BA (Hons) Design Management Bachelor's degree at the Arts, London
BA (Hons) Design Management at Arts London has been running since 1986 and is recognised as a nationally accredited UK degree.
About this course
BA (Hons) Design Management is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the Arts, London, based in London College of Communication. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Design studies graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £24,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Business & Management, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 95% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Introduction to Design ManagementCore20 credits
Module details
This unit introduces some of the traditional research methods and processes that are involved in study in higher education, bringing a critical enquiry to areas of innovation and increased inclusivity. You will focus on the relationship between theory, practice and peer learning as a social act. You will be encouraged to consider how you might move with urgency in aspects of social, climate and justice advocacy in your design practice.
- Design Management ProductionCore40 credits
Module details
This unit introduces foundational knowledge, essential skills and practices in the field of design management. You will develop visual communication and design research skills and basic project management and production skills and begin your journey of cultivating systems thinking and practices.
- Design Management ProcessCore40 credits
Module details
Building from the previous Design Management Production unit, you will further gain knowledge and an understanding of the theoretical and contextual frameworks for design management and processes of design management. This will equip you for organising for design innovation, whilst also helping you prepare enabling and instigating your own future projects.
- Responsible DesignCore20 credits
Module details
In this unit, you will learn to understand, recognise and describe how to create a 'responsible' approach to design management, and why we expect this approach to infiltrate every aspect of your university life and future career.
Year 2 4 modules
- People and Planet: Marketing and BrandingCore40 credits
Module details
During this unit, you will develop an understanding of the landscape of audiences, futures thinking and trend forecasting. You will begin to consider the strategic role of design management in creative design practice and foster futures thinking in your practice.
- Professional PracticesCore20 credits
Module details
This unit seeks to extend your knowledge of the creative, cultural and design industries, providing you with opportunities to collaborate with design students from other courses on live projects as you continue to develop your design practice in mixed-discipline teams.
- Design CulturesCore20 credits
Module details
In this unit, you will explore a thematic area of your choice within Design Cultures, questioning established narratives and developing your critical voice. You will explore knowledge at the boundary of your design discipline, evaluating diverse ideas and practices in relation to your chosen thematic area.
- Product and Planet: Innovation and EnterpriseCore40 credits
Module details
You will consider the role of design management practices as being an 'enabler' to organising 'blue sky thinking' by reviewing our relationship to thinking in systems and facilitating and managing processes and teams. You will continue to foster futures thinking, designing for human equity, social and racial justice.
Year 3 3 modules
- Self-Initiated Research ProjectCore40 credits
Module details
This unit gives you an opportunity to engage with an in-depth research project on a topic of your choice. You will bring together the skills, knowledge and experience you have developed during your study to carry out an ethical approach to an in-depth research project that connects theory and practice.
- Industry Contexts and ConnectionsCore20 credits
Module details
This unit allows for further understanding of the industry by connecting and communicating your practice to design opportunities that show your agility and resilience in professional practice and scoping and researching for your major project from an industry perspective.
- Major ProjectCore60 credits
Module details
Your studies culminate in the creation of an independent realised design opportunity, either conducted by yourself as instigator or further enabling an existing opportunity for change.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
Design Management is a specialised approach to strategy and leadership, integrating design thinking into business and organisational decisions. You'll usually start with foundations in management principles, marketing and business economics, learning how firms operate and make decisions. In your second year, you'll move into operational thinking, organisational behaviour and competitive strategy. In your final year, you'll choose from specialist options such as entrepreneurship, international business, digital business, consulting and marketing, alongside a capstone project, often a real client brief or consultancy challenge that draws together your entire degree. Throughout, a course like this typically emphasises how design-led approaches shape customer experience, innovation and competitive advantage.
Who it's for
This course suits students interested in the intersection of design and business strategy. You'll explore how design thinking applies to organisational challenges across functions such as marketing, finance, HR, operations, strategy, international business, entrepreneurship, supply chain and consulting. Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; typical UCAS tariff scores among accepted students ranged from 112 to 127 points.
Careers & job market
Across Business & Management courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating, with 60% in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. National Graduate Outcomes data shows starting salaries (at 15 months) typically fall between £24,000 and £32,000, rising to £26,350–£37,200 after five years. Check the university's funding pages for information on bursaries and scholarships.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is taught at London College of Communication, part of University of the Arts, London, a university recognised as a UK degree-awarding body. The course runs for 3 years full-time and is delivered in English. University of the Arts, London holds a Bronze award for teaching quality under the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Most recent entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications, with typical UCAS tariffs ranging from 112–127 points.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 79% |
| another higher-education qualification | 15% |
| a Baccalaureate | 3% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
| an Access course | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W202). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Arts London →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Business & Management graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,500 | £22,000 – £27,000 | 6460 |
| 3 years after | £23,500 | £17,500 – £28,500 | 1095 |
| 5 years after | £29,500 | £21,500 – £36,000 | 1110 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 6,460. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / AnalystOn a scheme or first role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / ManagerOwning an area, marketing, finance, ops · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Head ofLeading a function and a team · 5–10 yrs
- 4Director / FounderRunning a business unit or your own company · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Business & Management nationally
National figures for Business & Management graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
continued or completed
continued into the next year or completed their qualification
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 6,460. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Business & Management courses at the same study level.
Compared with 3,421 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Is BA (Hons) Design Management worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) Design Management earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 23.6. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Business & Management graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine reporting and data pulls
- First-draft decks and copy
- Standard forecasts and reconciliations
- Scheduling and admin workflows
More human than ever
- Strategy and judgement under uncertainty
- Leading, negotiating and selling
- Sense-checking and owning what AI produces
- Relationships with clients and teams
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Business & Management graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Consultancies
- Corporate graduate schemes
- Retail & FMCG
- Startups & scale-ups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Business & Management graduates.
Business Director, Marketing ScienceXcedeBusiness ManagerLGPS CentralBusiness Change ManagerIGA Talent SolutionsBusiness Case ManagerPeregrineBusiness DirectorMedialab GroupBusiness Rates SurveyorW TalentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £24,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.9 out of 10: NSS 83.4% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of the Arts, London
Business and management across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around London College of Communication
7,241 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Business & Management right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Arts London from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £30,890 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
This course lists IELTS level 6.0 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writ. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Arts London’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Arts London and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Arts London
Business & Management at other universities
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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