MBIB4900 Independent study Course description

Dette emnet gir studenten mulighet til å fordype seg i et selvvalgt tema som ikke dekkes av eksisterende emner. Studenten kan utforske et spesifikt fagområde, en teori eller praksis som er relevant for masterstudiet. Arbeidet kan være i form av en studie i et selvvalgt tema, deltakelse i et forskningsprosjekt, deltakelse i en profesjonell praksis, utvikling av et programvareprodukt eller dataproduksjonsløype eller annen form for arbeid i tråd med studentens ønskemål. Temaet for arbeidet kan være tilknyttet masteroppgaven. Alle former for arbeid rapporteres i form av en semesteroppgave.

Undervisningsspråk er hovedsakelig på norsk eller annet skandinavisk språk. Noe undervisning kan bli gitt på engelsk.

Ingen forkunnskapskrav.

Our master's programme provides you with a strategic, interdisciplinary foundation to explore design’s changing role across the private and public sectors within product, service, and systems design, as well as design research. It equips you with essential skills to address complex challenges and foster innovation through a blend of theory and practical experience.

To design for the shift towards sustainable societies, digitisation of professional, social, and private life, professional designers need to constantly adapt and learn. Through the integration of Product, Service, Systems, Experience, Interaction, and Social Design, our programme prepares designers to lead meaningful change across industries, social sectors, and policy.

Upon successful completion of this master's programme, students are able to critically design for complex contexts. The complexity relates to the social/political, environmental, economic, and technological contexts in which the designer, as well as the products and services that they create, will perform and influence.

This education is for those who want to contribute to society with a unique blend of creativity, technical skills, and strategic thinking. Whether you are interested in national and international design research projects, product design, systems design, or design for health and well-being, the knowledge and skills gained during this degree can significantly impact personal growth and professional opportunities.

During the study, you will be involved in design processes that encompass creativity and strategic problem-solving. Throughout the course, we encourage our students to consider sustainable and ethical practices in creating products, systems, and services.

Upon successful completion of this programme, students are able to design for a wide variety of contexts. Their individual approach to the studies opens up diverse career paths in various industries.

This programme sets out to admit applicants from the fields of design, architecture, engineering, fine arts, graphic design, game design, and more. The programme considers design to explore complex issues faced by individuals, industries, and society. The Master’s Degree Programme in Product Design offers the tools and methods to provoke new thought, initiate social and cultural change, and address environmental issues.

Admission Requirements

To apply for this programme, you must have:

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including at least 80 ECTS within the field of design. This may include product design, industrial design, service design, interaction design, furniture and interior design, design-oriented anthropology, universal design, inclusive design, medical/health design, game design, material culture and experimentation, or consumption and consumer behaviour, architecture, or design engineering.
• An average grade of at least C (according to the ECTS grading scale) on your bachelor’s degree.
• A portfolio consisting of documented design works related to products, systems, or services and a letter of motivation. The portfolio must demonstrate skills in visualisation and form development in a creative design process, the ability to define and analyse a design problem, general competence in using design methodology and design thinking, and the ability to demonstrate different holistic design solutions to a problem.

English Language Requirements

You also need one of the following:

• English from a Norwegian or Nordic upper secondary school and a bachelor’s degree from Norway or the Nordic countries.
• At least 4 in English from upper secondary school.
• Proof of your English proficiency.

Upon successful completion of this programme, you will have attained the following knowledge, skills, and general competence at an advanced level.

Knowledge

The candidate…

• has advanced knowledge within the field of design and a particular understanding of performing, evaluating, and adjusting their own design processes in complex contexts.
• has thorough knowledge of the practice- and scientific-based methods applied to complex design processes.
• can critically analyse and apply relevant theory and research methods from other disciplines in design contexts.
• can critically analyse and evaluate communication, sustainability, culture, and aesthetics as part of design contexts.
• can analyse design issues based on the history, traditions, distinctive character, and place in society of the academic field.

