Master of Design (Smart Service Design)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
About this program
Master of Design (Smart Service Design)
The Master of Design (Smart Service Design) (SSD) is an interdisciplinary specialism focusing on designing at the intersection of business, technology, and human ingenuity to create meaningful service interventions for broader societal and business challenges. This specialism expands the scope of design beyond the current commercialised and compartmentalised professional practices by orienting it towards the socio-technical dimension of design, taking a critical, systemic and human-centred perspective within the context of service design.
The specialism is designed to nurture and develop students’ theoretical and practical knowledge of service design. SSD fosters the extension of students’ abilities by providing them with a deep understanding of the technological, commercial, societal and organisational contexts of service design, and it demonstrates the transformation of design opportunities into new and sustainable service experiences.
Admission requirements
Entrance requirements
A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in design, business, humanities or a technological field is required. Candidates with other tertiary qualifications complemented by substantial relevant professional experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
A complete application includes:
- Application form
- Personal statement
- Two letters of recommendation (academic/ work)
- Evidence of academic qualification, i.e. degree certificate(s)/diploma(s) and final official transcript(s)
- Portfolio (refer to eProspectus for requirements and submission)
- IELTS/ TOEFL report (click here to view PolyU's English Language Requirement)
Interview
All admissions must go through the interview process. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview either in person or online.
Type of VISA (for International Students)
- Mainland Chinese and nationals of other countries may apply to this programme as non-locals and will require a student visa to take up this programme.
- Holders of dependant visas or a visa under IANG are also considered non-locals but do not require a student visa.
- You will be informed by the Academic Registry (AR) of the details of visa applications, immigration regulations, health care, cost of living and other non-academic matters of concern to non-local students if you are offered admission to one of our programmes.
- Visa applications are processed and determined by the Immigration Department (IMMD) of the HKSAR Government via PolyU upon admission. The process may take 8 to 10 weeks upon receipt of all the required documents.
Enquiry
Should you require further assistance, please contact the university.
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Programme structure
The programme begins with subjects that offer foundational knowledge of service design and advanced research skills through a combination of lectures, studios and multidisciplinary project collaboration.
The programme is followed by subjects that provide a detailed and analytical perspective on the latest socio-technical developments that have an impact on the service economy. The Studios and Lab Studies subjects articulate diverse perspectives on service factors and service design approaches that students can use to evaluate, transform and create future services in the service sector.
The final stage of the study is where knowledge, skills and practice integrate through either a self-directed or an industry-sponsored project in each student's area of interest. A Capstone Project, which is a significant and integrative final service project, synthesises students' learning in a real-world setting.
To receive the award of Master of Design, students must successfully attain a total of 36 credits from the following subject categories: Compulsory Common subjects for 6 credits, Compulsory Specialism subjects for 15 credits, Elective subjects for 15 credits (12 credits from Elective Pool A and 3 credits from Elective Pool B).
Compulsory Common subjects (6 credits)
- SD5008 Research and Analysis for Design (3)
- SD5009 Research and Academic Writing (3)
Compulsory Specialism subjects (15 credits)
Specialism Major subjects
- SD5412 Advanced Service Design Methods and Tools (3) or
- SD5413 Socio-technical Service Ecosystem (3) or
- SD5414 Systemic Innovation and Designing Future Services (3)
Lab Studies subjects
- SD5432 Lab Studies in Data Driven Service Design (3)
Specialism Studio / Project subjects
- SD5438 SSD Specialism Studio (3)
- SD5439 SSD Capstone Research Project (6)
Elective subjects
Elective Pool A (12 credits)
Foundation subjects
- SD5114^Design Methods (Advanced) (3)
- SD5115 Design Project Management (3)
- SD5116 Design for Transformation (3)
- SD5511 UX Design Fundamentals (3)
- SD5512 Prototyping and Scripting (3)
- SD5411 Designing Services (3)
- SD5711 Design for the Biosphere (3)
- SD5712 Design for Change (3)
- SD5713 Design Systems Thinking (3)
Specialism Major subjects
- SD5117^Innovate with Lifestyle and Culture (3)
- SD5513 Theories in Interaction Design (3)
- SD5514#Advanced Visualisation and Interaction (3)
- SD5412 Advanced Service Design Methods and Tools (3)
- SD5413 Socio-Technical Service Ecosystem (3)
- SD5414 Systemic Innovation and Designing Future Services (3)
- SD5716 Regenerative Ecosystems Design (3)
- SD5717 Territories, Societies, and Spatial Complexes (3)
Elective Pool B (3 credits)
Interdisciplinary Studio / Project subjects
- SD5131^Interdisciplinary Project (3)
- SD5431 Interdisciplinary Studio (3)
- SD5731 Regenerative Environments Design (3)
Lab Studies subjects
- SD5132 Lab Studies in Human Cyber-Physical Systems (3)
- SD5531 Lab Studies in Systems Design (3)
- SD5532# Lab Studies in Intelligent Systems Construction (3)
- SD5432 Lab Studies in Data-Driven Service Design (3)
- SD5732 Lab Studies in Applied Technologies for Territorial Design (3)
Remarks:
# denotes subject containing pre-requisite requirement.
^ denotes subject containing co-requisite requirement.
Scholarships & funding
Financial Aid
- Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme (ENLS), administered by the Student Finance Office (SFO) of the HK Government, offers interest-bearing loans to eligible local residents (who have the right of abode in Hong Kong or have resided or have had their homes in Hong Kong continuously for three complete years prior to the commencement of the programme) to settle tuition fees. For details of the scheme, eligibility and application, please refer to SFO's official website.
- This specialism under the Master of Design is an eligible programme of the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme (2024/25). For 2023/24, the MDes Scheme was allocated 21 fellowship places. Each fellowship subsidises HK$120,000 of the programme tuition. Details are available online on the UGC's website for public information. For information on eligibility, assessment criteria, and application procedure, visit PolyU eProspectus. It is expected that local applicants are informed of their MDes admission and Fellowship application results at the same time.
The School reserves the right to change the terms or withdraw from offering the financial aid. In case of any dispute or disagreement, the School’s decision is final.
Program delivery
Full-time and part-time students follow the same timetable and attend classes together. Classes are normally held during the day on weekdays.
For full-time students, the normal duration of the programme is 1 year; for part-time students, it is 3 years. One academic year contains three semesters (including the Summer Term). A full-time study load is 36 credits in a year, and a part-time study load is 6–9 credits in a compulsory semester (Semesters 1 and 2).
Tuition
HK$6,200 per credit
Qualification
Objectives
PolyU is the first university in Hong Kong to offer both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in service design education, a move made in response to the rapidly increasing global demands for service design. The focus of Smart Service Design (SSD) goes beyond user experience design, information design, product design or any other single output of design applications. Rather, SSD focuses on a broad design spectrum that integrates design, business, technology and human needs to create service solutions for tomorrow and to bring new value to the service industry and society at large.
Through advanced service design methodologies, SSD offers a unique interdisciplinary educational environment that meets diverse learning needs and provides students with opportunities to reshape their own design practices. Through lectures, studio learning, workshops and industry research projects, this specialism enables students to be involved in creating, transforming and evaluating service products and content in both digital and offline channels.
Our graduates are equipped with the necessary professional skills to meet the demands of careers in the service industry. They play various roles not only in conventional design-related professions but also in management and strategy in various service sectors, such as consumer electronics, mobility, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, finance and public service.
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About this institute
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design
Founded in 1964, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) has been an important hub for design education and research in Hong Kong, offering quality undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in design to nurture creative talent across a...
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