You will cover a range of exciting topics from street style to luxury branding; limited editions to open source software; local issues to global currents; throwaway fashion to sustainable consumption; permanent to pop up. The practical elements of the course will strengthen your knowledge and appreciation of design production processes, and enrich the future basis of your professional relationship with designed objects, spaces and other designers. You will engage in innovative ways to explore and affect these worlds, through the best practice of design school culture – projects, crits and collaborations. You will also have the opportunity to customise your course according to your own particular design and cultural interests. We will equip you with a set of practical skills in on/offline publishing, critical writing, curating, display and events, branding and promotion, project management, business and organisation to help build your career. Our global perspective will help you develop international links with other students and organisations. You can expect... You can expect to undertake academic study in design cultures and histories but also develop the technical skills to communicate your ideas into a body of work to show potential employers. Your writing and design skills will be further enhanced by an understanding of business, entrepreneurial and organisational skills. Capitalising on its location within a world leading practice based institution, the course is taught differently from other more traditional art and design history courses. You will learn by doing through projects rather than the typical lecture/seminar model. Collaboration is at the heart of BA (Hons) Design Cultures. You will gain an understanding of working as part of a team and become familiar with how design practitioners work, what they do and ways of working together in the delivery of shared projects. You will also have links with other courses, including the jointly delivered third year curatorial project. The course has a strong global emphasis through its cross-cultural and transnational approach to course content, projects and international partnerships. You will have the opportunity to participate in Erasmus exchanges and be encouraged to undertake online collaborations with students at design institutions in other countries. The course is distinctive in using social technology as a creative catalyst and making it central to the learning process. The use of digital platforms is embedded throughout the curriculum and you will be involved in creating your own online publishing platform. We take a broad view of design cultures that includes an analysis of global cultures, technological cultures, subcultures and institutional cultures. We introduce you to culture as a way of life, as a form of creative practice in relation to the arts and as a dynamic and socially engaged process. Tutors on this course... Our teaching staff actively work with the Cuming Museum, Design Museum, Imperial War Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), The British Library and Selfridges, among others. You will also benefit from the course's strong links with world-leading cultural organisations such as the Museums Association, the Design History Society and the Design Research Society. This course is taught within the School of Design. Learning and teaching Courses in UAL span a broad range of art, design, communication, business, media, science and communication subjects. So the ways in which you learn and how your time is used will vary according to the specific course you are studying; this may be in studios, labs, classes, involve working alone, learning from peers in pairs or groups, or with external partners. Most importantly, no matter which course you enrol on, you will learn not only about your subject but also about how you learn and how to increase your knowledge base. Our courses will guide you to take increasing responsibility and ownership of your work and your learning. We do this so that you will be ready and able to take full advantage of the full range of opportunities offered by the creative industries in the global economy. Assessment Assessment always sounds austere and foreboding, but it is not. We see assessment as a very real part of learning, rather than just a means of looking back at past work and measuring achievement; we believe that assessment helps you plan future work and develop new ideas. Your work will be assessed through projects or portfolios, with written papers or research journals, and, on some courses, examinations. You will be graded according to a set of marking criteria that relate to such things as research, subject knowledge, methodology, and your capacity to analyse and reflect on your achievements. So don’t be afraid of assessment - it is the way to progress.

The BA (Hons) Design Cultures degree encourages the development of innovative design thinking and writing and the exploration of your own creative vision. We aim to prepare you to graduate as active citizens who will use design as a driver for positive cultural, social and environmental change. Career opportunities for BA (Hons) Design Cultures graduates include working in museums, galleries, auction houses, design retail, journalism, publishing, education, advertising, marketing, arts administration, PR and events. Graduates could also take up careers as freelance consultants, facilitators, entrepreneurs, project managers, design managers and researchers. There are also opportunities to study for further professional qualifications or postgraduate degrees. Enterprise and employability at UAL We know what it takes to be successful in your chosen field. Your tutors are professionals in their own right and understand what you need to help you establish your career. Staff in our Centre for Student Enterprise and Employability (SEE) are dedicated to helping you build up work-relevant skills, knowledge, experience and networks throughout your time here. You will also benefit from our many relationships with industry, which give our students exclusive opportunities and access to networks and funding. Artists and designers tell us they value UAL's informed engagement with their career and professional practice development and our ability to offer them practical advice, guidance and opportunities across the wide spectrum of possible professional pathways - as entrepreneurs and employees. Staff value the resources and skills UAL makes available to help them deliver effective professional and career development through the curriculum. Find out more ArtsTemps (SEE) is the UAL in-house recruitment agency placing students and graduates in paid temping roles within the University. Creative Opportunities (SEE) is the UAL job vacancy and work placement website for students and graduates and advertises hundreds of creative job and placement opportunities each month. Get more information and advice on employment and creative careers for all UAL students and graduates.