two students sitting at a workstation and a lecturer standing between them, looking at their work in art and design studio

Available with:

  • Foundation Year


Course Summary

Our Product Design course will spark your imagination, fuel your curiosity, and build your confidence as you embark on an exciting journey of creativity, digital exploration and hands-on craftsmanship. Through the lens of design thinking, you will tackle real-world challenges by creating innovative, product-driven solutions. Our course offers a sense of purpose and creative fulfilment as you work on projects that are not only meaningful but personal to you.

Our course encourages you to become future-focussed; you will experiment with emerging technologies, progressive design methods, and sustainable materials. You will engage with the very latest digital tools, use virtual reality and artificial intelligence, and learn how to use advanced 3D modelling techniques to produce photo-realistic product renderings. At the same time, you’ll hone traditional craftsmanship in our fully equipped workshops, blending digital making with hands-on fabrication to create functional prototypes and polished final products.

You'll become proficient in ‘Design Thinking,’ a versatile problem-solving method applicable across creative and non-creative industries alike. You’ll learn to generate ideas, think creatively, and explore both physical and digital worlds, taking a playful approach to design that’s imaginative, sustainable, and commercially viable.

Being part of our creative community, you'll share common ground with students from Fashion Design, Graphic Design, and Interior Design. This collaborative experience will expand your knowledge, introduce you to diverse perspectives, and enhance your exposure to different industries. By working with students across disciplines, you’ll broaden your network, gain fresh skills, and be better prepared for success in your chosen career path.

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Why You'll Love It

Product Design Programme Leader Rebecca Falcon

Product Design BA (Hons)

What You'll Study

The Creative Industries, Media and Performance Foundation Year route encourages you to operate as a creative community, developing new skills while learning from each other. You will build knowledge of your chosen area alongside transferrable practical and academic skills to support future employment.

Students have access to a wide range of specialist facilities. For art, design and innovation students this includes painting and sculpture studios, 3-Dimensional design, printmaking workshops, sewing and fashion workshops and graphic design suites. The performing arts and media students are introduced to our television studios, music production studios, editing facilities, green screen, the ‘black box’ and the ‘white box’.

  • Term 1: Introduction to Creative Spaces
  • Term 2: Creative Practices in Art and Design
  • Term 3: Originating a Creative Project

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

The Product Design BA course contains a blend of specialist and interdisciplinary modules at each level of study.

At Level 4, you will learn digital and physical making skills to enable the visualisation of their design ideas, alongside specialist 2D and 3D CAD drawing workshops to support the communication of your designs. You are introduced to the fundamental principles of design where you will gain an understanding of Design Thinking, and the historical and contemporary context within which Product Design sits as a discipline.

The University also offers several optional modules to provide you with the opportunity to learn a language and study abroad.

Modules

This module introduces the key aspects of your subject area, including foundational knowledge, problem-solving skills, effective communication, personal responsibility, and the development of important attributes required for employment within and beyond the creative and cultural industries.

This module will enable you to apply your skills and knowledge to a specific design challenge. You will have the opportunity to apply your subject specific knowledge and expertise in multiple areas of creative practice.

You will have access to workshops and production facilities to produce an outcome to the themed brief.

Chinese: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE in Chinese or equivalent. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

French: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed A-Level or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

French: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

German: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module enables students with A-Level German or equivalent to further develop their grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

Spanish: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed a A-Level or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

Spanish: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed GCSE or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

Subsidiary Language for Beginners (20 Credits) Option

This module provides the opportunity to study a new language from scratch and introduces you to basic grammar, vocabulary and cultural contexts. You will apply the language to practical situations using both oral and written skills. 

 

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

Level 5 builds upon this foundation to develop a deeper understanding of materials and the skills to design for manufacture and an introduction to the commercial aspects of product design. A focus on contemporary issues for tomorrow’s designers, creates opportunities for collaborative working on live briefs whilst an Experiential Learning module prepares you for the workplace.

