Masterstudium i produktdesign – design for kompleksitet Programplan

The learning outcomes in this programme make the students experience a complete view of the skills that are necessary to perform product design. All teaching within the various courses contributes to the students overall understanding and knowledge of how products arise, from the original idea and through commercialisation, to the product end-of-life.

Project-based learning is intended to develop the students' knowledge and skills in handling interaction between professionals in different areas. With a good understanding of the necessary skills in negotiating all the stages of the product development process, the students will at the end of the programme be able to assert their role as a design professional. A further outcome of project-based learning is to provide students with the ability to learn leadership skills.

The programme will focus on empowering students with a dynamic interaction of theoretical and practical knowledge. The knowledge will through learning activities relate to the cognitive domain as well as to the psychomotor and affective domains. The cognitive domain refers to intellectual activity and the development of thought processes. The psychomotor domain emphasises the mastering physical skills involving the coordination of the brain and muscular activity. The affective domain is concerned with issues relating to the emotional component of learning, such as willingness to learn and the integration of ideas, beliefs and attitudes.

Good skills imply that students are able to make an integrated assessment of the choices necessary to make good products. These choices include type of materials, components, production methods, ethical and cultural values, strategies and business partners. Subsequently, good choices will lead to enhanced customer satisfaction, improved competitiveness and long-term value creation in both new and existing products.

The current research programme for the timeframe 2010-2015, Product Design: Materiality, Processes and the Future Environment, aims at developing new competence in product design in the field of materiality, methodology and a sustainable environment. The findings and effects of this research programme are systematically integrated into the teaching and learning at the Department of Product Design. Through teaching that is focused on product innovation, innovative processes and best practice, students will continually develop knowledge and skills in establishing a suitable balance between social utility, ecological concerns and economic value creation in their work. Research and development activities at the department support the challenge of reaching this balance.

Through the study programme the students will acquire information competence and knowledge about the references that will make them able to find relevant literature and information. They will be able to search for academic literature and set up a list of literary references in accordance with the current template. They will be able to use basic rules for quotations and use of references. In addition they will be familiar with what is regarded as plagiarism and academic cheating in the work that they do in connection with their studies.

Programme spesific learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are statements of what a student is expected to know, understand and/or be able to demonstrate after completion of the learning process. The programme specific learning outcomes for the Master's programme in Product Design are listed below. Note that the individual course descriptions provide considerable more detail in this respect.

Knowledge

On successful completion of this programme students are able to:

• use relevant practice-based- and scientific methods in product design
• find innovative solutions by applying accumulated knowledge to new areas
• analyse the significance of design on a global basis and in various cultural contexts
• develop a product in relation to market orientation, user studies and own ideas
• describe the properties, potentials and useful qualities of materials in production processes

Skills

On successful completion of this programme students are able to:

• do creative problem solving in a structured and transparent manner
• analyse and critically evaluate different sources of information to structure and formulate arguments for sustainable product design processes
• experiment with aesthetic and form, and take advantage of a material's inherent qualities
• make products as a manifestation of specific brand or concept

General competence

On successful completion of this programme students are able to:

• engage collaborators in developing ideas and new products through professional communication and interdisciplinary co-design processes
• contribute to corporate social responsibility by using ethical guidelines in the design process
• independently carry out advanced tasks and projects in product design

Admission requirements for the Master`s Degree Programme in Product Design:

• Requirements determined by the University College`s Regulation Relating to Master`s Degree Programmes. The bachelor¿s degree/three-year programme of education must include: in-depth study of subjects, courses or course groups equivalent to at least 80 ECTS credits or an integrated programme of at least 120 ECTS credits within the field of product design.
• A portfolio consisting of products/documentation and Letter of Motivation that will be assessed by an academic committee appointed by the Department.

Both requirements must be fulfilled in order for the applicant to be considered for admission.

We refer to Regulations Relating to Admission to Master`s Degree Programmes at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences.

25 % of the places shall be allocated for applicants that solely compete on the basis of grade point average.

Additional points

Additional points may be awarded for relevant education and vocational experience beyond the minimum requirement.

