Design

Our postgraduate students benefit from a hands-on, practical education delivered by expert staff at the forefront of contemporary research activity, outstanding employability opportunities, and industry-standard facilities.

3rd in the UK for Art and Design The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
32nd in the world for Art and Design QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023
£21M Purpose-built Design building

Design at Loughborough

Our focus is upon the key design principles of aesthetics, technology, and understanding the user and their environment. Students are inspired to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge via emphasis on creative practical work that is underpinned by the latest theory and cutting-edge research.

Our teaching, research and enterprise activities are all dedicated to the pursuit of viable solutions to real-world societal issues, from climate change and physical/mental healthcare to transport safety, user experience, and global sustainability. Our students graduate from Loughborough as highly employable, capable designers, ready to pursue a successful career in research or across a variety of major industries.

Research degrees

In addition to our exciting range of taught programmes, there are also a variety of funded and unfunded opportunities to join the School of Design and Creative Arts as a Doctoral Researcher. We welcome applicants who wish to join our interdisciplinary, forward-thinking, inspirational family of researchers, developing new concepts and ideas to solve real-world problems and improve lives in existing and future communities. You can develop your own unique research proposal or browse our current list of studentship opportunities – either way, we’d love to hear from you.

Browse our PhD opportunities

Research and teaching

As a School of Design and Creative Arts, our mission is to use our expertise and knowledge to make positive changes to lives around the world. Our world-leading research enables us to discover, explore, and develop new ideas, concepts, methods, tools, services, and products that contribute to a healthier, safer, more productive, sustainable, and equitable world. All academic staff are involved in research, ensuring that students receive contemporary teaching and access to the latest research insight. Find out more about the work that we are involved in.

Facilities

Based in a £21 million state-of-the-art building, our practical and theoretical teaching and research spaces ensure an exciting, professional experience. Our extensive range of facilities provide a state-of-the-art learning environment to postgraduate students, enabling them to reach their fullest creative and academic potential.

Facilities include an extensive range of specialist software, workshops and laboratories including research facilities such as eye-tracking, driving simulators, additive manufacturing machines and ergonomics testing equipment.

Career opportunities

Our longstanding industry links allow a variety of opportunities for postgraduate students to develop their employability whist studying. From skills development and chances to work on exciting live project briefs set by industry, to experiencing guest lectures, entering competitions and exhibiting work at the postgraduate degree show, you’ll never be short of ways to strengthen your CV.

We have particularly close links with employers including Adidas, British Council, Camelot, Deloitte Digital, Department for Transport, Ford, Hubbub, IBM, Innovate UK, Jaguar Land Rover, National Health Service, Nissan UK, Sainsbury's, and United Nations.