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Design, Innovation & Brand Management MA

Mingjun Jiang, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom overlay icon close
Mingjun Jiang, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom

Course overview

An exciting opportunity to develop your professional skills and managerial capabilities, our MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management course gives you the opportunity to study a combined curriculum that will significantly enhance your skillset, preparing you to become a leading brand, design and innovation manager. 

Our course encourages you to consider the value of branding in today's competitive global environment, where organisations continue to compete in overcrowded markets. As consumers become more sophisticated and the plethora of products more similar, the need to differentiate through emotional attachment has become increasingly important, and this is where the course steps in to help future leaders develop one-of-a-kind products and fresh campaign strategies.

The key to successful brand development is an understanding of its relationship with innovation. The popular view has been that branding is connected with logos, advertising and manipulation, whilst innovation is to do with more process-orientated development. UCA has developed this MA course to address all aspects of product design, brand management and the innovation factors that are the foundation for its success.

We will cover each key component and teach students how to run these successfully, whilst addressing their own professional and personal development as leaders along the way. For us, branding is about delivering a rewarding experience to customers, while innovation is about an organisational effort aimed at differentiating a company through original value creation. In other words, each is inextricably linked yet individually defined.

As a student on this course, you'll benefit from working alongside students on the other postgraduate courses at UCA Epsom to better understand the range of products available in today’s market, their similarities, strengths and weaknesses, and above all to develop and deliver customer-centric products and experiences. 

Course entry options

Select from the options below to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

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Design Innovation & Brand Management
MA

A one-year course of advanced study for furthering your research skills and specialising within your discipline.

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Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2023
Duration
1 year full-time
Entry requirements

Honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in the subject/related discipline
and/or
Relevant work experience

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Design Innovation & Brand Management
MA with Integrated International Pre-Masters

A year-long preparatory course of study to ready you for your Master’s in the UK, developing your English speaking and writing together with your specialist skills, research acumen and confidence in working autonomously.

Apply now Submit an enquiry
Campus
UCA Epsom
Start date(s)
September 2023
Duration
2 years full-time
Entry requirements

A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject

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Design Innovation & Brand Management

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Design Innovation & Brand Management

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Design Innovation & Brand Management

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Design Innovation & Brand Management

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Kangkang Wang, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom

MA Design Innovation & Brand Management
What you'll study

What you'll study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Pre-Masters year.

On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Master’s, and you’ll also improve your English for academic study.

Postgraduate Bootcamp 1: Creativity & Orientation 
Bootcamp 1: Creativity is designed to introduce you to the Business School for the Creative Industries’ learning community and professional global network orientation. Through a series of exciting and engaging fast paced workshops, tasks and peer sessions you will access resources, build relationships and develop a vision of the function of business for the creative industries.  

Creative Thinking 
This unit introduces you to definitions and concepts of creativity. It allows you to explore what creativity is, and reflect methods of creativity with concepts of taste, consumer need as well as user interfaces. As a result of being exposed to various models and methods, you will become more adept in idea generation, lateral thinking and linking ideas to solve marketing related problems. 

Principles of Advertising 
Understanding the history and evolution of advertising enables us to understand the established infrastructure of this industry and how it might develop in the future. This unit covers the history of the industry, the anatomy of an advertising agency, understanding clients, the concepts of advertising and the role of brands, and the current issues facing the industry. 

Products and Prototyping 
This unit will focus upon self-directed practice in which you will define and develop individual rationales and methods of working. Research and practice will be directed towards a Literature Review and Project Proposal in which you negotiate and review your practice with your tutor. Prototyping ideas and concepts will allow you to build, visualise, learn, and test design outcomes.  

Marketing, Design and Communications 
If we can understand branding as strategic, we can understand marketing as the tactical force employed to achieve specific business objectives sent from the brand. This unit is about how to understand branding in this way, so you can improve your own marketing, design and communication skills and investigate solutions to current issues within this industry sector. 

Creative Industries: Global Industry & Futures 
Delivered in parallel with the Creative Industries: Leadership unit, you will enjoy an integrated series of guest lectures, interactive presentations, fireside chats and engaging PechaKucha sessions scheduled across 45 weeks of programming. The focus of the series is your individual development providing rich insights applicable to your personal transformational learning journey and provides a holistic view of the global creative industries context and foresight for future trends. 

