Product Design (with an industrial placement year) BA (Hons)

Modules

• Year 1 at Sussex

  Your modules

  Core modules

  Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

  Autumn teaching

  • Creative Research Methods for Design
  • Drawing for Design
  • Materials and Processes for Product Design
  • Mathematics for Product Design

  Spring teaching

  • Applied Technology for Product Design
  • Computer Aided Visualisation
  • Experience Prototyping
  • The Narrative of Design in Modern Culture

  Intersemester Week

  • Global Design Challenge

  Your degree

  Year 1 is where we build a solid foundation of core skills essential for any designer. Working in our Design Studio and workshops/labs, you’ll:

  • learn to explore creativity in a multitude of ways
  • explore the more technical elements of design
  • find out about materials, processes and design-specific mathematics
  • develop your drawing and communication skills in 2D and 3D, as well as critical thinking and presentation skills.

  Teaching

  Teaching methods typically include a mixture of seminars, lectures, labs and practical workshop sessions. Usually there are also some off-campus visits, embedded in modules.

  

  60%: Lecture
  40%: Practical

  Assessment

  Assessment methods typically include portfolio submissions, group and individual presentations, practical prototyping, computer-based exams and reports.

  Contact hours and workload

  This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 280 hours of contact time and about 920 hours of independent study.

• Year 2 at Sussex

  Your modules

  Core modules

  Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

  Autumn and spring teaching

  • Industry Ready: Mastering the Placement Application Process

  Autumn teaching

  • Design for Manufacture
  • Design Techniques in Practice
  • Human Factors and Ergonomics
  • Interaction Methods

  Spring teaching

  • Design for Industry
  • Integrated Product Design: Research, Theory and Practice
  • Professional and Managerial Skills
  • Toy and Game Design

  Your degree

  Year 2 is where we bring all the skills developed in Year 1 together and push them further. You’ll:

  • broaden your knowledge of the complete design process – from initial research skills through to development and testing of 2D and 3D design concepts
  • continue to develop your group and individual presentation skills – often to external industry clients who set briefs for modules.

  Teaching

  Teaching methods typically include a mixture of seminars, lectures, labs and practical workshop sessions. Usually there are also some off-campus visits, embedded in modules.

  

  70%: Lecture
  30%: Practical

  Assessment

  Assessment methods typically include portfolio submissions, group and individual presentations, practical prototyping, short-video production, computer-based exams and reports.

  Contact hours and workload

  This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 250 hours of contact time and about 950 hours of independent study.

• Placement

  To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can provide you with information and advice. If you’re successful in obtaining a placement, this will form part of your course.

  On placement in a professional design environment, you’ll have the opportunity to apply your technical knowledge and practical skills to real problems. This will help you develop your confidence, professional communication and understanding of engineering practice in industry.

  During your placement, you’ll be supported by an academic mentor who will provide guidance and feedback as you reflect on your professional and technical development.

  Find out more about placements and internships

  Our careers team offers dedicated support to help you obtain a placement, including:

  • finding an employer
  • drafting an application
  • preparing for interviews
  • ongoing help throughout a placement.

  Don’t worry if you’re not successful in securing a placement, you’ll simply transfer to a non-placement version of your course.

  Please note that if you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t undertake your placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid

• Year 3 at Sussex

  Your modules

  Core modules

  Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

  Autumn and spring teaching

  • Design Project (BA)

  Autumn teaching

  • Business and Project Management
  • Design Philosophy
  • The Role of Design in the Circular Economy

  Spring teaching

  • Thinking Big: The 5 Senses

  Your degree

  Year 3 is where you’ll combine the skills from Years 1 and 2 and:

  • deepen your understanding of responsible, sustainable and circular design practices
  • examine your own design philosophies.

  In the final-year project, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase your knowledge and skills. From initial research in a subject of your choice, to creating your own problem statement, developing possible design solutions, 3D prototyping, testing and iterating to find a valid and sustainable solution – the final project demonstrates the whole design process as well as the advanced technical skills you’ve gained. 

  Teaching

  Teaching methods typically include a mixture of seminars, lectures, labs and practical workshop sessions. Usually there are also some off-campus visits, embedded in modules.

  

  60%: Lecture
  40%: Practical

  Assessment

  Assessment methods typically include portfolio submissions, group and individual presentations, practical prototyping, computer-based exams and reports. There is also the Final Degree Show where you’ll show and present your major project work, with a hardback illustrated thesis that records the process.

  Contact hours and workload

  This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 165 hours of contact time and about 1,035 hours of independent study.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.