The Master of Design (MDes) is an advanced research qualification in design.

If you have an Honours degree already, you’ll do the twelve-month, 120-credit MDes. If you don’t have a relevant Honours degree, you’ll be enrolled in the eighteen-month, 180-credit MDes.

In the 180-credit MDes you will first explore creative research practices, and develop the skills and approaches you may wish to use during your thesis project (e.g., digital fabrication).

We also offer an MDes in partnership with Weta Workshop, with a focus on Entertainment Design.

All MDes students complete a thesis project: a supervised programme of focused design research, taking a challenging real-world problem through to a well-resolved solution, like a product prototype.

The MDes gives you a lot of freedom, especially once you get into your thesis project. You have regular meetings with your supervisor(s), and crit sessions with your fellow MDes students, but you are in control of structuring your own time.

You will be supervised by one primary supervisor with expertise in your field of design. And, you will be guided by a secondary supervisor with expertise in an aligned field. It is the job of these experienced faculty researchers to challenge you to take the thesis project as far as you can. Check out our staff profiles and feel free to get in touch with anyone whose research interests you.

Benefits of a Massey Master of Design

• an advanced design research qualification with a targeted outcome, often of direct application to industry or another external stakeholder
• strong connections outside the University, whether in business, public or non-profit sector
• supervision by staff who are leading design researchers and practitioners
• individual studio space configured to suit your needs
• comprehensive technical expertise and facilities, including an industry-scale green screen studio, Australasia’s first Fab Lab, industry-standard workshops, digital imaging facilities, darkrooms and high-end computer facilities.

The entry requirements for Massey’s 180-credit Master of Design are:

1. Admission to Massey University;
2. Attainment of a Bachelor of Design or equivalent with a grade average of at least B;
3. Selection into the programme through an interview and the assessment of a portfolio of submitted design work; and
4. An appropriate level of English language proficiency.

If you have a Bachelor of Design (Honours) or Postgraduate Diploma in Design or equivalent with a grade average that indicates an adequate level of preparation, you do not have to do Part One of the Master of Design and may proceed direct to the 120-credit thesis project. To do this, you must submit a proposal of your intended research project. We are looking for proposals that are academically viable, industry-linked and able to be supported by Massey resources.