Design Informatics MSc

During the first semester (September to December) students attend lectures, tutorials and group practicals and acquire the creative practices and theoretical foundation to enable them to engage in independent projects.

In the second semester (January to March) the emphasis shifts to application of skills in more advanced projects and the preparation of an individual research project. In the summer, students complete a dissertation.

Throughout the programme, you will be working both individually and in teams of designers and computer scientists. Everyone will have to write code during the course, and everyone will have to make physical objects.

Several courses, including the dissertation, will involve presenting the artefact, product, service, or interactive experience that you have created to the general public in a show.

Compulsory courses

• Design Informatics: Histories and Futures
• Data Science for Design
• Case Studies in Design Informatics 1
• Design with Data
• Design Informatics Project
• Master's Dissertation

In Design with Data, you are likely to work with an external partner, such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh City Council, or the National Museum of Scotland.

Candidates with a background in digital design, industrial design, art, architecture, and related subjects are expected to apply to the MA in Design Informatics, which is the partner programme administered by Edinburgh College of Art.

• MA Design Informatics

Option courses

In addition to the compulsory courses, you can choose 1-2 elective courses from the master's programmes in the:

• School of Informatics
• Edinburgh College of Art
• Edinburgh Futures Institute
• other schools in the College of Science and Engineering
• other in schools in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Delivery

This is an in-person programme and we expect you to be in Edinburgh.

Courses are taught on campus during teaching hours (currently 9am-7pm) Monday – Friday. To succeed, you will need to maintain a consistent level of study each week.

Students are expected to stay in Edinburgh for the duration of their degree programme. This includes during the writing of the dissertation until the submission deadline.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

This degree will put you at the cutting edge of the intersection between data science, design, and information technology.

This will open a host of opportunities in working with companies, charities, and the public sector. We encourage entrepreneurship.

For those who wish to deepen their research practice, the course provides a solid foundation for a PhD in related areas.

Start-ups and spinouts

The University of Edinburgh has a long track record of start up companies and innovations, including key players in the industry set up by Informatics master’s alumni:

• FanDuel, a unicorn company
• Robotical
• RISE Nutrition
• Carbon Glance
• Predictiva

Edinburgh Innovations – start-up opportunities

We have fantastic resources through the University’s commercialisation service, Edinburgh Innovations, to help you successfully nurture your entrepreneurial ideas and launch your own enterprise.

• Edinburgh Innovations

Career development through societies

Our active student societies, such as CompSoc and Hoppers, offer skills building, networking and industry events.

Recent speakers include:

• Spotify
• Amazon
• Meta

Find out more about CompSoc and Hoppers:

• CompSoc
• Hoppers

Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service plays an essential part in your wider student experience at the University, providing:

• tailored advice
• individual guidance and personal assistance
• internships and networking opportunities (with employers from local organisations to top multinationals)
• Events such as the annual Careers in Tech and Data Fair, giving you opportunities to meet recruiters actively looking to recruit our students
• access to the experience of our worldwide alumni network

We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying at the University of Edinburgh will lay the foundations for your future success, whatever shape that takes.

• Careers Service
• Flagship Events – Careers Service

The course is based around the Design Informatics studio, situated in the Bayes Centre. The studio itself features a 3D printer, hacklab, soldering points and is equipped with a variety of technologies such as Arduinos, LEAP motion and 3D projectors.

Students also have access to workshops in Edinburgh College of Art such as metalwork and woodwork.

Design Informatics studio – video tour

Students are also able to access equipment in the Informatics department, which includes a robotics lab, if appropriate for their work. For working in a non-Design Informatics lab or workshop, you will typically require an induction and/or supervision by somebody who regularly works in that space.

You will also have access to the School of Informatics’ main teaching building, Appleton Tower. The building provides purpose-built facilities and dedicated learning and teaching spaces, all located in the University's Central Area.

IT facilities include computer labs with more than 250 high-spec machines and comprehensive support provided by dedicated computing staff.

If you take courses from other Schools, these might be delivered in the Nucleus building, on the University's Kings Buildings Campus.

You will have access to the University's facilities across all University sites.

For example:

• libraries
• study spaces (some of which are open 24 hours)
• computing facilities
• social spaces
• leisure facilities

Student Adviser

All students have a named Student Adviser who you can visit in Appleton Tower. The team provide general support and guidance to students who are encountering difficulties with any aspect of University life.

Where appropriate they will liaise with other University Support Services, so they are able to provide the best possible support and advice for you. They can also help with a wide range of administrative and practical issues to do with your degree programme.

• My Student Advisor

Take a virtual tour

Take a closer look at all our facilities on the University’s Virtual Visit site:

• Virtual Visit

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in computer science, informatics, artificial intelligence, physics, engineering, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, or neuroscience.

Your application should show evidence of solid computer programming skills in a programming language; HTML and web design do not count, but relevant mathematical and statistical scripting languages such as R and Matlab do, as do C/C++, Java, Python. This evidence can be either a certificate in a relevant MOOC, or a course in programming that you have successfully passed. If your degree involves a final project, your mark in that project should be a B or higher.

Your personal statement should discuss why you are interested in the programme, as outlined above and on the Institute for Design Informatics website, your background or interest in design, art, and information visualisation, and your relevant programming skills. We're also looking out for applicants that demonstrate a deep awareness of the social implications of new technologies, and are interesting in studying people's experiences of data-driven technologies.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 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 23 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 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also 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

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Deposit

If you receive an offer of admission you will need to pay a deposit to secure your place.

• £1,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

Find out more about tuition fee deposits:

• Tuition fee deposits

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

Scholarships and student funding

You can find funding opportunities, tuition fees and costs of living for prospective UK and international postgraduate students on the University website.

• Postgraduate scholarships and student funding

You are also encouraged to undertake your own research into the range of potential scholarships and other funding outside the University for which you may be eligible.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding