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The MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability is a unique programme that bridges sustainability knowledge and skills, ensuring students begin to affect change within the programme and are ready to quickly transition to new roles and opportunities upon graduation.

Every aspect of the global economy is changing rapidly due to the effects of climate change. As a result, employers need people who are agile and innovative, who understand sustainability challenges and crucially, are capable of taking action.

Students learn the Design Thinking process, a human centred problem solving methodology that originated in Stanford University, to create innovative, sustainable solutions to complex, real-world problems. In tandem, students develop a sustainability mindset through sustainability literacy including a working knowledge of sustainability systems, issues and tools, framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability, introduces key concepts such as the circular economy, decarbonisation, and just transition. Students also learn how to embrace their creative and entrepreneurial side to lead change, embed sustainability, and address complex challenges.

Everything students learn is into practice with a project to look at a real-world sustainability challenge. This will be set by one of our industry partners, who have previously included ESB, Oxfam, Dublin City Council, and SuperValu. In the final component of the MSc students apply their learnings to a project of their own choosing - an opportunity to lead a project with real world impact, offering an ideal springboard for the next step in your career.

By the end of this MSc students are ready to reposition their career for the emerging green economy.

What Will I Learn?

Students who successfully completed the MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability will be able to:

Apply the Design Thinking process to create innovative, human-centric, sustainable solutions to complex, real-world problems. The five-stage process includes skills in (a) insight gathering, (b) analysis, (c) ideation, (d) prototyping, (e) iterative design and testing.

Develop a sustainability mindset through sustainability literacy including a working knowledge of sustainability systems, issues and tools, framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Apply and cultivate teamwork and leadership skills to support effective collaboration across diverse stakeholders and within multi-disciplinary teams practising design thinking.

Communicate persuasively, both individually and in teams, proposed solutions, ideas and concepts, using supporting evidence, insights and an awareness of assumptions, to influence different stakeholders, decision-makers and a wider general audience.

Adopt and apply an entrepreneurial mindset - a way of thinking that creates value by recognising and acting on opportunities, making decisions with limited information, and remaining adaptable and resilient - in the design and implementation of sustainability solutions.

Practise reflective techniques to enhance decision-making, draw insights to inform future approaches and enable self-directed learning into the future in the fast changing field of sustainability, among others.

Apply the Design Thinking methodology to design learners’ own careers and vocations, using practical career skills to identify and navigate relevant and possible career and life pathways.

Identify sustainability challenges, opportunities, and needs, and design innovative implementation plans.

Lead a complex and ambitious sustainability project, managing multiple stakeholders and competing needs to deliver an actionable solution.