Craft
Craft
4 years (with placement and/or study abroad year)
Our BA (Hons) Craft course has a material-led, experimental philosophy that pursues a thinking through making approach to craft and design, supporting the development of personal creative agendas. Through a programme of study that explores our understanding of the material world, you will learn how to be a designer and maker of objects that enhance our daily interactions. You will develop essential skills in creative thinking and design strategy, and then apply these to challenge how you design for contemporary craft market.
You will discover how to design and produce objects that embrace both traditional handmade approaches and contemporary machine and digital manufacturing. Through creative experimentation we strive to give ideas a material voice, as the thinking behind an object and its material execution are of equal importance. Your design work will also look to address a diverse range of areas including social issues, global awareness and local demand by considering the objects you design and the materials and processes you use. This course will enable you to explore strategies, materials and processes so you can develop creative and professional skills to support a sustainable career in design and craft making.
Special Features
- This course is supported by a comprehensive range of workshops for hand and machine making in ceramics, glass, metal, wood and plastics, digital making facilities for CNC routing, 3D printing and laser cutting.
- You will be taught by a range of academic and technical experts across the School of Art who are practicing makers and artists.
Course Content
What’s the difference between Craft, and the Product Design course?
The two courses run alongside each other and have been developed to look at the reasoning for objects that surround us, from the cherished personal possessions to the functional items that facilitate our daily life. In exploring the rich diversity of creative opportunities across the subject area, it is not the category of product that determines it as a piece of product design or a piece of product design craft, but how it has been arrived at through the creative process, underpinned by the factors that have informed and driven its creation.
- The Craft course provides a designer/maker focus, pursuing experimental approaches that are often driven by individual responses to social, political and environmental issues in the creation of the designed object.
- The Product Design course provides a human-centred focus, designing products that respond to identified needs and new market driven opportunities that aim to enhance user experience, utility and value.
Year 1
In Year 1 you will study the following core units:
Design Contexts 1
The module introduces a range of broad over-arching themes and concepts – historical, cultural, social, political, environmental and economic – to inform your knowledge and understanding of Design as integral to positive or negative change.
Investigation and Application
This module will engage you in rapid response research enquiry that focuses on a defined area of investigation. The module will foster an understanding of how research can make a positive impact on the creative process, cultivating a questioning approach to original ‘innovative’ thinking and problem solving.
Line Plane Form
This module will engage you in the investigation of fundamental three-dimensional geometry; line, plane, and form. Through a series of tasks these elements will be explored using 2D drawing techniques and 3D making approaches, to arrive at a collection of pieces that explore three-dimensional visual language.
Principles and Approaches to Making
The module will introduce to making across a range of materials through hand, machine and digital workshops, alongside: visual studies; lectures; tutorial group sessions.
Unit X
The module provides an opportunity to explore collaborative and interdisciplinary art and design practice by undertaking work alongside students from across Manchester School of Art .
Year 2
In Year 2 you will study the following core units:
Design Contexts 2
The module enables you to further develop the research themes and skills gained in year 1, to identify and investigate specific concepts and challenges that directly inform your evolving area of design research and practice.
Understanding Context 1
In supporting the development of personal and professional practice, these modules (part 1&2) require students to respond to a professional facing project brief. The choices for this could include applications for competitions, residencies, exhibitions, or research project applications, providing a variety of opportunities to explore across both craft and product-led approaches. Part 1 defines the project opportunity and establish creative parameters.
Tradition and Innovation
This module will foster an understanding of the relevance of historical perspectives on contemporary practice.
Year 3
In Year 3 you will study the following core units:
Design Contexts 3
This module draws upon key ideas and research methods developed in years 1 and 2 to research and establish a substantive individual position for a personal and or professional design practice. This will establish the theoretical framework to inform and underpin the development of your studio practice and support your future graduate ambitions.
Synthesis and Resolution
This module will focus on developing, refining and resolving an appropriate visual language and palette of skills to facilitate professional ambitions.
Unit X (Product/Craft)
In this negotiated learning agreement, you will produce an authored final project leading to a showcase of finished work.
