Course Summary
Service Design is about facilitating conversation, investigating, problem-solving, aligning users and organisations, and enabling meaningful change in an organisation.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
Minimum Academic Qualification
All applicants are expected to present an approved Bachelor degree at minimum level of 2nd class honours (2.2)
Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements may be considered on the basis of prior work or learning experience (RPEL). Candidates may be required to pass a qualifying examination set by the relevant department before being accepted to a Masters degree programme. Attendance at selected undergraduate lecture courses at NCAD, together with related written work may be prescribed.
You may apply for the programme if you are currently completing your Undergraduate Degree. NCAD will review the rest of your application If necessary, we can make you a Conditional Offer. When your degree is completed and you send us final transcripts we will upgrade this to a Full Offer.
Checklist of Supporting Documents
• A Statement of Interest - 500 words framing your reasons for applying to the programme. Please indicate a subject/discipline area that you believe can best advance your practice.
• A recent CV
• Certified transcripts of previous programmes followed
• Certified copies of degree/ certificates and/or other appropriate third level qualifications bearing the official stamp of the institution.
• Academic Reference (Head of School/Department preferred), or if you graduated more than 4 years' ago please submit an employer reference
- Some referees prefer to submit the reference directly to the college. If this is the case, please instruct your referee to email a standard reference to [email protected]
- Please make sure all references contain the letterhead and the institution contact email address for the referee, as well as their job title.
• Portfolio/Evidence of previous work
- This may not necessarily be design work but must demonstrate experience in a relevant field eg. customer service, service design, innovation, service industry eg. food service/tourism/public sector/healthcare/banking
- For example: a 1 or 2 page case study outlining a project or approach you have undertaken in work, college or a personal project. Please describe any research undertaken, key insights/opportunities identified, and solutions/improvements created if applicable. A combination of either writing, images or diagrams/mapping is appropriate.
English Language Requirements
All programmes in NCAD are taught through English. International Applicants are asked to provide proof of their English Language Proficiency.
Full details of acceptable tests and the standard required can be found at the following link https://www.ncad.ie/study-at-ncad/international/english-language-requirement/
Application Details
Applications are open. Please see "Application Weblink" above.
Programme commences September 2026.
Fees
There is an application fee of €55 and, if successful, a non-refundable deposit of €500 due within 10 working days of being offered a place on the programme.
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Creative
Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.
Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.
Career Progression
We encourage our students to experiment and take risks in order to carve new understandings of design and make technical innovations within, and across Service Design. Graduates have gone on to secure roles as Service Designer, UX Researcher, CX (Customer Experience), Experience Designer, Design Strategist, Development Analyst, and Facilitator in public and private sector organisatiosn such as The Mater Hospital, Deloitte, Accenture, IBM, Context Studio, Maynooth University, and EyeVu.
In challenging the purpose, methods and ambitions of contemporary service design practice and research, students will identify opportunities and develop their own creative careers.