MSc Sustainable Design and Innovation

Start date: September and January

Course length: full time: one year, part time: two-three years.

Campus: Markeaton Street site, Derby Campus

This course is available to international students

Our society has been reckless in its use of resources, but we've begun to realise that we can't continue to exploit our planet indefinitely. However, we're reluctant to give up the fruits of our industrial progress; our appetite for the latest products and developments remains unabated; and consumerism has become a way of life in the industrialised world and is aspired to by almost everyone else.

As it's unlikely that demand for manufactured products will fall, the responsibility falls on the designer to develop the most environmentally sound alternatives. To do this designers will have to apply innovative techniques to the process of developing new products, perhaps even questioning the need for those that are particularly damaging and proposing alternative ways of solving the problems they address.

During this course you'll develop your interest in the sustainable design of manufactured products or built environments. You'll consider sustainability with regard to the design, development, production or construction, operation, use and disposal of the products of our society. And you'll find out about the latest thinking in environmentally friendly design, alternative technologies and the development of innovative solutions to design problems.

Sustainability is not just about the environment, so you'll look at the relationship between design and the societies and cultures in which it operates, taking into consideration how these entities affect and are affected by the decisions made in the development of new products and buildings, as well as their environmental impact.

This course has been developed for designers from diverse disciplines and aims to encourage dialogue between different fields of design, so that you can share your ideas and strategies and explore the future of sustainable design in a dynamic and inspirational environment.

You'll normally need an appropriate design or engineering undergraduate degree 2:2 or above, or equivalent, a professional qualification of equal standing or significant industrial experience.

UK/EU students

• £495 per module (you usually take 9 of these modules in total)

International students

• Full time: £10,760 (in total)

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2013 and August 2014. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.

Sustainability is key to the future of our economy Governments are encouraging sustainable design solutions by introducing legislation and using fiscal policy. And industry and commerce are keen to employ people who have the background and knowledge to take advantage of the opportunities offered by a sustainable approach to design and development. This is true in both the construction and manufacturing industries. The development of sustainable design solutions that take account of outcomes throughout the lifecycle of products and buildings is seen as fundamental to the future profitability of many national and international companies.

Research into sustainability is very important to our future. There are opportunities for those interested in an academic career in this subject area - we have a specific research interest in the design, development and use of products that promote sustainability in buildings.