovation Unit

The Sustainable Design course at Kingston changed the way I design for good.

The way sustainability is addressed in this course is holistic and goes far beyond the lecture slides and usual green clichés. Students reflect on different ways in which they can contribute to tackling the biggest problem of our time - enhancing the well-being of people whilst protecting the environment, in a positive and thoughtful way.

The course leader took the class on a journey of deep reflection and learning, prompting passionate debates, for which we needed to read, research a lot and, of course, also design. My fellow students were also professionals with thriving creative careers, which contributed to a very fruitful environment for collaboration.

I now work in social housing within a major housing association, contributing to the creation of safe and sustainable communities.

Maria Fernandez, Optivo Housing, Research & Innovation team

Something else that I highly valued, was the presence of the 'stand-alone-module-students'. They brought in a completely new perspective as they were working in the professional field. I was not familiar with this context, and would therefore not have been able to see things from this angle without them. I hope the insight this gave me allows me to see things from this angle in the future too.

Cindy van Rees (MA student)

Prior to the course, I felt like I was not qualified to solve social challenges or had the skills in doing so. However, due to the fact that all the peers are from different backgrounds in terms of culture and industry it made the learning richer. This has resulted in developing my inner confidence where I feel I could use my skills to help drive social change after studying this course. The course format complements the way I learn particularly with the peer-learning and tutor facilitating with workshops and to get you to think of topics in different angles.

Rachel Liu (stand-alone module student)

A big thank you for delivering such an interesting and thought-provoking module. I am keen to study this area further in some way and so will be investigating various routes. It was also such pleasure to be among such a diverse cohort and I really look forward to seeing the other MA students' presentations later in the year.

Madeleine Rogers (stand-alone module student)

The double diamond process for design has not only thrown out a service which could be developed into a sustainable social franchise, but has taught me an awful lot about how to solve 'wicked' social problems and how to innovate within a structure.

I have no formal design experience and in the beginning had no context in which to sit this process on. It has felt like a steep learning curve, but one which cannot be undone. When talking to clients (schools), I now visualise the process and the stakeholder journey - ensuring the person really is at the heart of solving the problem, rather than just throwing out another idea because we 'think' it is right and it might stick.

Anna Bateman (stand-alone module student)

Links with business and industry

The course incorporates collaboration with partners such as Design Council, Futerra, Active Minds.

You'll also benefit from:

live projects with outside organisations;
site visits;
the option to undertake a major collaborative project with an external partner or your own employer.

Previous students have worked with many organisations involved in furthering societal sustainability, including:

Design Council
Futerra
Helen Storey Foundation
Innovation Unit
National Trust
Rose Theatre Kingston
Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
Staywell (Age Concern Kingston upon Thames)
Surrey County Council
Sustrans

A distinctive advantage of this programme is connecting with people with a shared purpose - fellow students, tutors and teaching guests, and organisations you collaborate with on a project.

Changes to courses for 2021/22 due to Covid-19

Course information (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Composition of the course

Unless government advice instructs otherwise, Study Abroad programmes will take place in 2021/22. The safety of all our students is paramount, therefore, as per normal practice, all Study Abroad activities must also be approved by the University's insurers to ensure that students are adequately protected during their period abroad. We will provide updates as the pandemic situation stabilises and/or further government advice is released.

Changes can be made to courses as part of normal enhancement processes in order to keep our courses up to date with current developments in that subject area and in response to feedback from students and other key stakeholders. Any such changes made to the composition of the course will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

Modules

Changes can be made to modules as part of normal enhancement processes in order to keep our courses up to date with current developments in that subject area and to provide a high quality student experience. Any such changes made to module titles, module summaries and/or availability of modules will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

Length of course

We expect to deliver the course within the planned timescales to enable successful students to progress through and graduate from the course without delay.

In exceptional circumstances the sequence of learning and teaching activities may be changed in 2021/22, e.g. moving those modules which can be delivered more effectively to the first teaching block and moving back those – such as practical modules and placements – which may be more difficult to deliver due to some ongoing restrictions.

In some cases, it may be necessary to delay placement modules which may then impact the length of the course. In these circumstances the University will guide students through the appropriate options available to ensure students are able to make informed choices.

Entry requirements (changes for 2021/22 entry)

We have not changed entry requirements as a direct result of the pandemic.

Entry requirements for international students

We have not changed entry requirements for international students as a direct result of the pandemic.

Teaching (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Changes to the way the course will be delivered

As we transition from the pandemic restrictions, we expect to steadily increase the proportion of on-campus teaching. We will continue to provide a proportion of online learning, as experience has shown that this enriches and supports the student learning experience.

If the pandemic affects teaching and learning activities in 2021/22 more than we currently anticipate, the proportion of online learning will increase. However, unless a lockdown is enforced, we will ensure that all courses provide a reasonable percentage of their teaching and learning activities on campus.

Should your circumstances prevent your attendance at on-campus sessions, you should still be able to engage with your course remotely in a way that allows you to progress. Where this is not possible, for example on courses with high practical content, your course team will be able to advise you on the options available to you.

Changes to teaching in the event of a further lockdown or adjustments in government advice

The University will continue to closely monitor government announcements and advice in relation to the pandemic and, where required, will take any necessary action in order to comply with such advice.