Creative Industries: Leadership 
Delivered in parallel with Creative Industries: Global Industry and Futures, this is another integrated series following the same format.  

Postgraduate Bootcamp 2: Forecasting & Predictive Analysis 
Through examples from empirical research, you will have an overview of main concepts, statistical models, methods, tools and underlying principles used to improve business decision-making. You will learn fundamentals of exploratory data analysis and how to aggregate and visualize datasets. 

Human-centred Innovation & Design 
Human-centred design (HCD) is a creative way to solve problems. It is a process of designing for people that begins with the people for whom you are developing ideas and ends with individual solutions to meet their needs. You will learn how to design and develop systems by applying HCD and innovation principles and techniques through various relevant activities in planning and management to satisfy user needs and requirements in business, social and global contexts.  

Global Creative Industries 
This unit will give you comprehensive knowledge of current theories and practices for managing business and process in a global context in the creative sectors. There is a strong focus on contemporary business and marketing concepts enabling you to position yourself and your practice within this constantly changing and demanding landscape.  

Masters Project 
The Masters Project is the culmination of your studies and is divided into two parts – a research proposal, and your final project. Both parts represent an in-depth investigation and requires you to approach a real problem or opportunity in your specialist area, analyse it, and then develop a tangible strategy and implementation plan, while applying contemporary concepts and frameworks from your studied programme.  

Creative Industries: Global Industry & Futures 
Delivered in parallel with the Creative Industries: Leadership unit, you will enjoy an integrated series of guest lectures, interactive presentations, fireside chats and engaging PechaKucha sessions scheduled across 45 weeks of programming. The focus of the series is your individual development providing rich insights applicable to your personal transformational learning journey and provides a holistic view of the global creative industries context and foresight for future trends. 

Creative Industries: Leadership 
Delivered in parallel with Creative Industries: Global Industry and Futures, this is another integrated series following the same format. 

All students choose one unit from the following:

Strategy & Decision Making 
Throughout this unit you will be expected to critically examine strategic management processes for internationally oriented organisations, and how decision-making affects this. You will be provided with a robust framework of replicable solutions for better decisions and awareness of decision traps, as well as learning how to assess and choose strategic options that can add value.  

Creative Business Start-Up 
With the world ever-changing, the traditional rules of business no longer apply.  The drive for innovation, creativity and agility are taking precedence. This unit explores the concept of developing creative businesses and the new paths for start-ups. You will analyse the evolution of business structures and explore the new market opportunities and challenges arising from geo-politics, trade relations and the global pandemic. And you will use research to scope out new concepts designed to fulfil rising market trends such as inclusivity, diversity, and cultural differences to create and capture value.  

Investment in the Creative Industries  
This unit covers the various means of investment in the creative industries. You will explore availability and access of funds through loans, grants, scholarships from government and council schemes to industry organisations and trade bodies, as well as from private equity investors. You will also explore and challenge business/financial models and future landscapes. 

Digital Marketing Analytics 
This unit explores the evolution of digital marketing and technologies, theories and practice of marketing, and the digital consumer. You will analyse trends and digital communications to innovate, explore and create digital marketing/media strategies and plans to reach various audiences from stakeholders and clients to consumers.  

 

 

Postgraduate Bootcamp 3: Competitive Intelligence & Research 
Bootcamp 3: Competitive Intelligence Research is designed to familiarise you with the gathering and analysis of competitors, customers, distributors, technologies, and other relevant stakeholders and features in the environment for proactive decision making in the face of threats and opportunities.  

Masters Project 
The Masters Project is the culmination of your studies and is divided into two parts – a research proposal, and your final project. Both parts represent an in-depth investigation and requires you to approach a real problem or opportunity in your specialist area, analyse it, and then develop a tangible strategy and implementation plan, while applying contemporary concepts and frameworks from your studied programme.  

Creative Industries: Global Industry & Futures 
Delivered in parallel with the Creative Industries: Leadership unit, you will enjoy an integrated series of guest lectures, interactive presentations, fireside chats and engaging PechaKucha sessions scheduled across 45 weeks of programming. The focus of the series is your individual development providing rich insights applicable to your personal transformational learning journey and provides a holistic view of the global creative industries context and foresight for future trends. 

