BSc (Hons) Product Design and Management with Placement Year

Interested in design and management? This combination of skills and knowledge is highly sought after in today’s 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 you’ll benefit from practical, hands-on experience throughout your course. We work with a number of practicing designers so you’ll 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 that’s in-house design or setting up your own business.

What you’ll learn

In the first year you’ll 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. You’ll 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 world’s top technical institutions. This enables you to apply real-world skills as you learn, enabling you to maximise your learning. You’ll 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.

We’ll 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.

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

• Introduction to Engineering and Design
• Prototyping & Development
• Design Fundamentals
• Engineering Principles 1
• Engineering Practice

• Design and Engineering for the User
• Design Studio
• Digital Design Skills
• Product Experience
• Design Management and Innovation
• Product, Market and Intellectual Property

Find out more about the Aston placement year.

• EPS Study Placement Year
• EPS Industrial Placement Year
• EPS Study/Work Placement Year

• Product Design Final Year Project
• Advanced Product Experience
• Professional Preparation for Industry
• Design Competitions
• Advanced Design Management and Innovation

The BSc Product Design and Management course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED). The IED is the UK’s only professional body representing those working in the fields of Engineering and Technological Product Design. They are a registered charity and a Chartered body, the only organisation able to grant Chartered status to product design professionals.

Our accredited courses are fully supported by the Institution, and IED Student membership is free to full-time students for the duration of your studies. Successful students can upgrade to become a Member upon graduation.

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, it’s also a great place to live. Aston’s professional work placements can improve your chance of securing a graduate job. Placements give you experience, confidence and opportunities and as an Aston student, you’ll 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, you’ll 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.

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