Modules

This module explores contemporary cultural and critical issues in both current and future design practice, encouraging you to engage with themes such as ethics, responsibility, and technological advancements. You will have the opportunity to apply your research to practical, real-world problems while collaborating across disciplines. Emphasising interdisciplinary teamwork, the module enables you to work with students, academics, and technical demonstrators from various design fields on shared projects and challenges. Through this process, you will critically examine the societal and cultural factors that shape design, developing a deeper understanding of its role in addressing complex future challenges.

This module will provide you with the practical and theoretical underpinning of professional practice in your specific subject, enabling you to identify and develop key employability attributes and skills in preparation for your future career.  

You will spend several weeks working collaboratively with other students across the School for the Creative Industries on one major project or several smaller projects in a professional ‘simulated real world’ working environment.  Projects will be contemporary, topical, externally focussed and often involve partnership with outside agencies. The module will provide you with opportunities for immersive learning and the chance to apply your knowledge in real-world contexts.

The module provides students with an opportunity to undertake a 140-hour work placement*. This placement is complemented by a number of school-delivered sessions designed to develop their employability, professional practice, and students' understanding of their career options. Students learn to reflect on the nature of creativity within their studies, and gain awareness of how this is valued and relevant in modern workplaces. 

*in some cases, evidence of considerable relevant graduate-level work experience may be accepted as an alternative to completion of the stipulated placement.

Building on your prior experience of design and production of product concepts, this module will equip you with a working knowledge of current manufacturing processes and a focus on designing for production. You will explore the relationship between design and manufacture, gaining practical insights into how products are made. By developing a physical / digital artefact, you will develop a deeper understanding of production constraints and the challenge of designing for scalability. 

The learning from this module will feed directly into your next module, where you will carry this new knowledge and apply your product-specific skills to a contemporary design brief, working in inter-disciplinary teams with students from a range of design disciplines.

Choose one of the following:

  1. Professional Placement (40 Credits) Optional
  2. Term abroad (40 Credits) Optional
  3. One of the following Language options

Advanced Language Development and Global Sustainability (40 Credits) Optional

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at advanced level. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a sustainability issue in a target language country. The first half of the module will prepare you for placements abroad where appropriate as well as a deeper understanding of sustainability in target language contexts. 

Developing Intercultural Literacy and Cross-Cultural Skills (40 Credits) Optional

  • The multiple facets of global citizenship
  • Ethical engagement and practice
  • The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
  • Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
  • Intercultural communication
  • Culture shock
  • Cultural adjustment
  • Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess-with a strong focus on understanding the intercultural competencies (ICC) needed to live and work abroad.
  • Critical analysis/evaluation of individual requirements in relation to culture/cultural adjustment/culture shock/visas/medical.
  • Critical analysis/evaluation of skills already acquired in relation to key skills related to ICC.
  • Devising strategies to improve one’s own prospects of working abroad in the future.
  • Devising an action plan to address gaps in transferable skills based on organisational analysis and sector opportunities.

Experiential Overseas Learning (40 Credits) Optional

Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the University of Chester during level 5 and will include:  

  • The multiple facets of Global citizenship
  • Ethical engagement and practice
  • Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
  • Intercultural communication
  • Theories, models and strategies of learning

Theories and models Intercultural competence

  • Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism
  • Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection
  • Experiential learning models
  • Self-directed experiential learning

Personal and placement-related skills

  • Enhanced independence
  • Improved command of multicultural behaviour
  • Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
  • Effective time management and organisational skills
  • Project management – working away from University and independent study
  • Self-management and personal development
  • Team building and team work

Part B: Overseas

Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours 

Post Beginner Language Development and Global Cultures (40 Credits) Optional

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at beginner level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a cultural issue in a target language country. 

Upper Intermediate Language Development and Global Employability (40 Credits) Optional

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at intermediate level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes an placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a business or tourism issue in a target language country. 

Or you can choose ONE of the following:

  • University Placement Year Optional
  • Subject Placement Year Optional
  • International University Placement Year Optional

 

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

At Level 6, you will develop your specialist practice and undertake design research and investigation in preparation for your Final Major Project. This is a self-directed, independent project that integrates the knowledge and skills acquired throughout their studies with a focus on professionalism and commercial product design. This is complemented by a Workplace-Readiness module which focuses on portfolio development and prepares you for graduate employment.

