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Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation
Image from Product and Furniture Design with Foundation

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Product and Furniture Design with Foundation

University of Plymouth

(4.1)
111 reviews

Entry requirements

Here's what you will need to get a place on the Product and Furniture Design with Foundation course at University of Plymouth.

Select a qualification to see required grades

A level

32 points from a minimum of 2 A Levels

Course summary

What this course is about

UCAS code: W245

Here's what University of Plymouth says about its Product and Furniture Design with Foundation course.

The foundation pathway provides students with non-standard entry points to progress onto the BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design programme. The foundation year allows you to develop the required practical, technical, academic and creative skills needed in preparation for the first year of the undergraduate programme. Upon successful completion, you will join the undergraduate BA programme equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to successfully complete an undergraduate degree.

Key features of BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design:

  • ** Be industry-ready**. Professional accreditation by the Chartered Society of Designers ensures quality and relevance to the evolving needs of the design industry. Broaden your experience and take an optional sandwich year for work placements and international exchange.

  • Get noticed in the design community. Learn by doing to build a portfolio of design work that will get you noticed and launch your career. Develop your profile with opportunities to enter high-profile competitions.

  • Expert-led. Learn with experts; our international team have diverse professional practice and research experience to inspire and guide your creativity.

  • Gain unique insights. Understand more about the design industry with exclusive visits to leading design studios and manufacturers.

  • Get connected. Learn from inspirational talks by leading product and furniture designers. Learn from real-world contexts through regular live projects.

Source: University of Plymouth

Course details

Qualification

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Department

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Location

Main Site | Plymouth

Duration

4 Years

Study mode

Full-time including foundation year

Subjects

• Product design

• Furniture design and making

Start date

21 September 2026

Application deadline

14 January 2026

The modules you will study

In your foundation year, you will become part a vibrant creative community through an engaging learning environment with a focus on active exploration and discovery across a wide range of methods and media. Working in our open-plan studio, you'll learn by doing, putting teaching into practical outcomes. Upon successful completion of this year, you'll enter the first year of the BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design or BA (Hons) Interior Design.

In your first year, you learn core design principles and technical skills within our interdisciplinary studio culture. Project work introduces hands-on making skills in a range of materials, including wood, metal and ceramics, alongside CAD and communication skills. You develop an awareness of opportunities through specialisms within product and furniture design and make choices about where your own practice might fit.

Your second year challenges you to explore design philosophies in more detail, developing more advanced technical skills. You develop your own unique design voice and establish how you express yourself. We celebrate our achievements with an end-of-year show.

You can add an optional year between your second and final years of study. This enables you to take a year-long work placement and gain first-hand knowledge and professional experience within the design industry or to study abroad for a year within the University’s international exchange programmes.

Your final year develops the skills and experiences you need to build a professional portfolio. You enhance your knowledge of design and business, write a dissertation, produce a significant personal major project and enter high-profile competitions. Graduate shows and exhibitions celebrate your design identity and provide a launchpad to your ideal design job, your own design studio, or progress to postgraduate study.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website.

How you will be assessed

For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.

University of Plymouth reviews

(4.1)
Based on 111 reviews from University of Plymouth's students and alumni
5 star
36%
4 star
38%
3 star
21%
2 star
3%
1 star
1%
All reviews

Showing 107 reviews

1st year student

There are lots of societies, thereu2019s nearly always something going on and the SU does lots of theme nights (like Halloween and stuff), some societies occasionally join together to do stuff and quite a few offer trips and do pub quizzes as well as regular socials. The SU also does food and drinks...

(4)

1 year ago

1st year student

Campus is quite lively, the SU is always doing something, Iu2019m not really a going out person but the clubs are a bit pricey for drinks but the Wetherspoonu2019s are goodrnThere are loads of societies, so thereu2019s something for everyonernPlymouth has just about everything you need shop-wise wit...

