Paul Hines
Senior Lecturer in Product Design
level:UG;top_up:false;international:true;foundation:true;clearing:false;full_time:true;part_time:true;start_month:September;location:Waterside
Product Design BA (Hons)
Key Facts
-
UCAS Code
BA: W240
BA with Foundation: W241 -
Duration
Full Time: 3 years
Full Time Foundation: 4 years
Part Time: 4 - 6 years
-
BBC at A-Level or,
DMM at BTEC -
Full Time: £9,535
Part Time: £1,585 per 20 credit module
Integrated Foundation Year: £15,700
Updated 18/11/2025
Updated 18/11/2025
Get in touch
UK STUDENTS ENQUIRIES
study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENQUIRIES
Our BA Product Design course is your launchpad into the world of creative innovation – where your ideas can become real products that shape how people live, work, and play.
From day one, you’ll be designing and making: sketching bold ideas, solving real-world problems, building prototypes, and bringing your concepts to life through 3D modelling and cutting-edge CAD software. Whether you’re passionate about designing sustainable consumer goods, modular furniture, intelligent wearables, or the next big smartphone app, this product design course gives you the creative freedom and technical skills to make it happen.
Blending creativity, technology, and innovation, it’s an exciting journey that equips you to design for the future – and for real impact.
For satisfied with teaching in the Guardian University Guide 2026.
For overall student positivity in the National Student Survey 2025.
Calculations are based on Office for Students (OfS) data from the average positivity score across all NSS questions for this subject area across all modes and levels at UK Universities. Product Design is part of the Design Studies subject grouping.
Data taken from the 2026 Guardian University Guide Graphic Design Subject table, filtered by Satisfied with Teaching. Product Design is part of the Graphic Design subject grouping.
Highlights
- Collaborative, studio-based learning guided by experienced industry professionals.
- Live-client projects or collaborative working with creative companies.
- Training and hands-on experience with leading industry software, including SolidWorks and Adobe Creative Cloud.
- Access to Fab-Lab and workshops equipped with 3D printing and scanning, CNC routing and laser cutting technology.
- Self-directed study tailored to your personal objectives and career ambitions.
- Opportunities to showcase your Product Design work through exhibitions.
- Opportunity to develop your portfolio of product designs to boost your future employability
- Access to potential project funding and business mentorship after graduation.
- Guaranteed paid internship with the Northampton Employment Promise.
- HP laptop and software included with this course for eligible students* (*see Eligibility criteria and Terms and Conditions)
Entry Requirements
A typical offer to study Product Design would be:
- BBC at A-Level or,
- DMM at BTEC/Cambridge Technical or
- Pass (C and above) at T Level
We will also accept a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
We welcome applications from students with a mix of A levels and BTEC/Cambridge Technical qualifications.
Students with a relevant HND or Foundation Degree with a suitable profile of achievement may be admitted onto Stage Two or Three of the programme.
If you would like to make an application as a Home or EU student, please visit our How to Apply page.
If you are an International student and would like more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.
The University of Northampton now offers on a range of our courses an alternative route to study; the integrated foundation year (IFY). Admission to this foundation programme is normally:
- DEE at A-Level or,
- MPP at BTEC/Cambridge Technical or
- Pass (D or E) at T Level
We welcome applications from students with a mix of A levels and BTEC/Cambridge Technical qualifications.
However, we would also like to hear from you if you have professional or industry experience instead, a range of other qualifications or self-developed subject knowledge that relates to the programme you wish to study.
All International and EU students applying for a design course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:
- IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5.5 in all bands
for study at undergraduate level.
For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.
For information on how to apply to study with us as an International student, please see our How to Apply for International Study page.
What You'll Learn
On this creative and hands-on course, you’ll learn how to turn bold ideas into real products that improve everyday life. From your first day, you’ll be sketching, prototyping, and using cutting-edge tools like 3D printing, laser cutting, and CAD software to bring your designs to life. Studio culture is at the core of our programme, fostering creativity, collaboration, and critical debate.
This dynamic environment inspires personal perspectives on design and equips you with the skills and mindset needed to thrive professionally in the creative industry. You’ll explore how products work, how people use them, and how to design with sustainability, technology, and innovation in mind.
Whether you’re into smart gadgets, stylish furniture, or app-based solutions, you’ll gain the skills to design for the future. With live client projects, expert guidance, and a portfolio that shows off your creativity and problem-solving abilities, you’ll be ready to launch a career in product design, UX, or creative tech.
In your first year, you’ll dive straight into creative problem-solving and start building your design skills through exciting hands-on projects. You’ll work solo, in pairs, and as part of a team on workshop and studio-based challenges that push your creativity and critical thinking. From sketching and observational drawing to photography, and vector graphics, you’ll explore different ways to bring your ideas to life, shape your personal design style, and start curating a professional portfolio.
You’ll also look at the history and evolution of product design, using this knowledge to inspire fresh, modern design solutions. In addition, we’ll train you in industry-standard CAD software so you can turn your sketches into 3D-print-ready models, technical drawings, and stunning photo-realistic visuals.