Skills

The candidate…

• can analyse and deal critically with various sources of information and use them to structure and formulate necessary interventions for a design process.
• can analyse existing theories, methods, and interpretations in the field of design and work independently on design projects.
• can use relevant design methods for research and design work in an independent manner.
• can carry out an independent design process and develop innovative design solutions for society by applying accumulated knowledge from research, theory, experiments, and practice under supervision.
• can conduct interdisciplinary processes with other professionals as well as laypeople.
• can undertake a limited research or development project under supervision and in accordance with applicable norms for research ethics.

General Competence

The candidate…

• can communicate, facilitate, and manage design processes in complex contexts.
• can critically reflect on the role of design in society and its implications for ethical problems.
• can apply their knowledge and skills through performing and evaluating their own design processes in relation to communication, culture, and aesthetics in complex contexts.
• can communicate extensive independent work and master the language and terminology of the academic field.
• can communicate about academic issues, analyses, and conclusions in the field, both with specialists and the general public.
• can contribute to new thinking and innovation processes.

The programme builds on the foundation that design can bridge individual and collective interests. It is a challenging programme that focuses on developing design solutions centred around human beings and their environment.

During the two-year degree programme, you will be challenged both in design practice and in the discussion of design and its role in societies.

The Master's Degree in Product Design runs for two years as a full-time study and is divided into several courses. All courses, except for the Master's Project (30 ECTS), have a value between 10 and 20 ECTS. All other courses are compulsory in order to complete the Master Programme in Product Design.

The different courses expose you to several design methodologies that help enhance and expand your individual design expression. Each course offers you the possibility to develop your own design projects within a set theme or methodology. This helps you in defining your personal value system and working methods. Particularly, the second-semester internship course or the third-semester exchange offers you the possibility to connect to relevant networks within design, craft, and industry in Norway or abroad.

Throughout the two years, the course encourages you to consider and develop design solutions that meet current and future societal challenges.

This programme offers you the opportunity to meet and work with people from backgrounds other than product design, including architecture, engineering, fine arts, graphic design, and more. They share a passion for critical thinking, design, and a desire to pursue graduate-level research and production.

The programme is organised with learning activities in a two-year full-time study in an international environment with students and teaching staff from across the world. The master's students work in shared studio spaces with full access to workshops, which include facilities for wood, metal, textiles, ceramics, digital manufacturing lab (DML), and virtual reality (VR).

As master's students, you are expected to show independence, motivation, and competence in developing your work within the courses offered in the programme. You can look forward to a variety of learning experiences such as discussions, lectures, group work, field trips, and collaborations with other design schools and businesses.

Thesis Project

In your thesis project, you will be able to build on the methods and themes you have been exposed to throughout the two years while developing your unique project. For an entire semester, you can explore your experimental creativity, advanced problem-solving skills, and critical inquiry and excel in areas where you strive to make a difference.

Thesis topics cover a broad range of fields, from product and furniture explorations, apps and services all the way to systemic design approaches for industry or government and medical applications

During the second semester, students will be required to complete practical training. This training is valued at 20 ECTS credits and is designed to give students real work experience in private businesses or the public sector. Students will acquire knowledge of relevant organisational models, decision-making mechanisms, and gain experience of the methods used in the organisation. The goal is for students to further develop their skills in the design environment.

Individual cooperation agreements are entered into between the university and relevant businesses, municipalities, and other institutions regarding the practical organisation of specific student assignments, which can be completed at the cooperation partner's location within a period of three months. The assignments will typically involve research and development tasks at the cooperation partner's location. Practice in the public sector may involve students being assigned to ongoing research projects within the institution. The student is assigned a contact person with the cooperation partner or the research project for the agreed time period. Guidance will come from both the staff working at the place of practical training as well as the university teaching staff.

The location of the practical training within the study programme has been arranged so that students may extend their practical placement into the summer months. Placements that exceed three months are a voluntary option and are not part of the formal study programme. Practical training that extends beyond three months does not account for additional ECTS credits.