MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability International Brochure 2024/25

UCD MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability Applications now open for September 2024

Why UCD?

Top 1%

TOP 1% FOR EDUCATION (QS World University Ranking 2023) UCD is ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and offers the best internationally accredited curriculum in Ireland with four subjects ranked in the top 50 worldwide, 9 in the top 100 and 36 in the top 200.

NO.1 IN IRELAND FOR SUSTAINABILITY (QS World University Ranking 2024) UCD is ranked number one in Ireland in the World QS Sustainability Rankings 2024 and is now 50th globally. The ranking compares 1,397 universities to establish which are doing the most to tackle the world's greatest environmental, social and governance challenges.

No.1 in Ireland

IRELAND’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY Ireland’s Global University with more than 10,000 international students from 144 countries and 33% of our academic staff from overseas. On graduating, students join our 300,000 strong global alumni network.

LIVING LABS UCD is pioneering new approaches to experiential learning, vital in the area of Sustainability. Our Living Labs, allow learners to get out of the classroom and get hands-on, learning about sustainability in spaces like UCD Greenacre, an acre of sustainability experimentation on campus or our MakerSpace, with state of the art technology.

130 Sports Clubs & Societies

4,000 On-Campus Events

WORLD CLASS AMENITIES One of Europe’s largest urban campuses providing world-class amenities and a sense of place and community for students to study, relax, play and connect.

UCD MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability Qualification The UCD MSc Design Thinking for Sustainability is a Level 9 MSc (90 ECTS).

How it's delivered In-person at UCD Innovation Academy, an innovation hub at the heart of UCD. Classroom based with independent work, group work and an applied sustainability project with a partner organisation for the final module.

Duration 12 months total, from September 2024 Fees Full MSc €19,500 (non EU) Requirements A minimum honours degree (Level 8) qualification Letter of motivation Online interview with the candidate Two Year Stay Back Visa in Ireland Under Ireland’s Third Level Graduate Scheme Permission, non-EU/EEA graduates of this programme are eligible to remain in Ireland for up to 24 months to seek employment.

Overview UCD’s MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability is a unique Masters programme that equips learners with both the knowledge and skills to act decisively on sustainability.

Graduates of the MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability leave with mastery of a globally recognised, problem-solving methodology, and a wide ranging knowledge of key sustainability issues, applicable across multiple sectors and professions.

UCD’s MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability provides learners with the knowledge and skills to: Apply the Design Thinking process, a methodology to create innovative, human-centric, sustainable solutions to complex, realworld problems.

Develop a sustainability mindset through working knowledge of sustainability systems, issues and tools, framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Lead a complex and ambitious sustainability project, managing multiple stakeholders and competing needs to deliver an actionable solution.

Apply and cultivate teamwork and leadership skills to support effective collaboration across diverse stakeholders and within multidisciplinary teams practising design thinking.

Communicate persuasively, both individually and in teams, to influence different stakeholders, decision-makers and a wider general audience.

Adopt and apply an entrepreneurial mindset - a way of thinking that creates value by recognising and acting on opportunities, making decisions with limited information, and remaining adaptable and resilient - in the design and implementation of sustainability solutions.

Apply the Design Thinking methodology to design learners’ own careers and vocations, using practical career skills to identify and navigate relevant and possible career and life pathways.

Course Structure & Delivery You’ll learn from UCD Innovation Academy’s inspiring educators and leading guest speakers – academics, practitioners, activists and policy-makers from around the world.

The course is delivered in UCD Innovation Academy on a full-time basis, enabling you to immerse yourself fully in learning. You’ll work in our challenging but supportive class environment, with full access to the state-of the art MakerSpace and Sustainable Living Lab to bring your ideas to life.

You’ll learn from doing, collaborating with educators and your fellow innovators on practical team challenges and real-world projects.

You’ll work hands on with partners in enterprise and civil society, addressing real sustainability challenges.

Students learn and apply key concepts in Creative Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Design Thinking through immersive activities and hands-on sustainability challenges, in-person.

The final module, the Applied Sustainability Project, is undertaken on an individual level to develop a student’s mastery of the topic – Design Thinking for Sustainability.

The course is split into eight core modules, totalling 90 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System).

IA40310 Creative Thinking & Innovation Learn to see with fresh eyes and develop your teamwork skills.

IA40470 Entrepreneurship: Application and Mindset Gain the mindset of an entrepreneur: a bias towards action.

IA40350 Innovation Sprint Explore a product/business/service challenge using Design Thinking. Student teams explore and surface creative, disruptive ideas and solutions for a host organisation or company from either the public or private sector.

