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Furniture and Product Design

Entry requirements


104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent)

Pass your Access course with 60 credits overall with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3

104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and up to two other qualifications.

104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from your BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and up to three other qualifications (one of which must be A-Level equivalent).

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

DMM from a BTEC Extended Diploma

We will consider T Levels for entry to this course, either as stand-alone qualifications or in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications, in accordance with the specified course tariff points.

UCAS Tariff

104-112

104 - 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent)

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

About this course


Course option

4years

Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Furniture design and making

The world is changing — and so are the private and professional spaces we live, learn, eat, sleep, work and relax in. If you’re a hands-on, experimentative designer who’s curious about furniture and product design, you’ve found the perfect course!

Together, we’ll be exploring function, form, and the relationships we forge with the simplest objects — from beds, baths and bookcases to desks, door handles and deckchairs. Alongside technical skills like sketching, model-making and prototyping, we’ll explore the key human issues of ethically responsible design, the ways our lifestyles are changing, and the importance of harmony between products and spaces. You’ll test your skills across live projects, and you can even complete a year-long work placement, throwing yourself into the cutting edge of real-world industry.

We don’t produce cookie-cutter designers. Our students graduate as specialists, not generalists — some are successful freelancers, and others secure roles with companies like John Lewis, DFS, Next and Nestlé. Some are designer-makers; others become journalists and curators. By exploring your craft, developing your own design identity, and making the most of some genuinely unique opportunities, you’ll be a stand-out prospect in the world of design.

**Key Features**

**Professional Accreditation** | Our course is accredited by the Chartered Society of Designers (CSD), recognising the quality and relevance of our course content. It also means you can become a student member of the CSD for free whilst studying.

**Inspiring Spaces** | You’ll be using the same equipment as the pros. From 3D printers to water-jet cutters and bandsaws, plus dedicated workshops for wood, metal and concrete working, we’ve got the lot — minimising the jump from uni to industry.

**Live Projects** | We’re industry-focused with great connections. Through live projects and placements, you’ll be working face-to-face with leading companies such as John Lewis, Pearson Lloyd, Hasbro, Philip Watts Designs, and deVol Kitchens.

**Placement Year** | Acquire vital skills and experience in the workplace by undertaking a one-year placement on our sandwich route. Our students have spent their placements at companies such as Hasbro, Roundhouse Design and Philip Watts Design.

**Exhibitions and Shows** | Exhibit your work at our final year Degree Show and nationally at events including New Designers in London.

**Top 2 Ranking** | NTU is 2nd for the number of undergraduate students studying Design subjects (HESA 2021/22).

Modules

Year One:
Introduction to Design (20 credit points)
Design Tools, Materials and Production (20 credit points)
Design Context, Identity and Sustainable Responsibility (20 credit points)
Design through Inquisitive Making (60 credit points)

Year Two:
Professional Practice (20 credit points)
Advanced Design Tools, Materials and Production (20 credit points)
Sustainability, Materials & Processes (20 credit points)
Elective Design Project (40 credit points)
Exploring Materials and Processes (20 credit points)

Year Three:
Placement

Final Year:
Exploration & Context (20 credit points)
Commercial Project (20 credit points)
Self-Directed Project (80 credit points)

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£17,150
per year
International
£17,150
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

City Campus

Department:

School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

77%
Furniture design and making

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

Teaching and learning

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
90%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

84%
Library resources
90%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
71%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

91%
UK students
9%
International students
57%
Male students
43%
Female students
58%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
D
D

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
high
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education
75%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

40%
Design occupations
22%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
5%
Customer service occupations

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Design studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£23k

£23k

£26k

£26k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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