Service Design MA



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Overview

One of the first of its kind in Scotland, this MA Service Design course aims to develop your skills in research design in order to set you up for an interesting and in-demand career as a Service Designer in one of the largest and fastest growing design sectors in the UK.

Service design is an increasingly vital profession that incorporates a set of unique skills. Service designers improve the experience of interacting with organisations across a variety of sectors. Service design incorporates and goes beyond user experience and interaction design to consider a holistic approach to designing with and for people. On this programme, you will learn how to use stakeholder-centric research techniques as the foundation for designing services in the public and private sector.

You will work in a collaborative, iterative and imaginative studio, with teaching from leading industry experts and practitioners, to create proposals that respond to social, commercial and environmental challenges.

This programme is suitable to all design disciplines and many computing degrees. Our interdisciplinary team will work with you in a creative environment to explore your practice as a service designer.

Hands drawing a diagram on paper

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

1 years

Start date:

Sep

Course details

You will learn methods for evaluating understanding, evaluating and communicating user needs in complex services. You will have the skills to propose and prototype solutions for user needs. You will be introduced to the research methods and theoretical principles behind service design and how to apply them in real world scenarios.

This programme's approach to learning, teaching and assessment draws on a wide range of strategies which will empower you with the skills to become an independent and flexible life-long learner.

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    How you’ll be taught

    The course offers a face-to-face learning strategy supplemented by a digital learning environment (Moodle) in which students receive information about the modules, reading lists, activities, assessments, etc. Students can also be invited to join online synchronous and asynchronous sessions to complement on-site activities. Face-to-face sessions will have a broad range of approaches. 

    Teaching activities might include: Lectures, tutorials, seminars, open discussion sessions, studio based workshops, studio visits, independent and group work, and guest lectures.

     
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    Assessments

    Assignments in the taught section of this programme ask students to apply their knowledge to scenarios from industry.  Assessments are practical deliveries of presentations to solutions.

    In the Major Project, students are expected to work under their own initiative guided by a supervisor to conduct a research project of their choosing.
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    Facilities

    MA Service Design and its sibling course MSc Design Research are taught in dedicated studios based in Merchiston Campus. Teaching and learning are specifically designed to take advantage of the studio facilities and atmosphere.

    The studios are a collaborative space where peer feedback and involvement are encouraged. These are situated in close proximity to dedicated computer suites exclusive to students in the School of Arts & Creative Industries.

Modules

Modules that you will study* as part of this course

Business & Strategy ( DES11158 )

In this module you will learn the main models of organisational design, and the role that design can play in leading and contributing to an organisation’s strategic objectives. Using Agile methods, you will learn to conceive and develop business cases for innovative service offerings. You will learn to compare and contrast up front design and iterative approaches.This module will help you to understand the principles of business strategy and design's role in contributing to and developing this strategy. This module covers principles of business management and entrepreneurship. You will learn how to use the process of design to help a business achieve growth and prepare for an unpredictable future. Subjects taught in this module include how to understand and develop organisations. In this way you will learn how to organise and prepare teams of people to prepare for new challenges. By learning Agile project management techniques you will gain skills in managing complex product deliveries and bring them to market.Continuous assessment is practiced in the tutorials which are held in your dedicated studio. You will use your self guided study time to prepare for these tutorials where you will gain peer and tutor feedback. Formative feedback is provided on a regular basis in the studio.

Further information

Complex Services ( DES11159 )

This module will advance your understanding of service design by introducing advanced methods and tools necessary for the creation of complex services. You will apply research into stakeholder needs and requirements to prototype and test service design concepts.

Further information

Foundations of Design Research ( DES11157 )

This module will give you a solid grounding in the theory and practice of methods required for rigorous design research. In this module you will focus on conducting ethical human-centred generative research to improve the provision of designed outcomes. Module content will include Generative Methods, Qualitative Analysis, Prototype Testing and how to generate opportunities from insights.

Further information

Future State Design Research ( DES11160 )

This module will arm you with the skills and tools for looking beyond the provision of current services. Over the course of this module, you will learn methods for creating and communicating speculative visions of services for future users. You will also gain an understanding of the importance of these approaches in the service design industry.

Further information

Major Project (Discovery) ( DES11161 )

In this module you will conduct a thorough research investigation of a topic suitable for development in your major project. You will investigate and report on literature around the topic, and conduct preliminary primary research as appropriate. You will develop and propose a plan to conduct over the course of the next stage of the project covered in the Major Project (Realisation) module.

Further information

Major Project (Realisation) ( DES11162 )

In this module you will action the plan and realise the opportunities identified in the Major Project (Discovery) module. You will conduct a self directed project and engage in appropriate research and practice to deliver evidenced proposals. You will be guided through the process by a supervisor who will provide formative feedback on your work in progress.

Further information

Service Design Foundations ( DES11163 )

This module will familiarise you with the foundational concepts of service design. You will gain an understanding of the key methods and tools used in this discipline, and will begin to practice service design processes and workflows. You will also be introduced to the concept of user experience from a service design perspective.Over the course of this module, you will gain a full understanding of the established processes that lead to designing services for all people including diverse and marginalised members of the community.This module considers the touch points with and between people and how they may want and should be able to interact with a service. You will be introduced to the theory of value, how value is understood by differing users and stakeholders and how value in and across systems can be co-created.

Further information

Services at Scale ( DES11164 )

In this module you will learn how to shape large scale services and products. The module will discuss service ecosystems and how to build and evaluate them. You will gain knowledge of different types of system experiences and their make up.You will learn how to understand, evaluate and design for systems experience, considering all stakeholders.You will gain fundamental knowledge in the design of policy and how this can be conducted in an equitable and inclusive manner.

Further information

* These are indicative only and reflect the course structure in the current academic year. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Service Design?

The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at 2:2 or above. We look for applicants to have a background in any discipline in order to be eligible for the programme.

We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient professional work experience within the industry.

Can I get admission into Service Design based on my working experience in this sector?

This course has academic entry requirements which are assessed alongside relevant work experience. Full details of any relevant work experience, including references should be submitted with your application and may be considered for entry where the minimum academic entry requirements are below those required.

Usually, unrelated work experience is not considered sufficient for entry without meeting the minimum academic entry requirements. Please contact us with your specific circumstances by submitting an enquiry form above and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the postgraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English (within two years of starting your postgraduate course). Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • MSc Nursing courses
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2025/26 2026/27
Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £7,650 £tba
Overseas and EU £19,750 £tba
Tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other tuition fee matters, please see our Fees and Funding links above.
The University offers a 20% discount on Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes. The discount can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount. For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount. Please read our full T&C here
Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.


Careers

What can you do with an MA Service Design degree?

Once you have obtained your degree in MA Service Design from Edinburgh Napier University, you will have opened up opportunities to build a future career in the Design industry within the growing and in-demand field of Service Design.

Within this field, some specific roles you could find yourself working in include:

  • Service Designer
  • Design Researcher
  • Service Design Researcher
  • Digital Product Designer/Consultant
  • User Experience Designer/Consultant

What are the current prospects in the Service Design industry?

Service Design represents one of the largest design sectors, with the Scottish Government, health services and the financial services industry all being significant employers.

The average salary for UK service designers is £87,875 (Reed Recruitment, 2023). Junior designers typically earn between £28,000 - £35,000.

 
 
Merchiston campus