Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 7 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers

Industry and civil society speakers will engage students in deeper exploration of contextual and theoretical study areas. They will enhance teaching through expert lectures, immersive activities and real-world briefs to catalyse thinking around key themes.

Field Trips

Visits to companies, agencies and stakeholder organisations will embed real-world thinking and support professional behaviours. Collaborative projects working with host organisations will be the basis for the professionalisation of interpersonal graduate attributes.

Work Placements

Opportunities for placements as innovation actors within partner organisations (employer organisations for part-time students) will be sought as part of the final innovation lead project module. While placements are not compulsory or guaranteed they represent invaluable industry experience of real-world delivery of a project of strategic importance to the host business.

Means of Assessment

Written Assessment Oral Assessment Presentation Portfolio

Learning Support

Induction

Pre- induction activity for students will highlight the thematic areas and philosophy of the course. Induction activities will familiarise international students with the course aims and Cardiff life.

Personal tutor

Each student is assigned a Personal Academic Coach (PAC). Additional tutor support from the teaching team is also available and pastoral care available at USW through the Advice Zone.

Office hours

The course team consists of full-time academic staff, as such they are available during standard working hours to discuss coursework and other academic issues.

Tutorials

Approaches to tutorials will reflect the nature of associated modules, with for example group supervision typically taking the form of peer to peer critical review of ongoing projects, which provide opportunities for feedback and reflection.

Seminars

Module seminars are a key part of the curriculum. They provide an opportunity to bring a student group together in a more formal session where critique and discussion can take place.

Formative Assessment

This takes place as part of the in class delivery and could take the form of an informal presentation (typically mid-point of a module) to measure learning progress and understanding.

Progress meetings

Student progression will be managed through timetabled meetings within module delivery plans, to ensure that the student stays on track with their coursework. Module schemes of work will support students to proceed appropriately and to the best of their ability.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Professional progression: The course provides diverse career progression routes for graduates in roles demanding intrapreneurial skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. Students will develop evidence of activities in product, service, social and commercial innovation (including user insight, design thinking, rapid prototyping, collaborative lean and agile delivery) which prepares them for a roles in design management, innovation management, brand management, design research, and technology transformation in social and commercial enterprises. The course aims to enable the transition to the workplace or a course of further study by making an individual more likely to secure and be successful in their chosen occupation(s) to the benefit of themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy (Higher Education Academy). The transferable skillset enhances employment opportunities in diverse roles from corporate social responsibility to civil society advocacy roles. The following job descriptions from Indeed, Acre Recruitment sites (23/01/2020) are illustrative of progression opportunities: Design Strategist - ‘transform big fuzzy problems and ambiguous challenges into clear and concise design strategy ’Project Manager (Innovation) - ‘Through your approach and communication style, you will have the ability to encourage a culture of empowerment, innovation and honesty across all stakeholders’ User Experience Designer (UX) - You’ll be hands on, identifying user needs, prototyping solutions, testing ideas with UX researchers and refining designs with data and user feedback. Innovation lead / Design Strategist – ‘you will support the design, development and execution of innovation design programs’ Brand and consumer insight strategist – ‘uncover insights into cultural trends and human behaviour that clients simply can’t find on their own’ The course enables professional progression through enquiry-based learning. The interaction of: design thinking (identifying challenges, gathering data, generating ideas, prototyping concepts, and testing solutions); challenge-based learning (real-world challenges foster heuristic learning); collaborative learning (real-life tasks relating to professional innovation activities).This course will also support professional progression through: Continuing the development of transferrable and cross discipline skills from undergraduate study Develop in-demand collaborative skills outside the discipline of undergraduate study Support further study options to enhance knowledge and career prospects. For those students seeking further academic or vocational courses, the skills, knowledge and attributes gained are as valuable in an academic context as they are in the workplace. In this respect the course provides a stepping stone towards a career in academia and further study opportunities such as a PhD. Updating the contextual theoretical understanding of students with previous educational and industrial experience, or from different subject areas The development of continuing professional development skills complementary to current employment (part-time option) Alignment with University networks which support recruitment into local and wider industry

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

General entry requirements: A good Honours degree in a relevant* discipline or appropriate professional qualification; or an HND/HNC and relevant experience.*It should be noted, that due to the transdisciplinary (transcending the boundaries of discipline) nature of the course the criteria for relevant is not limited to creative industries but extends to disciplines in other economic sectors who now wish to develop and apply knowledge of design thinking and creative processes to better understand challenges within their own field. Those without such qualifications will be considered on an individual basis, where prior experience will be taken into account. As part of the application process, applicants may be required to undertake an interview, outlining and discussing prior knowledge, ambitions and motivations relating to the course. International entry requirements: We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details. English language requirements: In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A