Design Informatics MA (eca)

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Art and Design

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MA (eca) | 1 year | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

Edinburgh College of Art

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme website
Study location

Central Area

Accreditation

Not available

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About the degree programme

Design Informatics creates a meeting point between data, culture and design. We imagine alternate futures, disrupt thinking and play with data as a material.

Our practice is experimental, speculative and critical, informed through research and industry. We create inquisitive, professional and articulate problem solvers and entrepreneurs as graduates, leading applied data-driven futures with a global reach.

We focus on making physical and digital artefacts and experimental data things that explore the role of data-driven technologies as social good. You are supported to develop an ethically aware, critically reflective, creative and technical practice at the interface between data and society by combining theory and research with an open-ended process of making and hacking. We build, test, hack and reinterpret what data means to society, and where design has opportunity to shape future thinking for challenge led inquiries. 

Design Informatics sits within the Institute of Design Informatics and is informed by research practice and industry partnerships across Edinburgh College of Art and School of Informatics.

Study options

Offered as a joint programme between Edinburgh College of Art and School of Informatics, our ECA route offers the MA degree, and the School of Informatics offers the MSc degree. 

Students will work together and complete the same courses during their degrees, with a few areas of difference including the final dissertation timetable. Both Schools have different application requirements.

Programme benefits

  • Data is changing the way we live, work and play. Join one of our Design Informatics programmes and you'll become part of a group of graduates, empowered to challenge data’s role in design, culture and society, leading new data futures across a variety of application areas. 
  • The experience you’ll gain with us will develop your confidence and leadership skills, your ability to work collaboratively, problem solve, embrace and promote change in this dynamic field. 
  • Whether you are from a design or computing background, you will collaborate with innovators across both Design Informatics programmes. 
  • You will participate in regular creative events that push the boundaries of established ways of working, allowing to test, create and invent new forms of data practice.
  • You will have the chance to showcase your ideas and solutions at events, exhibitions and festivals.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Additional programme costs

To fully participate in this programme you should budget a minimum of £120 on top of the tuition fee for the following costs:
Equipment and software
Most equipment and software required will be provided by the School, but you will be expected to provide some specialist equipment including a laptop, headphones, or SD cards.
Materials
You will be expected to pay for general art and design materials, such as sketchbooks, paper and pens. You will be expected to pay for some specialist materials required by your course, such as base-metals or custom electronic parts.
 
Course organisers will support you in meeting intended learning outcomes while keeping material costs to a minimum, but you will be expected to pay optional material costs as necessary for your own project work.
Printing
You are expected to pay for occasional A4/A1 printing.

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject such as one related to design, technology or computing.

We also welcome applicants who do not meet academic entry requirements but demonstrate relevant professional experience.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

You will work both individually and in collaborative teams of designers and computer scientists.

Distinct to Design Informatics MA, our students work in parallel to our MSc students who bring experience from a largely computing science background. Together, our students create a novel, compelling and supportive environment to blend and explore applications for data thinking in design, reflective of an industry setting and real-world team experience.

Within this collaborative framework, everyone will learn to write code, make physical objects and consider theoretical concepts during the programme.

Several courses, including the dissertation, will involve presenting an artefact, product, service, or interactive experience you have created to the public.

All courses have an embedded professional practice element.  

This includes a wide variety of external organisations or collaborating academics, setting challenges or collaborating with our students.  

Each course has its own focus with the type of partners it works with, and the student experience and learning from project challenges is evident across our courses and varies each year.

Compulsory courses

  • Histories and Futures of Technologies (20 credits)
  • Data Science for Design (20 credits)
  • Case Studies in Design Informatics (20 credits)
  • Design with Data (20 credits)

MA students then complete their self-directed dissertation (60 credits).

Option courses

You will complete 40 credits of optional courses.

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Field trips

We run an annual field trip which will vary each year to inspire students ahead of the final dissertation projects. This field trip may include visits to museums, galleries, university research labs, events and guided walks and is a hugely popular activity. Each year the activities may vary depending on relevant events and programmes and are uniquely tailored to Design Informatics topics and themes. 

On occasion we offer local field trips or site visits to museums or organisations relevant to the programme and specific course topics. In the past this has included visits to the Talbot Rice gallery, National Museums, sculpture parks and the National Robotarium. These events vary every year and are subject to course relevance and specific project briefs.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Design Informatics is taught in a studio environment with a focus on practice-based and experiential learning. Supported by lecture series, workshops and seminars, students will develop their own individual and group projects with one-to-one support from tutors.

The teachers and tutors that you will work with on the Design Informatics MA are a team of interdisciplinary design researchers and creative practitioners. They will engage you in various forms of making, experimenting, reading, critiquing, evaluating and presenting novel technological and data-driven ideas and concepts.

Technical training is part of the core courses and forms the basis for developing expertise and knowledge in how to work with data, AI and physical computing to make new ideas a reality and engage various audiences with data.

Students across the Design Informatics MA and MSc cohorts will work together in a Design Informatics studio culture, and will form interdisciplinary teams to learn from each others’ design or computing science expertise.

Assessment

You are assessed through a combination of group work and individual activity.

Group work in the context of Design Informatics helps to support students working in multidisciplinary teams, and is an important part of our culture and professional practice. Learning with each other, making use of each-others’ skills in areas of design or data-science, adds to your learning experience.