Vocational experience may include

• design-related activities such as competitions/exhibitions judged by a committee/jury
• public assignments or workshop activities
• experience as self-employed tradesperson in connection with relevant activities
• other activities within design (or arts) within public procurement activities or publications

Relevant additional education, i.e. education within the subject area may include

• Graphic Design, Media and Communication
• Art History, Design History, Architecture, Art Science, Culture and Ideas Studies
• Arts
• Marketing, Economics
• Psychology
• Sociology, Social Anthropology and Development Studies

Additional points awarded for the portfolio and the Letter of Motivation will not exceed 2 points.

Portfolio and Letter of Motivation

The portfolio should consist of a carefully selected combination of own design work. This may include process documentation, models (2D and 3D) and finished products (2D and 3D).

The portfolio will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Selected design work shall display that the applicant has satisfactory academic level within product design such as process documentation, model work and the manufacturing of products of different materials.

Letter of Motivation will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• The contents of the Letter of Motivation shall display personal motivation and include details about why the applicant wants to complete the study programme.
• The content of the Letter of Motivation shall display what the applicant wants to focus on/specialize in during the study programme.

More details regarding the contents and format of the portfolio, the Letter of Motivation and the application process in general can be found on the website.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) certification

Due to the strong focus on materials and production processes in this programme, students will spend a great deal of time in the studio workshops using various tools and machinery in the process. The aim is to reduce the risk of accidental injury as well as the unnecessary destruction of both materials and tools through improper use. Students without OHS certification must complete a course.

It will cover relevant occupational health and safety topics, such as proper machinery and tool use, safe use of chemical substances, etc..

In addition, students will be required to have relevant safety gear - such as goggles, ear protectors, gloves, overalls etc. - and basic tools. More information regarding OHS requirements will be given during the studio workshop training courses.

Applicants with foreign qualifications

The Department of Product Design is a proponent of European higher education and the Bologna Process. Accordingly, applicants with foreign qualifications compete for places with applicants with Norwegian qualifications on an equal footing, providing the foreign qualification is comparable and can be assessed for points in the same way as the Norwegian qualification. Applicants from outside Norway, Sweden or Denmark must be able to show that they are able to master written and spoken English. The language skill requirements are listed in section 2.5.1.

Language skill requirements

For admission to a master¿s degree programme students must fulfill the requirements in the GSU-list (can be found on the website).

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 College 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 College 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.

The programme has an international focus, which means that students will receive an education adapted to increasing globalisation and to a labour market which is globally directed, both culturally and linguistically. It is expected that following graduation students will be able to obtain professional employment in countries which demand language skills in English, both written and oral.

The curriculum has therefore been designed for a global perspective and with an awareness of the cultural dimension of the topics covered. The cultural awareness contributes to the aim that students acquire knowledge that will strengthen the understanding and development of multicultural competence, respect and tolerance.

The teaching will be in English if there are English speaking students. Collaboration in learning activities will be in English. Norwegian students who feel uncomfortable in speaking English can speak Norwegian with facilitation in English by teacher and fellow students.

The programme description has been devised to allow student exchanges with foreign universities and university colleges. This has been done by making the programme modular, i.e. composed of courses, and by allowing students to take individual courses at cooperating institutions abroad. This is recommended in the second semester.

Students taking parts of their programme abroad will be credited accordingly provided that the planned courses are preapproved by the University College and that the approval is incorporated in the individual student's study plan.  Students are advised to choose institutions that OsloMet has agreements with. It is not possible to take more than one year (60 ECTS credits) abroad.

Cooperation agreements

 The Department of Product Design has established cooperation agreements at Master's level with several institutions. Further information regarding these exchange institutions can be found on the website.

Exchange requirements

Students that have their exchange period approved must attend an obligatory preparation course prior to their exchange period.

They must also plan their exchange period in close collaboration with the programme coordinator, the international office and the specific exchange institution.

Further information regarding exchange requirements and the preparation course can be found on the website.

