Product Design and Management BSc - Undergraduate degrees

Interested in design and management? This combination of skills and knowledge is highly sought after in todays employment market.

Location: Aston University, Birmingham

Are you passionate about new ideas? Do you feel inspired to think about how a product could be better designed?

If you answered yes and would like to gain the knowledge and experience you need for a career in product design, alongside a range of marketing, management and business skills, this course could be for you.

Our design courses are stimulating, relevant, challenging and rewarding and youll benefit from practical, hands-on experience throughout your course. We work with a number of practicing designers so youll have the opportunity to work on live projects, ensuring your products are technically and commercially feasible, while also being environmentally responsible.

This course will ensure you develop a range of industry-ready skills, preparing you for whatever future you have in mind, whether thats in-house design or setting up your own business.

What youll learn

In the first year youll get a grounding in product design principles and an understanding of how design can affect the profitability of a business.

In the second and final year you will take a common core of design modules to support your projects, integrating your design specialism with the core aspects of product design. Youll also continue to develop skills that are relevant to your future career, whichever path you choose to take, including presentations and team working. Your final year will culminate in the opportunity to showcase your project work at the Aston Inspired final year design show.

We teach using a hands-on framework called CDIO - Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate - supported by 50 of the worlds top technical institutions. This enables you to apply real-world skills as you learn, enabling you to maximise your learning. Youll do your learning in our state-of-the-art facilities, which include advanced 3D printing facilitates and a dedicated design studio with specialist equipment designed just for you.

The School of Engineering and Applied Science has strong links to industry and this will be beneficial to you if you choose to spend a year working during your degree.

Well support you to find a paid, professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and will further enhance your career prospects.

Youll also have the opportunity to network with employers and showcase your work as part of the Mechanical Engineering and Design Industry Club, where youll be given opportunities to meet employers.

Modules

Accreditation

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

International students

Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students on many of our undergraduate programmes. Students from over 120 countries choose to study with us every year and Aston is not only a great place to study, based in the centre of Birmingham, its also a great place to live. Astons professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, youll be better prepared for your future career. One of the great things about Aston is our focus on employability and our close links with businesses, industries and professions make this possible.

Choosing to start your Aston journey with one of our foundation programmes will help you develop specialist knowledge to ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course. During your foundation year, youll have excellent support from academics and group projects will give you the chance to meet new people, make new friends and build a network of peers who will share your university journey.

We also have a Learning Development Centre that can provide additional support and offer pre-sessional English language programmes. https://www2.aston.ac.uk/international-students

For International Students intending to do a foundation year, visit ONCAMPUS.

• BBC including a science or technical subject
   
• BCC including a science or technical subject (with an EPQ or Core Maths at grade B)
   
• CCC including a science or technical subject (contextual offers and for DTUS applicants)
   
• Science and technical subjects accepted include: Chemistry, Physics, Maths Further Maths, Biology, Design Technology, Engineering Science and Electronics

A Design, Art or Creative A Level is desired but not essential. (For those students who do not have formal qualifications in these subjects, a discretionary process where examples of work are provided can be arranged.) 

To be accepted onto our programmes, you must be able to satisfy the University's English language requirements. The level required will depend on the programme you are applying for. We strive to make your application process as easy as possible, however in all cases we reserve the right to request an English language qualification and / or conduct an interview.

We accept a wide range of English language qualifications including:

• IELTS Academic
• TOEFL
• PTE Academic
• TOEFL iBT Home Edition
• Password
• Duolingo English Test (for entry onto Pre-Sessional English programmes, and direct entry courses starting in January 2022 and September 2022, excluding Aston Medical School, OSPAP, and Postgraduate Research degree programmes).
• Kaplan International Tools for English (KITE) 

We aim to provide you with knowledge of materials, production processes and technology as well as skills in aesthetics, ergonomics and management to enable you to develop a successful career in design. Our graduates can demonstrate creative design skills alongside sound technical knowledge and experience, valued by many employers.

The kinds of roles our graduates go on to include: design engineers, CAD specialists and general management, education and administration. Alternatively, our graduates may choose to go on to further study.

Companies that our recent graduates have joined include: Laing, Goodrich, Husio International, The Eden Project, Sainsburys, Rolls Royce and Calsonic Kansei.