Goldsmiths’ Department of Design postgraduate research programmes offer you the opportunity to redefine design research in a community of design practice.
The MPhil/PhD programme in Design is aimed at practitioners and scholars of design, and those in related disciplines, who wish to develop a theoretically engaged, critically aware and empirically informed approach to design, design education, design research and design practice. The programme builds on and contributes to the Department’s internationally renowned approaches to inventive, experimental, and creative research where design’s relation to the social is placed centre stage.
Practice-based MPhil/PhD
The practice-based programme explores new approaches to, or applications of, existing knowledge by means of design practice. For PhD, the research will create new knowledge by means of practice research. Your thesis will integrate an original body of practice and a written component providing critical analysis of your practice, critical assessment of relevant literature and practice and describe the method of research. Assessment is by thesis and viva voce.
MPhil includes a written component of between 20,000 and 30,000 words.
PhD includes a written component of between 30,000 and 60,000 words.
Thesis-based MPhil/PhD
provides a written account of your research and contribution to knowledge on a subject related to design. The MPhil thesis will form provide a distinct contribute to the knowledge of a subject related to design and the PhD thesis will provide an original contribution to knowledge on a subject related to design. Both include a critical assessment of relevant literature and describe the method of research. Assessment is by thesis and viva voce.
September 2025
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross,
Lewisham,
SE14 6NW, SOUTHERN ENGLAND, England
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.