Coursework assignments

Coursework assignments are defined in the individual course descriptions and further requirements are described in the work and teaching plan for the course. Examples of coursework assignments might be written assignments, studio exercises, experiments, reports, reflection notes, poster presentations and other presentations, or case studies. Assignments are carried out individually and in groups.

Coursework assignments are given the assessment Approved/Not approved. In courses with coursework assignments, the students must receive an Approved assessment on the coursework assignments in order to be able to take examinations and be given a final assessment of the course.

Notapproved coursework requirements Legitimate absence based on e.g. a medical certificate, does not exempt students from meeting the coursework requirements. Students who due to illness or any other documented legitimate absence, who do not meet the coursework requirements within the appointed deadline, should as far as possible, be given a new attempt to meet the requirements, before the relevant examination. An agreement with the relevant lecturer must be made in each individual case. If it is not possible to implement a new attempt to meet the requirements due to the nature of the subject/course, the student must expect to submit the coursework requirements at the next possible submission deadline. This may lead to a delay in the progression of study.

The form of assessments will be approved/not approved for compulsory assignments, and Pass/Fail for the exam in the MAPD Practical Placement or in the other exams a graded scale from A (highest) to F (lowest) where A to E is a pass grade and F is a fail grade. The grade achieved in each course will be stated on the diploma. There must be at least two examiners, where at least one has to be external, for the assessment of candidates Master's degree project. 

In some courses, it is possible to apply for an examination as a group, on a professional basis. See the individual course descriptions. The application must be submitted in the beginning of the course starts. A common grade will be given for the group examination.           

Courses  will be evaluated in accordance with the approved research formulations, and in accordance to demonstration of acquired knowledge, skills and general competence described in the learning outcomes of the study programme. Based on this, the general evaluation criteria are:

• Consistency (coherence and logical construction)
• Relevance (to product design profession and to society)
• Context (users, significance within area of use, environment, production etc.)
• Originality (choice of subject, approach/design methodology and/or result)
• Professionalism (project management, execution and presentation of material)

Grades in the final assessment for each course may only be appealed if the assessment work (exhibition, product etc.) is available in the same form as at the first assessment. In other words, nothing may be moved or removed from the assessment work before the deadline for justification and appeal has expired and a re-assessment has been performed. If the assessment work is a product developed in cooperation with an external partner and the student wishes to further develop the product before the appeals deadline has expired and any re-assessment has been carried out, the student must have previously made a copy for use in the development work. Further provisions for assessments and appeals are given in the Act Relating to University and University Colleges (Lov om universiteter og høyskoler), see http://www.lovdata.no/all/hl-20050401-015.html and the relevant regulations for studies and examinations at OsloMet.

Provisions about examinations are given in "Lov om universiteter og høgskoler" (Act Relating to Universities and University Colleges), "Forskrift om studier og eksamen ved høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus" (Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Science) See our website.

Forms of assessment

The form of assessment used for examinations, assignments and other form of final assessment shall be Pass/Fail or a graded scale from A (highest) to F (lowest) where A to E is a pass grade and F is a fail grade. A final assessment is given in each course. The course descriptions must specify the scope and form of the final assessment, with the form of examination and grading scale.

Diploma

On the successful completion of all courses and the final Master's Project, the student will be awarded the Master's Degree in Product Design.  The course names, final assessment and the topic of the Master's Project will be stated on the final diploma.

The form of assessments will be approved/not approved for compulsory assignments, and Pass/Fail for the exam in the MAPD Practical Placement or in the other exams a graded scale from A (highest) to F (lowest) where A to E is a pass grade and F is a fail grade. The grade achieved in each course will be stated on the diploma. There must be at least two examiners, where at least one has to be external, for the assessment of candidates¿ Master¿s degree project.

In some courses, it is possible to apply for an examination as a group, on a professional basis. See the individual course descriptions. The application must be submitted in the beginning of the course starts. A common grade will be given for the group examination.

Courses will be evaluated in accordance with the approved research formulations, and in accordance to demonstration of acquired knowledge, skills and general competence described in the learning outcomes of the study programme. Based on this, the general evaluation criteria are the following:

• Consistency (coherence and logical construction).
• Relevance (to product design profession and to society).
• Context (users, significance within area of use, environment, production etc.).
• Originality (choice of subject, approach/design methodology and/or result).
• Professionalism (project management, execution and presentation of material).