IA40620 Systemic Approaches, Interdisciplinary Solutions Explore global problems in sustainability and consider interdisciplinary and systemic solutions.

IA40340 Leadership for Innovation and Creativity Develop a leadership practice to cultivate a culture of innovation and sustainability in a future workplace or venture.

IA40610 Design for User-Centric, Sustainable Solutions Apply the skillset, toolkit, and mindset gained in the first trimester to solving a real-world sustainability problem for an organisation. The module ends with a showcase event.

IA40460 Design your Purposeful Life This module provides an approach in which you will reflect upon your learning, consider your life and career goals, and make plans to reposition your career for the emerging green economy.

IA40830 Applied Sustainability Project The Applied Sustainability Project asks students to apply the cumulative knowledge and skills learned to date to help a specific organisation (enterprise, non-profit, startup) integrate sustainability into their strategy, operations, and / or governance, ensuring that sustainability will be grounded as a source of innovation for driving environmental, social and economic change.

MSc applicants are not required to secure a partner organisation for their Applied Sustainability Project module in advance. However, if you do have ideas on this please mention it in your application. Supervision of the projects will include a series of meetings with the module coordinator, input from relevant experts within UCD Innovation Academy and regular interaction with the host company.

Assessment Reflective essays, final pitch/presentations, and project reports Evaluation by experts from the partner organisations and UCD community Course Leaders Dr. Thomas Macagno, Education Innovation Lead and MSc Program Lead Dr. Eileen Diskin, Education Innovation Lead

Dr. Thomas Macagno, Education Innovation Lead and MSc Program Lead Scan for LinkedIn

Dr. Eileen Diskin, Education Innovation Lead Scan for LinkedIn

Why Choose Us? Gain an internationally recognised qualification from the top 1% of universities in the world.

Employers are increasingly adopting skills first hiring. You will leave with both knowledge and skills ready to apply immediately to the next step your career.

Develop a lifelong peer network of likeminded change makers.

Demand for green skills and knowledge is outstripping supply - leave with highly sought after qualifications that will set you apart from others.

Receive tailored mentoring to help you translate your MSc experience into actionable next steps in your career.

Enjoy a life changing year in Ireland’s capital city, Dublin.

“The Irish economy will need to fill more than 20,000 jobs by 2030 just to support green economy sectors.” IDA Ireland “Three-quarters of businesses globally have increased their investment in sustainability over the last year“ - Deloitte Sustainable Development Report, 2023

“Demand for green talent is outstripping supply. Globally, only one in eight workers has one or more green skills. Between 2022 and 2023, the share of green talent in the workforce rose by a median of 12.3% while the share of job postings requiring at least one green skill grew twice as quickly, by a median of 22.4%.” - LinkedIn Global Green Skills Report 2023

Some Partners We’ve Worked with on Design Thinking Challenges

Career Opportunities Complex challenges like sustainability require interdisciplinary solutions. Answers won’t come from one sector or job type. And neither do our graduates.

The UCD MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability is a highly interdisciplinary and diverse programme. It includes recent university graduates as well as professionals seeking to make a career pivot after many years in a particular sector.

As a result, our graduates go on to work in a wide variety of roles. Some take on sustainability specific roles, others leverage their new expertise with organisations who require sustainability and problem solving across multiple roles.

Here’s a flavour of what some of our graduates went on to do:

Sustainability Manager Facilitation Specialist

Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability Coordinator: Events & Festivals Lead

Chief Sustainability Officer Sustainability Bieconomist Specialist Responsible Investment Analyst

Circular Economy & Sustainability Project Officer Research Assistant

Business Analyst

Assistant Manager - Sustainability Services Sustainability Programme Advisor

The MSc programme is for learners seeking the following attributes: Learning Agility An in-depth understanding of the Design Thinking process, the ability to apply it appropriately across a wide range of contexts and sectors and the aptitude to continuously adapt and develop their approach and to learn in a collegial, professional manner.

Sustainability literacy comprising a range of sustainability systems, issues and tools, all framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and underpinned by the skills for continuous and selfdirected learning into the future.

Professional Adaptability Well-developed intellectual curiosity, analytical and interpersonal skills to lead multi-disciplinary approaches for the successful development of creative and innovative solutions to real-world sustainability challenges across a broad range of stakeholders, sectors and disciplines.

Globally Engaged; Ethical Leadership An ethical perspective to leading change – sensitive to the beliefs and values of others, able to contextualise and communicate with diverse groups in a way that engages and influences behaviour.

