Overview

This History of Design course at the University of Oxford explores the fascinating histories of objects and environments created amidst the advent of modernity. The syllabus examines a variety of forms of design and craft: graphic design, decorative arts, industrial design, fashion, design for performance and display, the designed space of interiors, the built environment and landscape.

Key Features

Core themes of the course include the rivalries between historicism and modernity; local and transnational identities; handicraft and industrial and digital processes; consumption, politics and sustainability; critical debates about manufacturers, mediators, and audiences in advice literature, advertising and film writing.The development of a framework of interdisciplinary interpretative skills useful to understanding the history of design is a core aim. By providing grounding in the analysis of the techniques and materials deployed in creating things or places, the course enables you to grapple with material evidence which enriches this distinctive field of historical research. The analysis of the historiography of political and aesthetic debates articulated by makers, critics and historians about design, its forms and purposes locates how these objects and sites embody historical memory, identity and ideology.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Modern Design and the Home
Design for War and Peace
Arts and Crafts Traditions: Local and Transnational Perspectives
Design, Body, Environment
Machine Age to Digital: Histories and Technologies

Key information

Duration

Part-time
- 21 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-10-16 00:00:00

Application deadline not specified.

More details

This course is not accepting applications this cycle, but is expected to reopen to applications in the next admission cycle.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

110

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IELTS

7.5

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Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

Blended

Campus Location

Oxford, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Design History View 394 other Masters in Design in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

First Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

110

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

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AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in cognate humanities subjects such as history (history of art, visual and material culture; modern social and economic history, etc), modern languages, literature, studio practice, etc as well as design-related forms of social sciences (cultural theory and film studies) and engineering.
For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, selection of candidates also depends on other factors in your application and most successful applicants have achieved higher GPA scores.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

14330 GBP / year

≈ 14330 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

7455 GBP / year

≈ 7455 GBP / year

Living costs

Oxford

United Kingdom

939 - 1530 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for History of Design.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Key Features

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Living costs

Oxford

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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