Other Unrestricted Electives (UEs)

Semester 1

Independent Study for Graduate Design Research
4 units each (ID5359)
This course is tailored for graduate design students who wish to deeply investigate a topic within design. Students are required to collaborate with a faculty member to identify and define a specific research topic, along with relevant readings and assignments. A formal written agreement will be established, outlining the topic, study plan, assignments, evaluation criteria, and other essential details, subject to approval by the Head of Department.

The course focuses on self-directed learning by the students, guided through regular meetings with the supervising lecturer, as well as progress reports. This course offers a unique opportunity for graduate design students to explore specialised areas of interest and push the boundaries of design practice and theory.

Pre-requisite: ID5358

Semester 1 and 2

Advanced Design Platform 1 and 2
4 units each (ID5353 and ID5356)
This series of vertical design studios leverages the wide range of topics offered in our undergraduate programmes. These studios, referred to as design platforms, engaged in product innovation, social and service transformation, or design futures and critical inquiry. Students will participate in design projects which encourage cross-pollination of thought, skills, and learning and serve as supplements to your specific creative interest and portfolio development. Students may select either conceptual or real-life projects led by relevant experts within the Division of Industrial Design.

Semester 2

Design Research Immersion Programme
4 units each (ID5358)
This course offers graduate students an opportunity to engage in academic research under the guidance of faculty members. Students will apply and expand upon concepts from their coursework to tackle complex, open-ended questions and real-world challenges in research projects. Throughout the course, students will learn to develop and refine research questions, design and execute studies using appropriate methodologies, analyse data, draw insightful conclusions, collaborate with various academic and industry partners and articulate their findings in a well-documented written report.

Sustainable Innovation: Design & Transformation Strategies
4 units each (ID5360)
This course introduces students to the core principles of sustainable innovation, with a strong focus on circular economy - design and business strategies. It explores the urgent need for transitioning from linear models to circular systems, highlighting design’s critical role in enabling sustainable practices.

Students will gain practical skills in developing sustainable product-service systems. Through in-class activities and collaborative group projects, they will apply circular, or lifecycle-based design approaches—from initial concept development to crafting actionable implementation strategies. The course also explores the importance of collaboration across supply chains, a vital component for bringing circular innovation to life.

To support informed design decisions, students will explore the importance and key approaches to impact assessment, introducing tools such as Life Cycle Assessments (LCA). By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to make meaningful contributions to sustainable innovation.

Design for Healthy Living
4 units each (ID5361)
This course is about the psychological underpinnings of behaviour change directed to making improvements to people's physical and mental health. This includes: motivational theories, persuasion, decision making (including theory on consumer behaviour as well as on biases), positive psychology (flourishing), ecological psychology (affordances), mindfulness and gamification. Many examples of design projects will be shown that utilised any of the psychological principles in the development of their designs. Some attention will also be paid to the brain and brain activity. There is growing evidence from emotional and cognitive neuroscience that internal and external reflection opportunities that nurture personal growth and community bonds.

Other Unrestricted Electives (UEs)
4 units each
Supplementing your design education, Unrestricted Electives allow students to explore greater breadth or depth in any subject and at any level. Students may use these courses to explore or build a stronger foundation in their chosen area of interest such as business, computer science, engineering, communication, etc.

MDes students may utilise the Submit Course Requests function during CourseReg to request for non-programme requirement courses (i.e. cross-faculty courses). The request will go through a two-step approval process: it is first routed to the home department for decision before approved requests are routed to the course host(s) for final assessment.

There is only one round of Submit Course Requests each semester. Please refer to the schedule here.

With effect from Sem 1, AY2022/2023, Graduate Coursework (GDC) students taking non-programme requirement courses from self-funded (i.e. non-subsidised) programmes might be charged course fee for the course. Please contact the course host for more information.

For more information, do refer to the information available here

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