By the end of Year One, you’ll have a strong creative toolkit and the confidence to take on the more specialist and advanced projects in the following year.
This module enables students to research and apply established working practises, concepts and principles through a variety of design tasksProjects include all aspects of the design process including 3D experimentation, visual language and technical considerations initiated through a briefing process and culminating in appropriate peer group presentations and assessment.
Design Thinking
20 Credits
Code: 3DD1072
20 Credits
Design Studio
20 Credits
Code: 3DD1073
20 Credits
Design for Industry
20 Credits
Code: 3DD1074
20 Credits
Design in Practice
20 Credits
Code: 3DD1075
20 Credits
Design Visualisation
20 Credits
Code: 3DD1076
20 Credits
Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.
At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.
If you join this full time Product Design undergraduate course at the University of Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.
Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.
To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.
*UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).
The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.
If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need to successfully progress to the full award.
Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.
What specialist equipment will I need for the Product Design degree?
You will need a high-specification laptop capable of running Adobe Creative Cloud and professional CAD software is essential. You will require a laptop, with the following specification:
PC Laptop specification – preferred option:
- CPU: Intel/AMD Processor scoring a single thread CPU Mark of 2,200 or higher. (Such as the AMD Ryzen 5 2600, Intel Core i7-4790 or better)
- System Memory : 32GB (16GB minimum)
- Graphics Card: a GPU scoring a G3D Mark of 14,000 or higher with up-to-date drivers. (Such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070, AMD Radeon RX 5700XT, Quadro RTX 3000 or better)
- Graphics Card Memory: 8GB or more
Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels - Hard Drive: 500GB SATA3 SSD or NVME m.2 storage
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit (up to date) - Wi‑Fi networking: 802.11ac
MacBook specification with additional required software*:
- CPU: Apple M1 chip (or Intel)
- Memory: 32GB (16GB minimum)
- Operating System: MacOS 11 Big Sur
- Hard Drive: 500GB Solid State Drive (SSD) (256GB minimum)
- Wi‑Fi networking: 802.11ac
- Software*: Windows 10 64-bit, Bootcamp and/or Parallels
You will need to budget approximately £200 per academic year for extra materials to cover the costs of sketch books, marker pens, modelmaking materials, 3D printing, and 2D printing of presentation graphics. This amount is a guide based on what successful current students and recent graduates have spent and will depend upon the projects you choose to undertake.
You will need to purchase, drawing and modelmaking equipment such as digital Vernier callipers, cutting tools, basic hand tools, plus a toolbox to contain them. A comprehensive list will be provided prior to starting the course.
How will I be assessed?
You will be continually assessed during during your degree in product design through studio-based design projects and written assignments. In the final year, you will have a minor design project and a final major project which will both be exhibition-based.
What can you do with a product design degree?
Getting a degree in product design will open up career pathways in a couple of different fields. You could become a freelance or contracted product designer, and the experience you will develop as well as industry connections will help you get recognised and started in the sector.
You could also go onto a UX designer, engineer, creative director and more.
Fees and Funding
2025/26 Tuition Fees
- UK Full Time: £9,535
- UK Part Time: £1,585 per 20 credit module
- UK Integrated Foundation Year: £9,535 for the foundation year; thereafter standard fees apply
- International Full Time: £15,700
- International Integrated Foundation Year: £15,700 for the foundation year; thereafter standard fees apply
Fees quoted for the Product Design course relate to study in the Academic Year 2025/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years. UON will adjust UK fees annually in line with Government Policy.
Equipment and trips: (approx pricing)
- Year 1 – £250 toolbox, modelling tools, drawing equipment
Year 1 – £50-100 materials & printing - Year 2 – £75-150 materials and printing
Year 2 – £350 design trip (optional) - Year 3 – £150-300 materials & printing
Year 3 – £75-150 degree show & New Designers exhibition
For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.
For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.
Fees quoted for the Product Design course relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK – Full Time: £9,250
- UK – Part Time: £1,540 per 20 credit module
- UK – Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250
- International – Full Time: £15,200
- International – Integrated Foundation Year: £15,200
Staff
Friedemann Schaber
Senior Lecturer in Product Design
Facilities
The University of Northampton’s product design course is based in the Creative Hub and utilises the following facilities.
Specialist facilities include:
- MakerSpace – 3D polyjet printing & XYZ deposition modelling
- CAD Suite – SolidWorks, Vectorworks & Cinema4D
- Mac Suite – Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Photo Studio – infinity curves & controlled light facility
- Electronics Lab – PCB soldering & Arduino Uno Micro Controller
- Engineering Test Lab – tensile, bending, deflection & hardness testing
- Workshops – wood, metal & plastics machining and & laser-cutting.
Special features and events include:
Students will be able to showcase their final year design projects at the University’s Art Degree Show. The private view is attended by local dignitaries, design alumni and potential employers.
Product Design BA (Hons) has participated in the New Designers exhibition, in London, for over twenty years – you may get the opportunity to display your final year design project.
