University of Chester
Product Design (including a Foundation Year) BA (Hons)
University of Chester

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 55 graduates of Product Design (including a Foundation Year) BA (Hons) and other courses in Design Studies at University of Chester for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Design Studies.

Overall student satisfaction
73 /100
55 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Design Studies

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Design Studies at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £21000 £20000 £24000
25-75 percentile range £19000 - £22000 £15500 - £24000 £20000 - £28000


Salary of all UK Graduates of Design Studies

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £22025 £20113 £23568
25-75 percentile range £19981 - £25071 £15144 - £24676 £17604 - £29974

Course Description

Our creative and business-focused course gives you the freedom to explore the endless possibilities of design and equips you with the skills for industry, enabling you to develop innovative products that make a difference.

This course looks to the future, so you will learn about rapidly developing design processes, emerging new materials and cutting-edge technologies. Through industry-led briefs you will consider the environmental, social and economic concerns of today and propose solutions for our changing world. Product Design at Chester is a hands-on experience with a high level of one-to-one contact time and technical support.

We place importance on human-centred design thinking, idea generation and experimentation with a deliberate balance between the physical and digital worlds. We encourage a playful approach to materials to produce imaginative design solutions that are commercially viable. Our friendly, creative community provides support and treats you as an individual.

Our staff come from the design industry and have excellent links with commercial partners. This enables us to set live briefs so that students work alongside design professionals and have a path to graduate design jobs. You will acquire the confidence to push the boundaries and explore the entrepreneurial possibilities of your ideas within the creative economy. Our industry standard CAD facilities and 3D printing suite complement the traditional workshops, which are supported by skilled technical staff for hands-on development and experimentation.

** Foundation Year courses have been designed for students who do not have the necessary academic qualifications needed to enter directly into the first year of a degree but who have the ability and commitment to do so. Once the Foundation Year has been completed successfully, you can then go on to complete your degree.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Product Design (including a Foundation Year) BA (Hons) at University of Chester

25% Teaching Professionals
20% Media Professionals
10% Sales occupations
5% Customer service occupations
5% Teaching and Childcare Support Occupation
5% Business, Research and Administrative Professionals
5% Finance Professionals
5% Science, engineering and technology associate professionals
5% Skilled trades occupations
5% Business and public service associate professionals

Grading & Study Time

**Assessment methods may include:** individual creative projects; project/research journals; production notebooks; sketchbooks; project rationales; strategic planning documents; material samples and mood boards; project presentations; written essays; individual and group practical projects; and personal development planning.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for Design Studies

Qualification requirements

Including one in a relevant subject/science (90 UCAS tariff points)

Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (80 UCAS tariff points)

Scottish Higher qualifications are considered on an individual basis

Access to HE Diploma

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

Other vocational qualifications at Level 3 will also be considered, such as NVQs. 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. Please note: certain courses may require that you have studied a specific subject at GCE A Level (or acceptable alternatives), e.g. Biology, Maths or Chemistry, or GCSE Maths at grade C.

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 6.5
    • All Degrees
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Product Design (including a Foundation Year), BA (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Product Design (including a Foundation Year) BA (Hons)

EU £9250 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Scotland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1

Additional fee information

All students (except Internationals) on this programme will be eligible for a £500 cash bursary – only at level 3/Foundation Year. The tuition fee for the subsequent years of study on the full-time undergraduate degree will be charged at the undergraduate degree fee level. This fee is currently £9,250 a year for students starting in 2019 but this is subject to annual inflationary rises in line with inflation at that time, as measured by the Retail Price Index.

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • Foundation

About University of Chester

The University of Chester, as the name suggests, is a university located in Chester. The university is formally affiliated with the Christian faith, but they make it clear in their mission statement that students of all faiths or no faith at all are welcome at their university. Chester operates from a total of six campuses, five of which are in Chester, the other in Warrington, with the main campus building being known as Parkgate Road Campus.

List of 330 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Chester - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Chester

undergraduates:
8005
postgraduates:
3300
Total:
11305
  • Student Life - University of Chester
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Where is this programme taught

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