Regulations for The Postgraduate Diploma in Design - PGDipDes

Official rules and regulations for the Postgraduate Diploma in Design. These regulations are for the 2025 intake to this qualification.

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Qualification Regulations

Part I

These regulations are to be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates.

Part II

Admission

1. Admission to the Postgraduate Diploma in Design requires that the candidate will:

(a) meet the University admission requirements as specified; and

(b) have been awarded or qualified for the award of a Bachelor of Design or equivalent with a grade average of at least a B, or equivalent;

(c) been selected into the Diploma following a selection process which will include the assessment of a portfolio of work submitted by the candidate and, at the discretion of Academic Board or their delegate, an interview.

Qualification requirements

2. Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Design shall follow a flexible programme of study, which shall consist of courses totalling at least 120 credits, comprising:

(a) 15 credits from Schedule A;

(b) 60 credits from Schedule B;

(c) 30 credits from Schedule C;

(d) the remaining courses from Schedule D.

3. With the approval of the Academic Board or their delegate a candidate may be permitted to transfer up to 30 credits from an incomplete postgraduate qualification in design or related programme of study to the Postgraduate Diploma in Design.

Specialisations

4. The Postgraduate Diploma in Design is awarded without an endorsement.

Student progression

5. In cases of sufficient merit, the Postgraduate Diploma in Design may be awarded with distinction or merit.

Completion requirements

6. The timeframes for completion as outlined in the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates will apply.

7. Candidates may be graduated when they meet the Admission, Qualification and Academic requirements within the prescribed timeframes.

Unsatisfactory academic progress

8. The general Unsatisfactory Academic Progress regulations will apply.

Schedule for the Postgraduate Diploma in Design

Course planning key

Prerequisites
Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
Corequisites
Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
Restrictions
Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Key terms for course planning
Courses
Each qualification has its own specific set of courses. Some universities call these papers. You enrol in courses after you get accepted into Massey.
Course code
Each course is numbered using 6 digits. The fourth number shows the level of the course. For example, in course 219206, the fourth number is a 2, so it is a 200-level course (usually studied in the second year of full-time study).
Credits
Each course is worth a number of credits. You combine courses (credits) to meet the total number of credits needed for your qualification.
Specialisations
Some qualifications let you choose what subject you'd like to specialise in. Your major or endorsement is what you will take the majority of your courses in.

Schedule A: Core courses (Choose 15 credits from)

Choose 15 credits from
Course code: 197465 Creative Leadership 15 credits

In this course, students from a broad range of creative practices will work together to situate themselves within the spectrum of the creative industries. Serving their communities as creative leaders, students will apply research and innovation theories to business and social-enterprise practices in order to conceptualise, develop, and deliver a strategic offering for a defined audience.

Prerequisites: 198358 or 212358 or 213342 or 221358 or 222358 or 223358 or 224358 or 296358

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Course code: 213465 Exhibition 15 credits

In this studio-based course students situate their creative practice through exhibition. Students work in a collaborative group to develop and realise an exhibition project. One of the key focus points for the course is students' growing understanding of the reality of public presentation of the creative output. This advanced programme of study will encourage discussion and critical reflection on diverse approaches to the exhibition of creative work and its relevance for a range of academic and/or professional contexts.

Corequisites: (198454 or 198455 or 212454 or 212455 or 213729 or 221454 or 221455 or 222454 or 222455 or 223454 or 223455 or 224454 or 224455 or 296454 or 296455) or Permission Head of School

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Course code: 237465 Creative Exposition 15 credits

In this course students will situate their creative practice through writing. They will extend and hone their critical, analytical and reflective skills through written exposition that focuses on projecting themselves and their practice externally. This advanced programme of study will encourage discussion on diverse approaches to creative research exposition and its relevance for a range of academic and/or professional contexts.

Prerequisites: [237330 and (198358 or 212358 or 213342 or 221358 or 222358 or 223358 or 224358 or 296358)] or Appraisal Required

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Course code: 293732 Creative Practice Research Methods 15 credits

Students will advance their understanding of approaches to creative practice research, methods and theory in relation to their specific practice orientation.

