Outline of the study programme

The core competences of the Masters‘ programme Applied Art and Design are in the areas of art objects, jewellery and products and come to fruition as one offs or as serial products in the following fields

• man and object,
• object and environment,
• material and techniques.

They are complemented by competences gained in interdisciplinary subject areas.
Typical for the study programme are the close interconnections between a design practice guided by concepts, a reflexion grounded in theory and analysis and a curriculum informed by research activities. The programme structure guides students to develop research skills in different areas of design and enables them to lay the necessary scholarly groundwork to prepare for a doctorate.

Overview of the project modules

Applied Art and Design
Art Objects. Jewellery. Products.

Have you completed a diploma course or a bachelor’s degree in a design discipline? Do you want to participate in an in-depth practical and academic programme that will satisfy your interest in fundamental questions of artistic expression and design? Then you are our kind of student.

Our four-semester master’s programme in Applied Art and Design is consecutive and re-search-oriented, graduates will receive a Master of Arts degree. It provides a training that extends beyond the boundaries of narrow design categories, with a focus on art objects, jewellery and products.

The MA programme is a process-oriented course of study that teaches you to tackle research questions both as an artist and designer and as a scientist. It is characterised by a close integration of practical design work and concepts on the one hand, and theoretical and analytical reflection and research on the other. You will receive intensive training in the methods of design research within the framework of design projects and you will also be able to lay the necessary scholarly groundwork to prepare for your doctorate if applicable.

The structure and curriculum of our MA programme are broad and varied, giving you plenty of scope to either choose an individual focus or to cast your net more widely as a “spe-cialised generalist”.

Your course of study will be supported by an ongoing mentoring programme that will help to further develop your skills and prepare you for the transition to your professional career after graduation.

The programme is based on the successful and nationally and internationally recognised Düsseldorf jewellery design course, which has been developed here in over a period of many years. As a student in Düsseldorf you will be able to participate in a melting-pot of de-sign, art, culture, music, advertising and fashion. The degree programme provides a wealth of opportunities for establishing contacts in the city’s arts and professional scene, in the sur-rounding region and through its international networks to help you with your career orientation.

The Applied Art and Design programme is closely linked with the Institute for Research in Applied Arts as well as the Communication Design and Exhibition Design MA programmes. It also engages in interdisciplinary collaboration with the Product Development department in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences and the Ceramics Design programme at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences.

The programme is also extended and supplemented by a number of cooperation arrangements with universities and companies both in Germany and abroad.

Admission of candidates to the MA programme is decided on the basis of an aptitude assessment procedure developed exclusively for the Faculty of Design.