Student Work
Our Degree Show online galleries show work by final year Product Design and Craft and Three Dimensional Design students, the previous name of the course.
Staff
- Patrícia Domingues
Lecturer
— - Geoffrey Mann
Programme Leader BA (Hons) Craft
— - Mark McLeish
Lecturer
— - CJ O'Neill
Senior Lecturer
—
Winners of student awards announced
"Material Journeys" runs until 30th March 2024
For more course news follow msoa_craft
Graduates
Graduates of this course go on to establish their own creative businesses as self-employed practitioners, or pursue careers as product designers, furniture designers, ceramicists, jewellers, retailers, gallery owners, retail buyers, design managers, design consultants, teachers and lecturers.
Making an Application
How to Apply
Apply through UCAS.
We will ask you to provide a Digital Portfolio to support your application.
You will be notified of our decision through UCAS.
Entry Requirements
| UCAS Tariff Points/Grades Required | 104-112. GCE A levels - grades BCC or equivalent Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma - grade DMM Access to HE Diploma - Pass overall with a minimum 106 UCAS Tariff points UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma - grade of Merit overall OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - grade DMM T level - We welcome applications from students undertaking T level qualifications. Eligible applicants will be asked to achieve a minimum overall grade of Merit as a condition of offer IB Diploma - Pass overall with a minimum overall score of 26 or minimum 104 UCAS Tariff points from three Higher Level subjects Other Level 3 qualifications equivalent to GCE A level are also considered. A maximum of three A level-equivalent qualifications will be accepted towards meeting the UCAS tariff requirement. AS levels, or qualifications equivalent to AS level, are not accepted. The Extended Project qualification (EPQ) may be accepted towards entry, in conjunction with two A-level equivalent qualifications. Please contact the University directly if you are unsure whether you meet the minimum entry requirements for the course. |
|---|---|
| Specific GCSE Requirements | GCSE grade C/4 in English Language or equivalent, e.g. Pass in Level 2 Functional Skills English |
| International Baccalaureate | IB Diploma with minimum 26 points overall or 104 UCAS Tariff points from three Higher Level subjects. If you plan to meet the Level 2 course requirements through your IB Diploma you will need to achieve Higher Level 4 or Standard Level 5 in English Points |
International Students
A minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of course start date is required.
There’s further information for international students on our international website if you’re applying with non-UK qualifications.
Tuition Fees 2025 Entry
UK and Channel Island students
Full-time fee: £9,535 for the 2025/26 academic year (subject to Parliamentary approval). Fees for subsequent academic years may increase for inflation to reflect increased costs of course delivery (up to a maximum of 10% per academic year) and/or changes in UK government regulation. Inflationary increases will be calculated by reference to RPIx (RPIx is a measure of inflation in the UK). Fee increases are subject to limits imposed by UK government regulation.
EU and non-EU international students
Full-time fee: £21,500 per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
Additional information
A degree typically comprises 360 credits, a DipHE 240 credits, a CertHE 120 credits, and an integrated masters 480 credits. For courses that offer a placement year option that starts in September 2025, the tuition fee is £1,907 (subject to Parliamentary approval). For courses that offer a study year abroad option that starts in September 2025, the tuition fee is £1,430 (subject to Parliamentary approval). Placement Year fees and study abroad fees for subsequent academic years may increase for inflation to reflect increased costs of course delivery (up to a maximum of 10% each academic year) and/or changes in UK government regulation. Inflationary increases will be calculated by reference to RPIx (RPIx is a measure of inflation in the UK). Fee increases are subject to limits imposed by UK government regulation.
See Funding your studies for further information and advice.
Additional Costs
Specialist Costs
Each student will build their own toolboxes over the 3 year period of the course. This can vary from £50 - £150.
Professional Costs
Student membership fees are available across all specialist disciplines.
Other Costs
Laptop ranging £500 - £2000. This is not mandatory as the University offer IT rental options.
Workshop specific materials per year:
Year 1: £0 - £50
Year 2: £0 - £75
Year 3: £50 - £250. These costs are higher due to the self - directed nature of third year. Majority of material costs during years 1 & 2 are covered under course induction stipend.
* All amounts shown are estimates.