SRH University

Social Design & Sustainable Innovation

Master of Arts | Berlin

Do you want to create what the world really needs? With the Master in Social Design you can become a designer for eco-social change and learn to develop innovative design ideas for the social challenges of our time.

All Facts at a glance
Degree:
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Start:
1st april; 1st october
Model:
full time
Language:
English
ECTS:
120
Info:
Duration:
4 semesters/2 years
Location:
Berlin
Costs:
from €790 per month
Portfolio
2 - 3 creative works on the topic "Why change?" (films, texts, photos, illustrations, etc.)
Content of Your Studies

Learn more about Social Campaigns & Sustainability

The Master's degree in Social Design & Sustainable Innovation challenges the current system and thinks design from the perspective of the social and planetary state of emergency. The goal: the education of a new, radical, revolutionary generation of designers. You will work with practices such as artistic research, cooperation, co-creation and other methods of qualitative research. The overall goals are fairness, transparency and sustainability.

Social design, social campaigning, corporate design in a social context, socially engaged art, digital innovation, social design theory and design practice in the context of visual communication, editorial design, photography, film and web development and design thinking form the cornerstones of the programme. Within these key themes, you will work with collaborative partners from the (creative) industries and other organisations on social innovations, campaigns and design solutions for a sustainable future. In projects with real-world partners, you will design effective solutions and concrete visions for a better world.

The following explanations provide a concrete insight into the project structure of the Master's programme in Social Design and Sustainable Innovation.

Students of the M.A. Social Design and Sustainable Innovation develop pioneering design solutions in the areas of futurology, cultural participation, and corporate design with external practice partners. In addition to graphic design, these include progressive workshop designs in the context of design thinking, UX/UI design and interactive event and exhibition design. 

Students also design and organize events and panels on topics such as resilience, diversity, and coexistence in collaboration with an international hotel group. 

In addition to exhibitions, panels and workshops, paintings, drawings, and murals are realized that illustrate the topics in a variety of ways.

In collaboration with international communication agencies, students develop visualisations on future topics such as artificial intelligence and new work based on intensive and critical research.

The importance of Interaction Design (UX / UI) in the M.A. Social Design and Sustainable Innovation programme corresponds to the constantly growing demand of the labour market and includes the design of web and app solutions.

In the field of social campaigning, students implement creative campaigns in favour of diversity and democracy in an open society, among other things. They disseminate the campaigns via self-created photographs, posters, and digital media formats in order to reach a broad public.

Students also produce books on relevant topics such as crisis and resilience, gender and feminism using innovative editorial designs that effectively present academic essays on socially relevant and topical issues.

Career Opportunities

Become a Social Designer, Art Director and more

Social Design and Sustainable Innovation can significantly change cultural and business organisations, leading to more authentic and digital innovation. Professional skills are derived from mastering the respective design disciplines paired with combined methodologies of social change.

Graduates take up traditional and new design professions with an extended and scientifically sound design, thinking and action approach. 

They work as 

  • art directors,
  • designers,
  • consultants,
  • project managers,
  • web developers,
  • change managers, and
  • curators for companies and institutions. 

The Master of Arts degree also prepares students for a doctoral or PhD degree programme, which opens the way, in particular, to academic careers in teaching and research.

Studentin mit Handy in der Hand läuft an einer roten Wand vorbei
Your path to the future
Apply now!

Your modules

In the initial semesters of your Master's programme in Social Design & Sustainable Innovation, you will delve deeply into the fields of social design and design research. You will explore the connections between art, society, and change, as well as learn how to develop impactful social campaigns. Additionally, you will be introduced to marketing and branding strategies.

As you progress through your studies, the focus will shift towards design thinking, covering its various stages: research, synthesis, creation, realisation, and prototyping. Your programme will be complemented by several internships, culminating in your Master's thesis.

We would be happy to provide you with further information, including the complete curriculum.

Projects from the Social Design & Sustainable Innovation degree programme

Video projects by the students

Social Spots for UN Sustainable Development Goals and Cooperation Workshop Beirut

The Master's programme in Social Design and Sustainable Innovation has creatively explored the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and designed and produced social commercials for this purpose. Under the direction of Professor Gilbert Beronneau, the students created films that present the challenges facing humanity in relation to the preservation of the planet in a humorous and serious way.

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By playing this video, the provider may store personal data such as your IP address.
#whenthennow
Social campaign for change in care

M.A. students design nationwide campaign to draw attention to the poor working conditions and lack of appreciation in the care sector. If then, now ...

Design thinking as a method of social innovation

Students are designing a community space in a refugee camp in Lebanon. They are using design thinking processes to design the space in such a way that it has an activating effect and can generate creative and positive impulses.

Strangeness and foreignness | "This is (not) my story."

German and Lebanese students deal with the topic of "foreignness and strangeness" in interdisciplinary workshops and create essays, films, photo series, graphics and installations that reflect the reality of life for refugees in Germany and Lebanon.

Our CORE principle
Our CORE principle

Apply your skills in real life

Today, soft and social skills are crucial in addition to hard skills and expertise. That's why SRH University's innovative, successful, and award-winning CORE principle promotes independent and active learning so that you can apply your knowledge directly to projects and your future career—for a clear competitive advantage. 

Learn more about CORE
Your lecturers and contact persons

You can learn everything with us

Costs

Smart financing

As a state-recognised private university, SRH University is financed by tuition fees. The fees go towards equipping our campuses, providing services for our students, and ensuring quality assurance. This way, we ensure you receive the best possible education under optimal study conditions. 

Tuition fees 

  • EU/EEA citizenship, including Switzerland, Western Balkans and Ukraine: €790 per month 
  • Non-EU/EEA citizenship: €5,700 per semester 

The monthly/semester tuition fees remain the same for the entire duration of the study programme. A one-off enrolment fee of €750 (EU/EEA) or €1,000 (non-EU/EEA) is to be paid once. 

 

Goal-oriented studies require good organisational skills and solid financial planning on how to pay rent, living costs, and tuition fees. Various financing options, such as educational loans or scholarship programmes, are available for students. 
 
We have summarised all financing options for you. 

Admission requirements and application

Admission

You can apply at any time via our via our online portal. We will then check your application documents and invite you to a personal interview. 

To apply for the Master's programme in Social Design & Sustainable Innovation , you need

  • Bachelor's degree
  • Letter of motivation
  • Secondary School Certificate
  • Proof of English language proficiency
  • Curriculum Vitae with a current passport photo
  • Copy of your identity card or passport 

More information about the admission requirements

Apply now
Application process

We look forward to welcoming you to SRH University. This is what our application process looks like: 

  1. You submit your online application via the SRH application portal 
  2. If you meet the admission requirements, we will invite you to a personal/phone interview 
  3. If the interview is successful, you will receive an acceptance letter and the study contract 
  4. You sign the study contract and send it back to us 
  5. You pay the enrolment fee 
  6. You will receive your letter of admission 
  7. You take part in our Welcome Week and then you are good to go! 
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