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Course code: 298730 Māori Research Methodologies for Creative Practice 15 credits

Students will consider tikanga and methodologies relevant to their own creative practice, which may incorporate the use of customary and/or new technologies, innovations, and knowledge. This will include developing an understanding of tikanga, ethics and accountabilities around the use of mātauranga toi Māori, mātauranga-ā-iwi, mātauranga-ā-hapū and mātauranga-a-whānau in the development of their own creative outputs. Students will be supported to locate and articulate their own creative practice in a continuum of mātauranga toi Māori.

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Schedule B: Core Studio Selection (Choose between 45 and 60 credits from)

Choose between 45 and 60 credits from
Course code: 197830 Design Research Project: Honours 60 credits

In this course, students further develop, research and resolve the project that they proposed in their honours research development. Completed work is to a high level of resolution, making tangible links between theory and practice appropriate to the design specialization and project parameters. The completion of the research project is complemented by supplementary documentation that will position the student as a design practitioner within their specialization.

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Course code: 198454 Industrial Design Research Project 45 credits

Development and application of research to an independent industrial design project.

Prerequisites: 198453

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Course code: 212454 Fashion Design Research Project 45 credits

Application and development of research in an independent fashion design project.

Prerequisites: 212453

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Course code: 221454 Photography Research Project 45 credits

Application and development of research to an independent Photographic Design project.

Prerequisites: 221453

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Course code: 222454 Visual Communication Design Research Project 45 credits

Application of research to the development and production of an approved independent visual communication design project.

Prerequisites: 222453

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Course code: 223454 Textile Design Research Project 45 credits

Application of research to the development and production of an approved textile design project.

Prerequisites: 223453 or (223450 and 223451)

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Course code: 224454 Spatial Design Research Project 45 credits

Application and development of research in an independent spatial design project.

Prerequisites: 224453

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Course code: 293454 Integrated Design Research Project 45 credits

Realise and manifest a research-led independent project that communicates integrated design strategies and methods.

Prerequisites: 293453

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Course code: 296454 Concept Design Research Project 45 credits

Application of research to the development and production of an independent concept design project.

Prerequisites: 296453

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Schedule C: Project Development (Choose 30 credits from)

Choose 30 credits from
Course code: 198453 Industrial Design Research and Development 30 credits

Research methods, processes and practices for industrial design and their application through a research project.

Prerequisites: B- average over 198358 and 237330; or B- average over 198355 and 198380; or PGDipDes admission

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Course code: 212453 Fashion Design Research and Development 30 credits

Research methods, practices and processes for fashion design and their application through a research design project.

Prerequisites: B- average over 212358 and 237330; or B- average over 212381and 212310; or PGDipDes admission

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Course code: 221453 Photography Research and Development 30 credits

Research methods, practices and processes for Photographic Design and their application.

Prerequisites: B- average over 221358 and 237330; or B- average over 221370 and 221381; or PGDipDes admission

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Course code: 222453 Visual Communication Design Research and Development 30 credits

Application of research methods and processes to investigate social, cultural, aesthetic and technical issues and strategies in an approved visual communication design project.

Prerequisites: B- average over 222358 and 237330; or B- average over 222381 and one of (222302, 222311, 222321, 222331, 222341, 222356, 222371); or PGDipDes admission Restrictions: 197380 and 222451

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Course code: 223453 Textile Design Research and Development 30 credits

Research methods processes and practices for Textile Design and their application through a research project.

Prerequisites: B- average over 223358 and 237330; or B- average over 223302 and 223303; or PGDipDes admission Restrictions: 223450, 223451

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Course code: 224453 Spatial Design Research and Development 30 credits

Research methods, processes and practices for Spatial Design and their application through a research project.

Prerequisites: B- average over 224358 and 237330; or B- average over 224352 and 224381; or PGDipDes admission

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Course code: 293453 Integrated Design Research and Development 30 credits

Using integrated design strategies, explore and apply methods, processes and practices through a research investigation that incorporates diverse design approaches. Students will undertake advanced research on a project of their choice.

Prerequisites: B- average over 198358, or 212358, or 221358, or 222358, or 223358, or 224358, or 296358 and 237330

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Course code: 296453 Concept Design Research and Development 30 credits

Application of research methods and processes to investigate social, cultural, aesthetic and technical issues and strategies in an approved concept design project.

Prerequisites: B- average over 296358 and 237330

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Schedule D: Elective courses

Any 400-level or 700-level courses from the College of Creative Arts (Prefixes: 133, 197, 198, 212, 213, 221, 222, 223, 224, 237, 293, 289, 296, 298)

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