Master’s Degree in Eco-Social Design

The programme offers transdisciplinary training in which design meets social and environmental sciences, economics, business, technology and craftsmanship. The goal is to address complex issues in a reflective, creative and pragmatic way, designing products, services and systems capable of generating a positive impact on people and the environment. The content is developed through a path that alternates design, theory and research, with courses from the Observe, Analyse and Apply and Make and Intervene areas. Design is understood not only as the activity of designing objects, but as a practice capable of intervening in systems, communities and production models. Students learn to observe contexts, to involve local actors and to test solutions through prototypes, field interventions and participatory processes.

Teaching is organised over four semesters. In the first, students work on projects based on local and provincial contexts, which create shared foundations for group work. In the second, they develop independent projects in collaboration with external partners and choose courses from the two thematic areas. The third semester is devoted to research through design and creative experimentation, supported by the Design Research course and the Master Colloquia. The fourth semester is reserved for the final project with a written thesis. The programme is delivered full time in English in Bolzano, in an international classroom in which about 35% of the faculty come from abroad. Training internships abroad and collaborations with international companies are provided, allowing students to engage with real professional settings. Working with external partners, starting from the second semester, makes it possible to deal with real clients and to develop communication, negotiation and project management skills, while the research dimension also prepares students for possible doctoral studies.

The aim is to prepare professionals able to design responsibly, placing environmental and social sustainability at the centre. Career opportunities include the roles of eco-sustainable product design expert, manager of sustainable products or production, designer of sustainable buildings and constructions, and sustainability project manager. The programme is suited to graduates with an interest in design and related disciplines who wish to develop a creative, critical and research-oriented profile, able to collaborate with companies, institutions and communities in transforming the ways we produce, live and consume. The programme is particularly suited to those who wish to work in design studios, sustainability-minded companies, public institutions and non-profit organisations, helping to rethink products, spaces and services according to criteria of fairness, sufficiency and regeneration.