Modules

This module provides you with the opportunity for an in-depth exploration of a design topic of personal interest. You will select a research question and conduct a thorough investigation using a range of research methods to uncover key insights and present potential opportunities. By the end of the module, you will have developed a research-driven approach to addressing a design challenge that enables new perspectives and innovative ways of thinking. This may or may not relate to your Major Project.

The focus of this module is to build your workspace readiness through the development and production of a visually exciting Curated Portfolio-to-Go and complementary self promotion materials. Work produced for this module can be used to target ‘identified’ areas of prospective career opportunity and enhance your readiness to enter the workplace.

Building on your understanding of designing for manufacture in Level 5, you will now learn how to create beautiful product forms.

This module is designed to enhance your appreciation of form and aesthetics in preparation for your final major project. You will master specifically selected industry-relevant tools, techniques, and technologies to build your confidence in creating and communicating physical product forms. You will learn how to turn your innovative ideas into desirable products that appeal to the target market. The work produced in this module is intended to create stand-alone content for you to include in your ongoing portfolio for use after graduation.

The independent Major Project is the culmination of your studies in Product Design and the opportunity for you to define your own area of interest to support your career aspirations.

This module allows you to apply and consolidate your skills, knowledge, and creativity developed throughout your course to tackle a self-directed design project. You will be encouraged to take ownership of your learning and work independently to explore, develop, and present a solution to a design challenge that you have identified. The project has an emphasis on innovation, professional design practice, and your ability to manage a complex design challenge from identification to resolution.

The outcome of this module will be your design response to meet your own brief in the form of a product proposal, which will be realised in the next module, when you will have the opportunity to make a final product model (artefact) and produce promotional material for your own personal portfolio.

The Major Project Realisation module represents the final phase of your product design journey. Using your Technical Pack from the previous 'Major Project Response' module, you will translate your detailed design work into a fully realised prototype.

This module focuses on the creation of a functional and/or aesthetic prototype, ensuring that your design works in practice. This prototype will enable you to create stunning hero images for you to produce high-quality presentation materials, simulating a real-world design project where you would be expected to deliver a final presentation to your client.

This module focuses on accurate production skills, quality of making (physical and digital) and professional communication, providing you with the opportunity to showcase all of your learning and celebrate the moment when your idea comes to life. The work produced in this module contributes to a professional portfolio of work that you will have created by the end of the course. 

You will draw on both the major project outcomes and your entire design collection, created throughout the Product Design course to create your own professional portfolio for employment. This portfolio development and employment preparation will take place in the final 'Career Readiness' module. 

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

How You'll Learn

This course is delivered in three terms of ten weeks each. In each term, students study 40 credits comprised of either one or two modules. Scheduled contact hours range between approximately six and twelve hours per week, depending upon the level of study and the complexity of the material being taught.

If studied, the Foundation Year, as with the following years of study, will be taught in three 10-week blocks across an academic year. Each block will comprise of a large 40-credit subject-specific module that includes a breadth of topics and subject skills. You will have on average 12-14 hours of contact time per week during the Foundation Year. There may be variations to this where subject practical or specialist space teaching is included.

The course is delivered in person with online learning where more appropriate for content, delivery or accessibility. You can expect to take part in studio sessions for:

  • designing activity
  • practical workshops for making and prototyping
  • computer labs for computer-aided design
  • one-to-one tutorials
  • small group seminars
  • lectures
  • and specialist online learning platforms.

You should expect to spend an average of 30 hours per week on independent study; which might include following asynchronous learning material on the University’s VLE, using the University’s library, working with peers and preparing work for assessment.

The course is assessed through ongoing coursework and there are no written exams. There will be a broad range of deliverables that you are expected to produce for assessment, to ensure that you are exposed to the different types of tasks that they might encounter in the workplace.

For example, this might include coursework in the form of:

  • physical artefacts
  • development work
  • curated client books and technical packs
  • pitch presentations (verbal and visual)
  • posters
  • and written work (both long and short form).