In the event that a further lockdown is enforced in 2021/22 the University will aim to deliver the course fully online once more. The majority of our courses are prepared to be delivered fully online if the situation requires it. Where the quality of the student experience may be compromised, or the course is unable to be delivered fully online, the University may need to suspend the delivery of that course until a time that it can be delivered. Students will be supported in these situations to ensure they are able to make the right choices for their particular circumstances.

Changes to the overall breakdown of scheduled teaching hours, placements and guided independent study hours for Year 1

Changes to the overall breakdown of scheduled learning and teaching hours, placements and guided independent study hours were not and will not be made as a direct result of the pandemic.

‘Scheduled learning and teaching' includes teaching delivered online, either live or recorded/on demand.

Timetable

Your individualised timetable for teaching block 1 (i.e. up to December 2021) should be available by the end of August. Timetables for teaching block 2 (i.e. from January 2022) will not be available until the autumn. We make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible.

In 2020/21 it was agreed that scheduled learning and teaching could take place on any day of the week between 9am and 9pm, to maximise the time available for teaching in order to accommodate smaller group sizes and social distancing. This meant we sometimes had to use Wednesday afternoons and enrichment week for additional teaching slots. If we need to accommodate smaller group sizes and social distancing in 2021/22 we expect to adopt a similar approach. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

Assessment (changes for 2021/22 entry)

The experience of delivering courses in 2020/21 under the various Covid-19 restrictions has enabled us to better prepare and plan the delivery of our courses in 2021/22. We are confident the course can be delivered as planned and, therefore, do not anticipate having to make any further changes to the course, i.e. to the overall methods of assessments, in response to issues arising from the pandemic. However, if this becomes necessary, the changes will be highlighted to students via email before enrolment.

Changes are made to modules, including how they are assessed, as part of normal enhancement processes to keep our modules up to date with current developments in that subject area and in response to feedback received from students and other key stakeholders. Any changes to the overall methods of assessment for Year 1 of the course will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

If social distancing or lockdown restrictions are in place in 2021/22, online alternative options to formal on-campus examinations, including practical examinations, will be made available to students where possible.

Staff (changes for 2021/22 entry)

No changes are expected to the general level of experience or status of staff involved in delivering the course.

Staff are engaged in Continuous Professional Development activities to develop their teaching expertise, as part of the normal enhancement processes, to ensure that course teams have the required breadth of expertise.

Fees, funding and additional costs (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Tuition fees

There will be no changes to published tuition fees for 2021/22.

Additional costs (e.g. field trips, materials, equipment, etc.)

As we transition from the pandemic restrictions, we expect to be able to increase student access to on-campus facilities. Students will therefore have access to University computers and library facilities.

If, due to an increase in social distancing requirements or the enforcing of a lockdown, it becomes necessary to significantly increase the proportion of teaching delivered online, students will need a personal laptop or computer and access to the internet to participate in online teaching and learning activities. Students who are able to travel will have access to computers on campus, however, it should be noted that access to on-campus facilities might be restricted if social distancing requirements are enforced.

The University is committed to supporting students who are unable to access suitable technology to ensure equity of access in a blended delivery mode.

Funding

There will be no changes to any existing University funding arrangements for 2021/22. Currently there are no indications from the UK government that there will be any changes to government funding arrangements.

Fees and funding for international students

There will be no changes to published tuition fees or funding arrangements specifically relating to international students for 2021/22.

Work placements and field trips (changes for 2021/22 entry)

We are anticipating that placements (including work and clinical placements) and field trips included as part of the course will go ahead in 2021/22. However, to ensure students gain maximum value from placement activities, it may be necessary to reschedule them to later in the year, when any impacts from the pandemic restrictions are minimised.

Any proposed changes to placements or field trips would go through the University's agreed processes where the impact of the change will be carefully considered.

In the interests of the health and wellbeing of our students, all placement arrangements must be approved by the University's insurers and the appropriate risk assessments made before students are sent on a placement.

Courses which require placements or field trips to be completed in order to pass relevant modules will have contingency plans in place in the event that a placement or field trip cannot be completed due to another lockdown or more stringent social distancing measures.

Award, qualification and accreditation (changes for 2021/22 entry)

Qualification

No changes will be made to the qualification awarded, e.g. BSc (Hons), MSc, etc., as a direct result of the pandemic.

Changes can be made to courses, including the qualification awarded (although very rare), as part of normal enhancement processes in order to keep our courses up to date with current developments in that subject area. Any changes made to the qualification awarded for the course will be highlighted to students by email before enrolment.

Accreditation

The experience of delivering courses in 2020/21 under the various Covid-19 restrictions has enabled us to better prepare and plan the delivery of our courses in 2021/22. We are confident the course can be delivered as planned and in accordance with any professional body requirements. We do not anticipate making any further changes to courses in response to any issues arising from the pandemic and which would put at risk any professional body accreditation status.

Additional (changes for 2021/22 entry)

International students should maintain awareness of the UK government's and their home country's government's advice on possible travel restrictions. The University will closely monitor advice and guidance published by the UK government and assess its impact on our international students. Appropriate advice and guidance will be provided as and when required.