SERNB1100 Basic Natural Sciences Course description

Opptak til studiet

This education is for you who want to contribute to ongoing national and international design research projects, connected to institutions and industry. During the study, you will be involved in design processes that are synthesized from the research front in design for complexity, culture, and aesthetics in contexts along with beautiful international and Norwegian students and staff.

Admission requirements for the Master`s Degree Program in Product Design. Requirements are determined by the general regulation for master`s degree at OsloMet. In order to be admitted you need to have finalized a bachelor's degree which must include:

• in-depth design study or education equivalent to at least 80 ECTS or
• an integrated design program of at least 120 ECTS
• A portfolio that documents of your design skills and experience, through a carefully selection of your own design work. Please include a short text that explains the project.
• and lastly a letter that describes your motivation for applying the master program Design in Complexity. Your letter of motivation must also include your choice of specialization.

The two latter documentations, will be assessed by an academic committee at Department of Product Design, which will evaluate the candidates academic level within product and service design indimensions such as data gathering, design theory, process documentation, visualization, experience with materials and processing/production techniques.Ranking of applicants is based on this asessment only.

For more information about admission requirements, please see:

https://www.oslomet.no/en/study/tkd/product-design-master

Applicants with foreign qualifications

Applicants with foreign qualifications compete for places with applicants with Norwegian qualifications on equal terms, providing the foreign qualification is comparable to the Norwegian qualification. Applicants from outside Norway, Sweden or Denmark must be able to document sufficient skills in written and spoken English. The language skill requirements are listed on:

https://www.oslomet.no/en/study/admission/english-proficiency-requirements-masters

Language skill requirements

For admission to a masters degree program students must fulfill the requirements in the GSU-list (can be found on the website).

(Please refer to the learning outcomes for each course for a more detailed information.)

On successful completion of this programme, you will have attained the following knowledge, skills, and general competence on advanced level that again prepares you for a professional life within design and research in the field of product design in complexity.

Knowledge:

• in the understanding and adjusting of practice- and scientific originated methods for designing
• critically analyse and apply relevant theory and research methods from other disciplines in design contexts
• in understanding, performing, evaluating, and adjusting own design processes in complex contexts
• about the broad spectrum of methodology that comes with product and service design in complexity in general and in depth knowledge within area of interests
• critically analyse, apply, and evaluate communication, sustainability, culture, change, and aesthetics as part of design contexts

Skills:

• in design for complex contexts
• synthesizing relevant theory from other disciplines for application, altering, and creating design methods
• in the practice and application of methods and theory particularly associated with the discipline of Design in Complexity and Systems oriented Design (GIGA-mapping, systems oriented design, co-creational methods, foresight, workshop facilitation, data gathering and analysis, leverage points, blueprinting/service design documentation/visualizations, visual interviewing, design- and play probes, among others which vary with your main emphasis)
• develop innovative design solutions for society by applying accumulated knowledge from the research front, theory, experiments, and practice
• critically analyse the role of design and design for various contexts on a strategic and global level
• communicate, facilitate, and manage design processes in complex settings
• performing and evaluating own design processes in relation to communication, culture and aesthetics in complex contexts

General competence

The complexity in this education relates to the societal/political, environmental, economic and technological contexts in which the designer as well as the product and service that they create, will perform and influence. To perform in this context your general competence will consist of the following outcomes:

• design self-efficacy for complex contexts
• management and facilitatation of projects and processes for design in complexity
• critically reflect on the design role in analytic and development settings for public and private sector
• able to work throughout interdisciplinary processes with other professionals as well as lay-people
• qualified to enter PhD studies in product design for complexity

The Master's Degree in Product Design - Design in Complexity runs for two years (60 ECTS per academic year) and is divided into several courses. The program is organized as a full-time study. All courses except from the Master's Project (30 ECTS) have a value between 10 and 20 ECTS. You may choose between the courses Technology and Design (MAPD5000) and Aesthetics of Materiality (MAPD5300), all other courses are compulsory in order to complete the Master Design in Complexity.

Practical Training (MAPDPRA)

In this (12 week) course you have the opportunity to find a internship that is relevant for your study. We aim to offer practical training positions through our network of institutions and businesses. However, most students find their own placements for this course (in Norway or internationally).

Courses

First and second semester :

In the courses: Sustainable Design Approaches (MAPD4100) and Philosophy of Science and Design Research (MAPD4000) you will be able to achieve a foundation for the study of complexity specific theory and methods in the later courses. Design and Culture (MAPD4210) broadens the context of design into cultural and social contexts. Design for Experience (MAPD4300) introduce methods for designing for agency, affordance and experiences. MAPDPRA is the Practical training course where you have the chance to expand the knowledge and skills attained during the master study in the context of an internship.

Third and fourth semester:

In the course; Visualizing Complexity (MAPD5210), you will attain skills and knowledge in designing for complexity in systems and products through systems oriented design, emergence, and co-creation. Technology and Design (MAPD5000) and Aesthetics of Materiality (MAPD5300) are elective courses. In MAPD5000 you can explore the vast and rapid development of technology as a dimension in design and MAPD5300 challenges students to experiment with materials in specific contexts.

All the prior courses add up to the final Master's Project (MAPD5900), in which you will be able to study an area in depth, in cooperation with private or public sector.

All courses in Design in Complexity are project based in which workshop learning is emphasized. Workshop learning may be arranged in the various labs (physical and virtual) and workshops at OsloMet. However, all teaching methods involve learning in real life contexts by for example field studies, in accordance with research, industry, and public sector which describe complex settings. Project/problem based learning involves a further development of verbal and visual communication as a facet of reflection, exploration, cooperation, adjustment and alterations of methods. There will be lectures, exercises with individual and group supervision, coursework requirements (compulsory assignments), group projects, contact with the business community (including guest lectures) and self-study to mention some of the most common working methods.

There will be lectures, exercises with individual and group supervision, coursework requirements (compulsory assignments) and group projects.

During the second semester, students will be required to complete practical training. This training has a value of 20 ECTS credits and is designed to give students real work experience in private business 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 that students will be able to further develop their skills in the product design environment.

Individual cooperation agreements are entered into between the University and relevant businesses, municipalities and other public sector bodies 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 tend to involve research and development tasks at the cooperation partner's location. Practice in public sector may be that students assign 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.

As some businesses prefer that students complete a placement of between three to six months, the location of the practical training the study programme has been so positioned that students may extend their practical placement into the summer months. Placement that exceeds three months is a volunteer option, and is not a part of the formal study programme. Practice training more than three months do not account for more ECTS credits.