Independent work is required in some courses, and particularly for your final major project which is self-directed based on your interest and career intentions.

We assess work through completion of a range of activities including:

  • workbooks
  • presentations
  • video documentation
  • portfolios
  • critical essays and reflective reports
  • peer assessment of group projects.

Learning outcomes

Each course in Design Informatics has a range of course-specific learning outcomes which follow key areas such as research, theory, practice, evaluation and communication. 

These differ from course to course and might cover outcomes like the following:

  • Investigate and apply critical theories through a practical interactive digital media project.
  • Demonstrate the initiation and evaluation of original creative concepts in response to research findings through critical assessment.
  • Use digital media to design and develop, critical, conceptual and experimental approaches to problem solving.
  • Select appropriate and innovative approaches for communicating the key findings, development of products, systems or services developed during your taught postgraduate studies.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Our academic staff

Staff on the programme include:

Where you will study

Study location

The Design Informatics Studio is based in the Institute of Design Informatics, located in our Central Campus.

The Institute of Design Informatics houses the Inspace Gallery offering a regular programme of exhibitions, talks and events. Design Informatics students form part of a rich and varied community and are active participants in the culture of the department.

ECA are excited to be undertaking a capital redevelopment of ECA’s Lauriston Campus over the next 3 years, from April 2024 to April 2027.

The project aims to maximise the use of existing space, improve accessibility, and create a vibrant campus that fosters collaboration and innovation.

The project involves refurbishing and repurposing various spaces across the Lauriston campus, including technical facilities, student and teaching spaces, and the relocation of the Reid School of Music from Alison House to the Lauriston Campus. New social spaces, seminar rooms, and studios are being created to accommodate our growing community.

You can find more about the project at the below link:

Building work starts at ECA’s Lauriston Campus | Edinburgh College of Art

Academic facilities

You will have access to an on-site workshop including electronic facilities, laser cutting, 3D printing and other physical and digital making tools. In addition, you will have access to wider ECA campus facilities with full metal, wood and model building workshops, large scale machineries and extensive digital fabrication facilities.

The Design Informatics Studio hosts workshops, seminars and practical tutorials as part of our courses.

In addition, you can use the Studio to continue to develop your own practice outside class time and work together on your projects in a shared studio environment.

Virtual tour

You can take a closer look at the Edinburgh College of Art and explore our facilities and campus with our virtual tour. 

Take a virtual tour of Edinburgh College of Art 

Career opportunities

Many students take on roles in large organisations where their approach to innovation and working knowledge of design and data science are sought after in industry.

A growing proportion of students are interested in starting businesses, or further commercialising products, teams or ideas developed as part of Design Informatics study.

You are regularly invited to join in wider Institute of Design Informatics research and innovation events to help prepare you for roles after graduation.

This programme will enable you to engage across a wide range of fields that exploit the intersection between:

  • data science
  • design
  • information technology
  • experience and immersive design
  • programmable matter.

The programme will open a host of opportunities in working with:

  • companies
  • charities
  • the public sector.

For those who wish to stay in academia, the course provides a solid foundation for a PhD in related areas.

We actively encourage entrepreneurship.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application deadlines as noted below.

Each application round has a decision deadline, also listed below, but note that we will make as many offers as possible to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis, in advance of the published decision deadline.

We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding or a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1.

Please note that for an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts. If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete.

Selection deadlines

RoundApply byReceive decision by
1Monday 15 December 2025Thursday 19 March 2026
2Monday 4 May 2026Tuesday 30 June 2026

After Round 2, if there are still places available, applications will remain open. As this is not guaranteed, however, you are advised to apply by the application deadlines above.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

What is it really like to study here? Our students share their experiences on our social media. 

You can find out what a day in the life is like for an Edinburgh College of Art student, from late nights in the library to their favourite walks around the city! 

Instagram: Edinburgh College of Art 

Our community

At Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) we bring together creative practices that shape the world around us.

We deliver innovative teaching, research and public engagement in an inclusive and sustainable environment with outstanding services and facilities to support your ambitions.

With degrees in Art, History of Art, Music, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and Design, you’ll be joining a diverse community of artists, art historians, designers, academics, researchers, architects, landscape architects and musicians.

ECA is a rich, textured, and inclusive learning environment. Diverse practices coexist as the embodiments of an individual and collective pursuit of knowledge, for the betterment of humankind and our planet.

Our approach is explicitly inclusive, future facing and interdisciplinary, embracing of bold innovation and continuous enhancement.

Find out more about the Edinburgh College of Art community

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Our vibrant capital is a blend of culture, history, nature and modern city life. A fantastic place to live, it is also the perfect location to study design informatics.

Edinburgh’s dynamic cultural scene boasts the largest collection of historic buildings, museums, art galleries and theatres of any city in Scotland.

The University of Edinburgh’s museums and galleries include:

  • the Talbot Rice Gallery
  • the Centre for Research Collections
  • St Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room and Music Museum

Edinburgh is home to several major annual festivals, each bringing talent from around the world to our streets and stages, making the celebration of diversity an intrinsic part of the city’s culture. These include the:

  • Festival Fringe
  • Film Festival
  • Art Festival
  • Book Festival
  • Jazz and Blues Festival

Some of our students even participate in our annual festivals.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply.

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Admissions Office

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