(4)

1 year ago

1st year student

The uni halls are way overpriced priced compared to the private sector halls which are inarguably nicer and you still get all the residence life events which they donu2019t tell you at open days.rnFood prices are ok - but my loan doesnu2019t cover my accommodation costs so it is a bit tight especia...

(3)

1 year ago

1st year student

Academic support is good, I have a great tutor and when Iu2019ve reached out to lecturers they are all more than happy to meet with me or answer questions both in email and at breaks or ends of lectures.rnDisability services have been really good and have been more than accommodating to my needs.rnS...

(4)

1 year ago

1st year student

The accommodation Iu2019m in is ok, the room is a decent size (could use a fresh coat of paint) but the windows donu2019t block any sound whatsoever and so when people are being rowdy you can hear it clear as day, and also the street we are on seems to be used as a racetrack? There is, nearly every ...

(3)

1 year ago

1st year student

My course is amazing, we have started from the basics which is really good for me and most of my lecturers explain everything really well, for the most part my timetable is very reasonable and completely manageable, my modules all run very smoothly and are easy to follow and they are recorded which ...

(5)

1 year ago

National Student Survey (NSS) scores

The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.

Here you can see ratings from University of Plymouth students who took the Product and Furniture Design with Foundation course - or another course in the same subject area.

Design studies

Select an option to see a detailed breakdown

How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?

81%

low

How good are teaching staff at explaining things?

78%

low

How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?

80%

low

How often is the course intellectually stimulating?

69%

low

To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?

88%

med

How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?

64%

low

How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?

77%

low

To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?

89%

med

To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?

54%

low

How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?

92%

med

How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?

78%

low

How often does feedback help you to improve your work?

72%

low

How often have you received assessment feedback on time?

51%

low

How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?

69%

low

How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?

74%

low

How well have teaching staff supported your learning?

80%

low

How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?

56%

low

How well organised is your course?

50%

low

How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?

69%

low

How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?

87%

med

How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?

64%

low

How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?

55%

low

To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?

80%

med

To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?

72%

low

How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?

73%

med

During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?

88%

med

How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?

68%

low

Student information

The Product and Furniture Design with Foundation course at University of Plymouth features content from more than one subject area. Choose an option below to find out about the students taking courses in each of those subject areas at this uni.

Product design
Furniture design and making
Mode of study
Full-time100%
Gender ratio
Female43%Male57%
Where students come from
International7%UK93%
Number of students60
Most popular A-levels studied
SubjectGrade
Product DesignB
Fine ArtA*
MathematicsC
Business StudiesB
Art and DesignA*
Mode of study
Full-time100%
Gender ratio
Female43%Male57%
Where students come from
International7%UK93%
Number of students60
Most popular A-levels studied
SubjectGrade
Product DesignB
Fine ArtA*
MathematicsC
Business StudiesB
Art and DesignA*
Source: HESA

Graduate prospects

What graduates do next

Facts and figures about University of Plymouth graduates who took Product and Furniture Design with Foundation - or another course in the same subject area.

Design studies

Graduate statistics

60%

In a job where degree was essential or beneficial

80%

In work, study or other activity

65%

Say it fits with future plans

45%

Are utilising studies

Top job areas

25%

Elementary occupations

25%

Web and Multimedia Design Professionals

10%

Business and public service associate professionals

10%

Science, engineering and technology associate professionals

Graduate statistics percentages are determined 15 months after a student graduates

Earnings after graduation

Earnings from University of Plymouth graduates who took Product and Furniture Design with Foundation - or another course in the same subject area.

Creative arts and design

Earnings

£19k

First year after graduation

£22.3k

Third year after graduation

£23.7k

Fifth year after graduation

Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Product and Furniture Design with Foundation.

Source: LEO

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree

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The University of Plymouth is a dynamic, ambitious and award-winning institution with a research-led culture that encourages innovative and creative ideas with the confidence to turn these into reality.

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• Saturday 25th April 2026 • Saturday 20th June 2026

Source: University of Plymouth

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