Senate

Subject: Master of Design (MDes)

Origin: Learning and Teaching Committee 14 February 2002

It was for the Committee to determine whether to recommend to Senate the introduction of the degree of Master of Design (MDes) as a new postgraduate award. In the course of its discussion, the Committee noted

(i) that the University had adopted titles reflecting the subject focus of Masters degrees only in the case of extended undergraduate programmes up to now (with the exception of the MBA).

(ii) that the Department had produced evidence of the MDes being widely accepted amongst the international design community and being used by a good number of UK universities.

(iii) that several other UK universities which used the MDes as a postgraduate award also offered integrated undergraduate Masters degrees with the 'M' prefix.

(iv) that the HE Qualifications Framework offered no guidance on the matter of subject specific titles.

It was RECOMMENDED To Senate that the Degree of Master of Design (MDes) be introduced as a postgraduate award of the University.

Author - Robert Bowyer

Date - February 2002