Full-time: 1 year
Part-time: Up to 2 years
What do you see that others don’t?
Conferred by: University of the Arts Singapore
A challenge that needs a different approach. A system that could work better. A possibility waiting to be explored.
The Master of Design in Design Leadership and Innovation is a practice-led programme for experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds who want to challenge established ways of working, see the bigger picture and turn ideas into action.
Beyond solving problems. Towards shaping systems.
Whatever your professional background, today’s most complex challenges rarely belong to one discipline.
Addressing them requires the ability to look beyond the immediate problem, understand the wider system and recognise where change can begin.
The Master of Design in Design Leadership and Innovation brings professionals from diverse backgrounds together to explore new ways of approaching complex challenges. Through critical enquiry, collaboration, fieldwork and real-world intervention, you will learn to question established practices, work across disciplines, connect different perspectives and turn ideas into action.
City-as-Lab
Engagement in real-world conditions through situated inquiry, this engagement grounds experimentation in in-situ contexts, enabling insights that are regionally attuned and globally transferable.
Develop the capabilities to transform insights into tangible and meaningful change.
Triple-core Framework
Built on three interconnected pillars — Critical Design, Socio-ecological thinking and Planetary Health — this framework provides different ways to understand how people, places and systems are interconnected and identify where design can make a difference.
Develop the mindset to design for a resilient and equitable future.
Dual Vision Cones
Design Leadership and Design Innovation work in tandem, combining strategic influence with methodological experimentation to drive institutional transformation and implement innovative interventions.
This emergent specialisation is not a move toward isolation, but rather a strategic positioning of systemic agency to initiate change for high value impact returns.
Graduation Requirements
Completion of 180 credits
Core: 160 credits
Electives: 20 credits
Mode of Instruction
The programme combines intensive front-loaded learning through workshops/seminars with paced individual/group consultations throughout the semester. Supported by structured teaching, independent study, project-based learning, and field-based inquiry, learning extends beyond the classroom into real-world contexts.
Full-time, one year - three semesters
Part-Time mode, the modules can be taken flexibly across 6 semesters according to when they are being offered*.
*Note: NMDS1101 Studio 1: Self-positioning, NMDS1201 Studio 2: Critical Design in Practice, and NMDS1301 Graduation Project must be completed sequentially.
Assessment Methods
- Individual and group presentations
- Research and evaluative reports
- Written assignments and proposals
- Projects
- Peer assessment
- Degree show
Career Pathways
Graduates are prepared for diverse opportunities across corporate, public, and social innovation sectors. Positioned to lead cross-sector initiatives, drive innovation, and create meaningful impact in an increasingly complex world.
Career pathways extend to leadership and executive roles such as Chief Design Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Director of Organisational Transformation, Director of Sustainability & Impact, and Strategic Innovation Director, and beyond to emerging roles that integrate design, strategy, innovation, and systems transformation.
entry requirements
- Submit a Portfolio of professional practice: a structured collection of documents and evidence that showcases your skills, growth, and work standards in your field.
- Submit a Proposal of 2000-words, (incorporating Statement-of-Intent): a proposal that integrates the applicant’s motivations and professional trajectory with a critical framing of a provocation brief within their field as a site for design intervention. The submission should draw on portfolio of selected works or experiences as evidence, demonstrating:
- Clear articulation of intent, positioning, and readiness to advance from practice to systemic intervention
- Integration of portfolio evidence to substantiate depth of practice and domain expertise
- Ability to interrogate a “wicked problem” within a specific field
- Critical engagement with broader socio ecological contexts
- Analytical depth, originality, and forward-looking thinking
- Attend an Interview and Presentation: 3-minute presentation of the provocation brief, followed by discussion to assess:
- Readiness for advanced, practice led inquiry, supported by demonstrated industry experience and domain expertise
- Clarity and coherence of thought
- Strength of critical positioning and argumentation
- Alignment with the programme’s focus on socio ecological complexity and intervention
A Bachelor's degree from a recognised local or international institution in any field, with a minimum of five (5) years of professional experience.
Applicants without a Bachelor’s degree may be considered on a case-by-case basis if they have relevant experience and are assessed to have the ability to pursue the programme.
If English was not the applicant’s primary medium of instruction throughout his or her school education, the applicant must provide evidence of any of the following at enrolment:
| IELTS Academic | TOEFL - iBT | PTE Academic |
|---|
| 6.0 | 80 or 4.0 | 50 |
Fees
Click here for more information.
How to Apply
Pioneering creative thought leadership in Southeast Asia and beyond.
We have simplified our application process so you can focus on showcasing your strengths.
Here’s a quick overview of what you need to do.
- Shortlist your programme – Choose a programme towards your interests and expertise
Check if you have the required application documents - Here is the checklist for your quick reference
Apply online
Apply online
here along with your application fees. Applications are open from October each year for the following year’s August intake.
Make payment of the Application Fee (non-refundable) online
Make payment of the Application Fee (non-refundable) online at
https://payment.nafa.edu.sg/Students.
| Singapore Citizens & Singapore Permanent Residents | International Students |
|---|
| Application fee | S$75.00 | S$120.00 |
Application fee is inclusive of prevailing GST.
Keep the Application Acknowledgement for your reference and submit the required documents
Upload documents listed in the checklist for verification within five working days from the application date.
Upload portfolio
Upload your portfolio and proposal.
Receive an email and attend interview and presentation
You will receive a notification through the application portal on the details of your interview around 1 week before your interview, after you have submitted all required documents and portfolio.
Application outcome
You may expect to receive an outcome of your application through the application portal within 4 weeks after your interview.