We continuously review the assessment methods to ensure that they authentically represent the requirements of employers in current workplace roles and adequately prepare you for future graduate-level employment.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Creative Campus, Kingsway Tours

Study at our Creative Campus, Kingsway, home to some outstanding art, design and performance-based courses for the University’s School for the Creative Industries. Scroll through our 360 tours to explore our state-of-the-art facilities.

Entry Requirements

112UCAS points

UCAS Tariff

112 points

GCE A Level

Typical offer – BCC-BBC

BTEC

BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM

International Baccalaureate

28 points

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers: H3 H3 H3 H3 H4

Scottish Highers: BBBB

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above

T Level

Merit

OCR Cambridge Technicals

OCR Extended Diploma: DMM

Extra Information

Shortlisted applicants will be required to produce a portfolio and attend an interview.

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A Level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

  • IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
  • Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72UCAS points

UCAS Tariff

72 UCAS points 

GCE A level

72 points overall, including grade D in one of the following subjects: Art & Design, Fine Art or Textiles.

BTEC

BTEC Extended Diploma (Art and Design): MMP

International Baccalaureate

24 points including 4 in HL Visual Arts

Irish / Scottish Highers

Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4 including Art

Scottish Highers: CCDD including Art and Design

Access requirements

Access to HE Diploma (Art and Design) – Pass overall

T Level

T Level (Craft and Design): Pass (D or E on the core)

Extra Information

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer.  We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree. 

Study the final year of an undergraduate degree

If you have successfully completed a Level 5 qualification, e.g. a Higher National Diploma (HND) or Foundation Degree in a relevant subject, then we may be able to consider you for the final year (Level 6) of one of our degrees. Topping up your HND or Foundation Degree will typically take one further year of study and will lead to a full BA (Honours) degree.

To apply for the final year of a degree on a full-time basis you will need to submit an application through UCAS.

For international applicants, please refer to the entry requirements listed on the "Your Country/Region" pages. To be considered for advanced entry into relevant degree programmes, you must have completed a qualification equivalent to a Level 5 or Level 6 in the UK, in a related subject area

Fees and Funding

£9,535per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,535 a year, or £1,590 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

You can find more information about undergraduate fees on our Fees and Finance pages.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

£14,450*per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £14,450 per year for a full-time course. This fee is set for each year of study.

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.

For courses with a Foundation Year, the tuition fees for Year 1 are £10,750 and £14,200 for Years 2-4 in 2025/26.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes. 

We aim to minimise student costs where possible and provide clear, detailed information to help students plan their finances effectively. 

As part of the Product Design BA course, students may incur additional costs for various activities and materials essential for their studies. These costs can include specialised equipment, study trips and materials. 

Specialised Equipment

There are standard workshop tools and graphics equipment that are essential to all product design students, and you will need to build up your own set of tools and equipment over the course of your study. Alternatives will be provided by the University's facilities where possible.

Estimated Cost: £200-£500 (over 3 years).

Optional Study Trips

Organised to enhance learning through practical and guided exposure to real-world design environments, different cultures and inspiring places. Study trips are optional and students are not required to participate in order to successfully complete the course.

Example costs: (2024) European City £450, New York £1200 per trip plus spending money.

Materials

Where possible, materials will be provided by the University for compulsory projects, in the first and second year. For the Final Major Project in the third year, students will be expected to pay for their own specialist materials. This includes materials such as wood, metal, plastics, 3D print filament, boards, paint etc.

Estimated Cost: £50 - £250 per academic year.

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships. 

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.

Who You'll Learn From

Rebecca Falcon

Senior Lecturer
Rebecca Falcon

Professor David Raffo

Senior Lecturer

Gareth Price

Lecturer Graphic Design
Gareth Price

Your Future Career

Job prospects

In a rapidly changing world, there is a rising demand for innovative and user-centred solutions. Product Design equips you with a versatile skill set that can be applied across businesses both within creative industries and beyond. 

Our graduates are employed across many sectors including product design, manufacturing, education, user experience, research, CAD, sales & marketing, business operations and product management.

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extracurricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

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