An awareness of their own role and responsibilities as an active global citizen especially in the context of sustainability An inclusive values-based approach to their life and work, appreciating the importance and benefits of diversity and equity.

How to Apply Please email innovation.academy@ucd.ie to request a call back to discuss your application. Our friendly team would be happy to discuss the application process with you.

Scan to Apply

If you’re ready to apply here are the steps: Scan the QR code on the left. Click ‘Apply’ and create an account.

Go to Applications > Course Finder and “Select a Course”. Filter and search for F252 Click “Apply” Complete and submit the application and upload the required supporting documents. Please ensure all personal details and general questions are completed before submitting your application.

Supporting documents You will need to upload some supporting documents as part of your application: 1. An updated CV. 2. A Letter of Motivation outlining: Why you want to undertake the MSc What you can contribute to the course What you would like to achieve from the MSc Your thoughts on possible partner organisations (or sectors of interest) for the Applied Sustainability Project 3. A transcript of your Level 8 qualification 4. An English language qualification, if English is not your first language.

I learned skills I could bring to the table very quickly. Almost immediately after finishing this course I was awarded a contract that I would never have had the confidence to take up if I hadn’t done the course.

Jean Cox-Kearns Chief Sustainability Officer for TES Sustainable Technology Solutions

We proposed to our industry partner that they create an opening for a community liaison officer. They liked the idea and created the role. In fact, they offered me the position. I got to create the job and now I’m doing it.

Mae Ly Lim Community Liaison Officer, Hibernia REIT plc

It's fun, it's challenging and it got me out of my comfort zone, I've seen myself grow in many ways and I couldn't recommend the course more highly.

Richie Denieffe Sustainability Programme Advisor

In the event space, we all know now that sustainability has to be at the heart of what we do. As part of of the course I got to work on a project with Convention Centre Dublin who I knew had a team that was dedicated to sustainability. They were, at that very time, prepping for an international award in sustainability. I was lucky enough to be there as they built their pitch.

Alan Feeney Production Manager, Adidas

It was a fantastic experience.

I came into this course feeling a bit lost, not quite sure what direction to go in but now I feel so confident going into a job in industry, in sustainability.

Lucy Shah, '22/23 Graduate

This course was life changing for me. I was a change maker before doing small things when it comes to sustainability but this course has given me the connections and the skills to do bigger things and have the impact I want.

Ciara O'Flaherty '22/23 Graduate

About UCD Innovation Academy

UCD Innovation Academy provides transformational educational experiences for the betterment of society and the economy. We prepare learners from all walks of life to succeed in an uncertain world. We work with primary, secondary, further and higher education; enterprise; and the public sector, nationally and internationally, to equip learners with the mindset, tools and skills for the 21st century. We act as a catalyst for positive change, within individuals, institutions and societies, and we seek to serve as a model for higher education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Anthropocene.

Our approach to teaching and learning is grounded in innovation, creativity, leadership, the entrepreneurial mindset and design thinking. Our unique 21st century learning pedagogy centres on experiential, challenge based learning in interdisciplinary settings. By providing learners with the tools, the skills and the mindset to enable innovation, we help people and organisations unlock their true potential.

UCD Innovation Academy was founded by Professor Suzi Jarvis in 2010, a graduate of the University of Oxford and a professor of biophysics. It was the first organisation of its kind in Ireland, combining worldclass educators and cutting-edge pedagogy.

Our pedagogy is based on the latest research in neuroscience about learning agility. Leading thinkers including Carol Dweck and her globally acclaimed work on the Growth Mindset, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Carl Wieman, education reformer Cathy Davidson and entrepreneurship scholar, Saras D. Sarasvathy, among others, have informed our approach.

Our programmes are validated by a leading academic and external examiner, Professor Sir Mark Welland, Deputy Vice Provost at the University of Cambridge and former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government Ministry of Defence. Previous external examiners include Heidi Neck of Babson College in the US. Our International Advisory Board is chaired by Raomal Perera, a successful technology entrepreneur and Adjunct Professor at INSEAD. Other members include Professor Richard Templer, Director of Innovation at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London; Colm Lyon, Founder and CEO of Fire Financial Services and previous Founder and CEO of Realex Payments; Datin Dr. Syahira Hamidon, Ministry for Entrepreneurship in Malaysia and Gay Haskins, Fellow and Former Dean of Executive Education at the Said Business School, University of Oxford.

To talk to us about any of our programmes, please email innovation.academy@ucd.ie and ask for a call back - a member of our team will get in touch to arrange a time to speak.