Master of Arts in

Transportation & Car Design

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Course length

2 Academic Year

Start

January 2025

Language

English

Where

Milan

Transportation and Car Design with Advanced Practice

The MA in Transportation and Car Design with Advanced Practice retraces the work phases that a designer faces in a real design centre: the development of a concept, the visual creativity that derives from it, the application of engineering constraints to the project, the creative phase in which the linguistic elements of the brand are amplified, by taking into account the constraints learnt in the previous phase, and, finally, the actual design phase, in which style features and engineering constraints find their definitive balance.

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The Master’s in Transportation and Car Design is based on a balanced mix of conceptual and creative skills, along with an established understanding of engineering, ergonomics and marketing principles. Designers are challenged to envision innovative transportation concepts.

The student, who has gone through the stages of this process, will become a designer who understands and knows how to apply a brand’s own style and language and has, at the same time, a solid background in automotive architecture.

The location of the course in Milan facilitates opportunities for direct dialogue with the Design Centres of the Motor Valley in the form of visits and collaborations. Tutors collaborated in the past and are currently collaborating with world-famous transportation design centres or consultancy firms. This provides students a unique opportunity to have insights into the sector’s current evolution.

The program offers, too, an in-depth study of two topics that are current challenges for every design centre: aerodynamics and human-machine interface (HMI), to enable students to design more energy-efficient, and consequently, more sustainable means of transport.

Student in classroom

Car Project

Ducati Project

Car_viewer

Car Project

Car Model

Car Project

Student in classroom

Car Modelling

The Master of Arts in Transportation and Car Design with Advanced Practice is based on a learning strategy aimed at nurturing creative talent through the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills.

Its main objectives are:

  • Enhance creative skills informed by advanced digital design tools and methodology, and provide an industrially relevant education.
  • Provide students with the ability to creatively synthesise the linguistic elements of a transportation-related brand with the engineering constraints, a peculiar feature of transportation projects.
  • Provide a deep understanding of the different products of transportation design, from wheel vehicle to wheel-free vehicles, from human-driven up to autonomous driving.
  • Provide students with the knowledge to understand the current technical evolution and innovation of means of transport, especially with reference to the most recent requirements and need for carbon-free or Zero Emission Vehicle, and with the design tools to face the challenges arising from this change.

To be admitted into the MA course, students must have a second class (2.2) honours or higher in art, design, or other creative disciplines from any recognised ISCED level 6 programme. Graduates in scientific disciplines, social sciences, and humanities can also be selected, as well as candidates who have previously gained significant professional experience in the field of the Master selected.

SPD also considers other relevant experience and/or the attendance of SPD Preparatory Courses. In addition, international students need an IELTS score of 6.0, with no component below 5.5.

After the successful completion of the Master’s programme, eligible students can earn the Master of Arts degree (180 UK credits, corresponding to 90 ECTS credits).
The Master of Arts Courses are accredited by Teesside University, SPD’s Educational Partner.

The 15-week Advanced Practice module is a unique opportunity to experience a first taste of the professional or academic life ahead of you and to test the knowledge and skills acquired in your studies.

During this semester, you have the option to choose from three opportunities:

  • a professional experience in a real workplace environment (internship);
  • an in-depth exploration of a particularly significant study topic through a research project within the school, in collaboration with a company (project work);
  • an experience of personal and cultural growth through a period of study in a different institution (study abroad period).

The Major Project is the final individual research project that will allow you to investigate a specific topic at a high level, within a proposed research framework or project brief.

This project not only represents the culmination of your education but also marks the beginning of your professional career.

With the Major Project you will, indeed, have the opportunity to gain genuine project experience at the professional level, and when the project involves collaboration with companies, your ideas, if deemed of particular interest, may become the subject of further development that will make your resume competitive in the relevant industry.

After completion of the MA in Transportation and Car Design with Advanced Practice at SPD, you are ready to embark on a career in various fields, including:

  • Car design centres
  • Automotive consultancy firms
  • Car manufacturers
  • Other vehicle manufacturers
  • Mobility design consultancy firms

Claudio Fassini is an experienced Italian designer and educator.

He holds a Master of Arts in Design from the Royal College of Arts in London and has a diverse international background, having lived, studied, and worked in Italy, the UK, the US, and Germany. With over three decades in the business, Claudio has worked with renowned companies such as Philips, Fiat, McLaren, Studio Sowden, Whirlpool, Hyundai, Rolex, Agv Helmets, Porsche, Bosch and others.

His experience ranges from project management in various areas of design, overseeing the project
lifecycle from market analysis and concept generation to proposal development and production, often leading international teams. He has been collaborating with SPD Scuola Politecnica di Design for over 15 years, working on 2D representation, sketching, digital rendering, 3D modeling, and tutoring projects for the transportation and car design courses.

Claudio is responsible for SPD’s transportation and car design department.