Creative Industries: Leadership 
Delivered in parallel with Creative Industries: Global Industry and Futures, this is another integrated series following the same format. 

All students choose one unit from the following:

Behavioural Studies and Consumption 
In this unit, you will overview main behaviour theories from marketing, sociology and psychology, and their recent trends, to analyse and get acquainted with the decision-making processes of consumers, and their main factors, with a particular application to cultural and creative goods. 

Trends & Forecasting 
Staying ahead of your customer is vital to commercial success. In this unit, you will learn both perceptive and analytical approaches to trends research, as well as key theories. Then, from the context of your subject discipline, you will interrogate this methodology within your area of specialism and adapt it to gather and validate insights pertinent to your industry.  

Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management 
Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management is critical for all global organisations, whether business, government or non-profit, where connections to other organisations exist within a network of relationships. This unit examines the processes of supply, production, and distribution that transcend organisational boundaries to make other strategic objectives possible in a globalised marketplace. 

Tuition fees - 2023 entry

UK students:

  • Integrated Pre-Masters course - £10,500
  • MA course - £10,500

EU students:

  • Integrated International Pre-Masters course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)
  • MA course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)

International students:

  • Integrated International Pre-Masters course (30 weeks) - £17,500
  • Integrated International Pre-Masters course (15 weeks) - £8,750
  • MA course - £17,500

Additional course costs
In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials. These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

Further information
For more detailed information about our course fees and any financial support you may be entitled to please see our fees and finance pages.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. Costs may increase each year during a student’s period of continued registration on course in line with inflation (subject to any maximum regulated tuition fee limit). Any adjustment for continuing students will be at or below the RPI-X forecast rate.

To support our students and alumni to progress to the next level of study, we have developed a new range of fee discounts across a range of courses.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Alice Howard, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Panthakarn Nimmanhaemin, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Rita Alturas Da Costa Pereira, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Kangkang Wang, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Ourania Koukoumi, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Chatkanok Chindapagorn, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Rehna Anna Oommen, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Li Xiong, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Pasita Thongrungroj, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Punnaroch Rutpongsopit, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Mingjun Jiang, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom Chatkanok Chindapagorn, MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management, UCA Epsom

Facilities

The MA courses at UCA Epsom share a baseroom with networked computer facilities and you also have access to our extensive range of campus facilities, including: print studios with extensive screen printing facilities, photography studios, 3D workshops, media store for borrowing film and photography equipment.The bookable photographic studios have darkrooms and digital processing equipment, and the print studios have extensive screen printing facilities.

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Business School Lecture, UCA Epsom

Lecture theatre, UCA Epsom

Business School Studios, UCA Epsom

Business School, UCA Epsom

UCA Epsom

UCA Epsom

Business School Studios, UCA Epsom

Business School studios, UCA Epsom

Career opportunities

Career opportunities

Our course greatly benefits from its location in relation to London, and from our ability to attract top industry practitioners as visiting lecturers. 

You'll also have the opportunity to:

  • Visit exhibitions
  • Take part in conferences and industry events
  • And use advanced study facilities such as the British Library and the City Business Library

Graduates from MA Design, Innovation & Brand Management work in a variety of exciting careers such as:

  • Brand and design management
  • Art direction
  • Marketing
  • Client account handling
  • Account planning
  • Strategic planning.

You may want to undertake further study or research to specialise even more.

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Francesca Borg
Francesca Borg

"I loved life in Epsom and the environment at UCA was brilliant. The tutors were all very encouraging and really helped to push each student to reach their potential. I’m jealous of students who are just starting out on the course as I would love to go back and start again myself!"

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

MA course

  • An honours degree or equivalent qualification in the subject or a related discipline

and/or

  • Relevant work experience, demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level.

Consideration will also be given to applicants who can make a strong case for admission in relation to a particular project and can demonstrate their potential to satisfactorily complete the course.

Check the equivalent qualifications for your country and the English language requirements:


  • Non-UK equivalent qualifications
  • English language requirements

    • Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

    MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course
    A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject.

    Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?
    You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways:

    MA course
    MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course

    These courses don’t require a portfolio.

    Apply now

    Please use the following fields to help select the right application link for you:

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