Product Design, BSc (Hons)

Level

Product Design, BSc (Hons)

Nottingham Trent University
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Starting dates and places

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Description

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designs (IED), our award-winning course is designed for students with a strong interest in technology; concentrating on the design of products for manufacturing, digital, industrial, electronics and medical applications.

Have a look at a student produced behind-the-scenes video of preparations for the 2013 Degree Show.

Use your interest in technology to gain a broad knowledge of specialised industry-standard design tools and techniques used in tech-focused areas of product design and development.

Why choose this course?

On this Institution of Engineering Designs (IED) accredited course you will have the opportunity to:

  • Work on live industry b…

Read the complete description

Frequently asked questions

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Didn't find what you were looking for? See also: Product Design & Development, BSc, (Market) Research, Marketing Strategy & Management, and Manufacturing.

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designs (IED), our award-winning course is designed for students with a strong interest in technology; concentrating on the design of products for manufacturing, digital, industrial, electronics and medical applications.

Have a look at a student produced behind-the-scenes video of preparations for the 2013 Degree Show.

Use your interest in technology to gain a broad knowledge of specialised industry-standard design tools and techniques used in tech-focused areas of product design and development.

Why choose this course?

On this Institution of Engineering Designs (IED) accredited course you will have the opportunity to:

  • Work on live industry briefs set by real clients such as Paul Smith.
  • Take part in competitions and national events.
  • Undertake a one-year work placement.
  • Take part in an exchange visit to the Copenhagen College of Engineering, Denmark or the Harbin Engineering University, China.
  • Exhibit work at the final year Degree Show.
  • Be able to choose between full-time or sandwich options.
  • Work in multi-disciplinary teams alongside other Product Design courses.
BSc or BA?

The BSc (Hons) Product Design course has a technical bias and deals with an integrated approach to the design of products for applications including:

  • manufacturing
  • digital
  • industrial
  • electronic
  • medical.

The BA (Hons) Product Design course focuses on creative and design skills in order to develop new products for manufacture within a wide range of creative industries. These include:

  • new media
  • consumer goods (including packaging and services)
  • sustainable environments
  • electronic gadgets
  • sports products
  • transport and information systems.
Did you know?

NTU is top in the UK for the number of students on design courses on year-long placements (HESA data 2010 / 11).

Prize winners

Students from BSc (Hons) Product Design regularly enter national competitions designing to industry briefs. Read about the prize winners.

Student gallery

View images of recent work.

What our students say

"NTU is a brilliant university with plenty of facilities. The library is very convenient and open 24 hours a day which really helps when deadlines are approaching. The fabulous workshops and the excellent technicians ensure that design ideas can become reality."

Jennifer Greenwood, BSc (Hons) Product Design

Read more profiles from current students and graduates.

Open days

Our open days are designed to help you find out about our courses and the University. You'll meet our lecturers and current students, and get to see some of the fantastic facilities we have.

Download the Open Day Presentations

Attending an open day is really the best way to find out about our courses. But if you can't make it to an open day you can download a copy of the Open Day presentation .

Can't visit us? Talk to us online...

We know it's not always possible to come along to one of our open events, particularly if you don't live in the UK. Throughout the year we will be running a series of live chat sessions, where you can log on and talk to us remotely.
Find out more about live chats for this course on our live chat webpage.

Latest news

Find out what's going on in the School on our news pages and our facebook page and twitter feed.

Any questions?

Email us
Telephone: +44 (0)115 941 8418

How many places are available on this course?

There are 30 places in total across the sandwich and full-time routes.

When does the course start?

This course starts in September. Take a look at our academic calendar for details of term start and end dates.

What will I study?

Through a range of diverse and stimulating projects you will explore many aspects of product design; from the understanding of user needs, to materials selection. You will develop a range of key communication skills using a range of media and methods from drawing, model making and building. You will study alongside BA (Hons) Product Design and BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design across the first two years.

Year One

  • Design Practice One
  • Design Studies One

Year Two

  • Design Practice Two
  • Design Studies Two

Year Three:
Optional work placement year.

The third year work placement option is spent in working in industry gaining relevant and valuable experience.

Final year

  • Major Study Project
  • Modern Manufacturing, Materials and Mechatronics
  • Smart Design Technologies

Course content and module description
See a full description of each module and further detail about what is covered in each year.

Degree Shows

In your final year, you will exhibit your work as part of our Degree Shows at the University. The Degree Shows include all final year students across NTU's Art and Design-based courses, and are a great platform for you to celebrate your studies and showcase your work to members of the creative industries.

How will I learn?

You will spend approximately 18 hours per week in scheduled learning. This includes lectures, supported by smaller group sessions including seminars:

  • tutorials
  • laboratory sessions
  • workshops.

You will also be involved in self-directed project work with the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment.