Grades in the final assessment for each course may only be appealed if the assessment work (exhibition, product etc.) is available in the same form as at the first assessment. In other words, nothing may be moved or removed from the assessment work before the deadline for justification and appeal has expired and a re-assessment has been performed. If the assessment work is a product developed in cooperation with an external partner and the student wishes to further develop the product before the appeals deadline has expired and any re-assessment has been carried out, the student must have previously made a copy for use in the development work. Further provisions for assessments and appeals are given in the Act Relating to University and University Colleges (Lov om universiteter og høyskoler), see lovdata.no and the relevant regulations for studies and examinations at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences.

Provisions about examinations are given in "Lov om universiteter og høgskoler" (Act Relating to Universities and University Colleges), "Forskrift om studier og eksamen ved Høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus" (Regulations Relating to Studies and Examinations at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Science) See our website.

Coursework assignments

Coursework assignments are defined in the individual course descriptions and further requirements are described in the work and teaching plan for the course. Examples of coursework assignments might be written assignments, studio exercises, experiments, reports, reflection notes, poster presentations and other presentations, or case studies. Assignments are carried out individually and in groups.

Coursework assignments are given the assessment Approved/Not approved . In courses with coursework assignments, the students must receive an Approved assessment on the coursework assignments in order to be able to take examinations and be given a final assessment of the course.

Not approved coursework requirements

Legitimate absence based on e.g. a medical certificate, does not exempt students from meeting the coursework requirements. Students who due to illness or any other documented legitimate absence, who do not meet the coursework requirements within the appointed deadline, should as far as possible, be given a new attempt to meet the requirements, before the relevant examination. An agreement with the relevant lecturer must be made in each individual case. If it is not possible to implement a new attempt to meet the requirements due to the nature of the subject/course, the student must expect to submit the coursework requirements at the next possible submission deadline. This may lead to a delay in the progression of study.

Forms of assessment

The form of assessment used for examinations, assignments and other form of final assessment shall be Pass/Fail or a graded scale from A (highest) to F (lowest) where A to E is a pass grade and F is a fail grade. A final assessment is given in each course. The course descriptions must specify the scope and form of the final assessment, with the form of examination and grading scale.

Diploma

On the successful completion of all courses and the final Master¿s Project, the student will be awarded the Master¿s Degree in Product Design. The course names, final assessment and the topic of the Master¿s Project will be stated on the final diploma.

Quality Assurance

The purpose of the Quality Assurance System at HiOA is to strengthen the students¿ learning outcome and development by increasing the quality throughout. HiOA wants to cooperate with its students and their participation in the Quality Assurance System is crucial. Some of the overall goals of the Quality Assurance System are:

• Ensuring that the educational institution, including practical training, learning and study environment keep a high quality.
• Ensuring the relevance of the study programmes for the professional field.
• Ensuring a continuously improving quality development.

Student evaluations:

• Course evaluations.
• Annual student survey among the students at HiOA.

For more information about the Quality Assurance System, please see our website (available in Norwegian only).

External programme supervisors

External programme supervisors are a part of ensuring the quality of the individual study programmes. An external programme supervisor is not an examiner, but someone who supervises the quality of the study programmes. All study programmes at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences shall be supervised by an external programme supervisor. However, how the external programme supervisors are used may vary. Reference is made to Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at HiOA).

Course descriptions

The course descriptions give an overview of objectives, topics, working methods, coursework assignment, courses and final assessment of the individual course. The required reading list follows each course. The description of course and reading lists will be regularly assessed and adjusted in the light of subsequent research and social changes. For each course a timetable will be produced, specifying in detail the topics treated and the teaching plan for the period. All courses will be taught in English, except when there are only Norwegian speaking students in the class.

[1] UniK is an institute owned by UiO, NTNU and the three big Kjeller Institutes (FFI, IFE and Telenor R&D).