Design (Metalwork and Jewellery) – MA

This course is for highly motivated and talented people who wish to work at the forefront of this creative discipline.

The course builds upon craft traditions, but extends them into the needs of our new age. Fashion, music, cultural movements, new materials and technologies are challenging this design field and stimulating new creative opportunities in crafts and applied arts.

It is a project led and studio-based course. You develop and apply advanced-skills using traditional and new technologies. You also carry out research through practical and theoretical investigation.

The study structure is flexible to enable you to define and pursue your individual goals. We expect you to develop an individual and progressive approach in your work.

You can choose your own balance of taught and project-based study. Project work can make up between 60 - 85 per cent of the course.

Individual project work includes research and creative work which explores your study topic. This is supported by lecture and seminars dealing with professional practice issues and reviewing progress. You also take part in regular group and individual tutorials.

Your MA project is the culmination of your research and studio-based design practice. This project demonstrates that you can deal with difficult contemporary questions and take a leading role in your profession as a designer.

You take part regularly in constructive critical debate about your own work and that of your peers. You need to communicate your research, ideas and design in ways that are appropriate to professional leadership.

We support the course with excellent technical resources and teachers who have international standing as designers and researchers.

Sheffield has long been an internationally renowned centre of metalwork. It is famous not only for its heavy steel and tool industries but also for being at the leading edge of the design and production of traditional and contemporary metalwork, silversmithing and tableware.

Industrial sponsorship
Sometimes we are able to obtain sponsorship from an industrial company. Usually this is linked to a particular design problem that the company would like to investigate.

We are normally asked to shortlist applicants before recommending a small number to apply. If this happens, we consider your interview, portfolio of work, academic qualifications and learning aims. We aim to pick those whose abilities and aims are relevant for the company and who are most likely to be successful in a competitive interview.