Outside of timetabled sessions you will need to undertake self-directed independent study. This will include preparing for lectures, researching, completing coursework, developing a portfolio and directed reading to expand your knowledge.

The course is supported by external professional practitioners ensuring that your learning is continuously enhanced through exposure to real world perspective.

Trips and study visits

The delivery of the course is enhanced by fieldwork and site visits. Recent trips have included visits Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Victoria and Albert Museum amongst others across the UK. During your second year you will go a week long study trip, which has included trips to Europe in the past. These are designed to help you investigate and research aspects of design. Below is a list of the modules you'll study and the attached document explains each module in more detail.

How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed through coursework, which will consist of:
  • group and individual projects
  • reports
  • presentations
  • essays
  • a portfolio.

More detailed information about how each module is assessed can be found on the above attachments.

Is the course professionally accredited?

Yes, the course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED).

Students are fully supported by the Institution, and receive free IED student membership for the duration of their studies and first year as a graduate.

International opportunities

Engineering University College of Copenhagen, Denmark
Once you have completed your second year you have the opportunity to get involved in a 15-week project or design semester in Copenhagen. You will have the chance to be part of a team made up of students from all over the world, working on a choice of industry informed projects.

Harbin Engineering University, China
We have a strong relationship with this partner university allowing you to study for a semester in northeast China. Read what BSc (Hons) Product Design student Emily Burroughs has to say about her experience in Harbin.

International Snow Sculpture Competition in Harbin, China
This unique experience will allow you to collaborate with creative from across different art-based forms and taste new cultures. All travel and accommodation costs are paid for by NTU. The University has competed in the competition in the last six years, winning second prize in 2012.

Learn from expert staff

Our Product Design team is made up of experienced academics and staff who have recently joined from industry. These, together with regular visiting experts, provide a rounded, up-to-date education, informed by current practice and industry developments.

What do the course fees cover?

You can find details of what is included in your fees here.
All trips, site visits and personal protective equipment (PPE) costs are included in your fees.

It's a flexible course

The first year of this course is shared with BA (Hons) Product Design and BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design.

This enables you to develop a multi-disciplinary perspective and also the flexibility to switch to either of the other courses at the start of your second year (subject to your original entry qualifications) if you feel you'd be better suited to developing your career in the BA (Hons) Product Design or Furniture and Product Design area.

You can also switch between study modes, full-time or sandwich, if your circumstances change.

Where will I study?

You will study on the City site. Most of your lectures will be taught in the recently renovated Newton building. You will also work in the Maudslay building for some of the practical session, such as workshops.

View the full course specification
Please note that course specifications may be subject to change

The majority of your lectures and seminars will take place in the Newton building. This building has recently undergone a major renovation making it a great environment to study in.

Specialist equipment and facilities

You'll benefit from our high-quality engineering laboratories, extensive modern studios and workshop facilities, and full IT and CAD suites.

Specialist equipment includes the following.

  • Rapid prototyping modellers: these machines quickly create a 3D object from a virtual computer model using a highly advanced laser process.
  • Waterjet cutter: this is the latest generation precision technology capable of up to 150mm in almost any sold material such as glass, steel, granite, marble, aluminium and rubber.
  • You will have access to a CNC (computer-numerical control) router and a brand new laser cutter.

Find out more about our facilities and equipment.

You will have timetabled access to the workshops and labs in Year One and project specific access in Years Two and your Final Year. There is also access to studio spaces, which can be booked. Some machinery will be available outside timetabled hours.

The Maudslay workshops are open Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.45 pm. Please note the workshops are closed on Wednesday afternoons.

The workshops are normally closed for lunch from 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm. However, during busy periods the workshops do not close for lunch.

Dedicated resource centre

Students in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment have access to a dedicated resource centre. This centre, based in the Maudslay building, enables students to undertake private study in a facility equipped with computers, large format plotters, desk space together with the latest, and archived, journals and publications.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City site, with PCs providing access to:

  • Microsoft Office
  • email
  • web browsing
  • networked file storage
  • high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student).

Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.

Books and library resources

You will have access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within Architecture. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.

Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist Architectural subject knowledge. They can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources and also support on things such as Harvard referencing and research skills.

Bonington Art Shop

Our specialist in-house art shop is based in the Bonington building. Run by experienced and friendly University staff, the shop stocks a wide variety of arts and crafts materials.

The shop responds to the requirements of our students, and the stock on offer grows each year to support the courses offered within the School of Art & Design and the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.

Bonington Colour Bureau

Located in the Bonington building, our Colour Bureau provides a range of in-house printing for NTU students and staff.

Specialising in graphic arts printing, the Colour Bureau offers high quality prints on a non-standard range of media in any size up to B0. It also operates a drop-off service so you won't have to queue and aims to offer A4/A3 prints for same-day collection, where possible.

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