MFA Programme in Applied Arts and Design, Wood oriented Furniture design
Summary
The master’s programme in Applied Arts and Design challenges how you perceive materials and space with three specializations: wood-oriented furniture design, textile–body–space, and metal art. You will develop critical perspectives in relation to society and current debates while pursuing your own projects. If you specialize in wood-oriented furniture design, you will engage in a hands-on and explorative design process through craft and material and be encouraged to reflect on your future role as a designer interacting with the user’s needs.
Other specializations
About
In the specialization of wood-oriented furniture design, we stress the strong relationship between your work as a designer and the needs of society. Our pedagogic approach and a strong characteristic of the programme stresses that using our hands and the material offers a wide base for developing innovative solutions and ideas and pursuing a design process focused on the user’s needs.
Material-led, hands-on learning in a unique environment
In the unique academic environment in Dals Långed, 170 kilometers north of Gothenburg, you will have access to some of Europe’s most well-equipped workshops, together with individual workplaces, computers, and software, empowering you to work wholeheartedly within your field. We have a long history of engagement in global and local society, with education in craft and design existing at our location since around 1930. Our programme is interdisciplinary and incorporates handicrafts, art, crafts, and design. Though you will focus on wood-oriented furniture design, you will work in a mutually beneficial learning environment with students of metal art and textile-body-space, all pursuing various methods of working with diverse materials.
An entrepreneurial approach
Our programme offers freedom to pursue projects formulated from your own ideas and requires a high degree of independence and personal motivation, with tutoring and supervision to support you. You will learn to relate to materials, body, and space through your material-based creative work, critical perspectives, and societal engagement, training you to move easily between practice and theory. We encourage you to develop your own style and voice and to pursue your own interests and goals for your future practice. Our highly international group works in close collaboration with the surrounding local community. This network allows mutually beneficial critiquing and an encouraging environment for solving problems. You will formulate your projects along with your professor in relevance to your course work and specialization.
Specializing in wood-oriented furniture design
The specialization in wood-oriented furniture design is designed for you who want to use wood when developing furniture, products, and services for future needs. You will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a holistic and sustainable approach to issues often centered on social development. You will have access to local timber (kiln-dried on location) well-equipped workshops with the tools and machinery necessary for contemporary furniture production (including laser engraving and a five-axis CNC machine) and additional workshops for other materials. Research-oriented experiments are conducted in the workshops, focusing on materials, techniques, and context.
Get to know teachers and other staff at The Design and Crafts Steneby Unit.
Programme structure and content
The programme is project based, and requires a high degree of autonomy, independence, and self-motivation. Projects are formulated together with your professor and supported by individual tutoring, theory, and seminars.
During the first year, you familiarize yourself with the workshops and machinery and begin your studio project. You will gain a basic understanding of research and entrepreneurship, expand your subject knowledge, formulate an action plan for your future practice, and build up your portfolio with projects.
The second year relates contemporary issues to your own work. You will write a background text and reflect on the context and form of presentation of your degree project. An external mentor will assist you during your degree project, and examinations include external opponents. The spring term ends with a degree exhibition.
Who should apply?
Are you interested in how furniture design can contribute to sustainability issues? To society?
Do you want to explore the possibilities of yourself as a designer?
Do you want to investigate the possibilities of wood as material?
Are you always thinking about how the furniture you use could be better?
If you want to hone your design skills by experimenting with wood and different techniques, then apply for the master’s programme in Applied Arts and Design specializing in wood-oriented furniture design.
Prerequisites and selection
Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts or equivalent of at least 180 credits, and approved work samples. The work samples should demonstrate artistic and technical ability, both of which are necessary to fully benefit from the programme. Applicants must prove their knowledge of English: English 6/English B from Swedish Upper Secondary School or the equivalent level of an internationally recognized test, for example TOEFL, IELTS.
Portfolio
Find the portfolio instructions for the MFA Programme in Applied Arts and Design here:
More information about Portfolio
Selection
The selection is based on an assessment of submitted work samples and a personal interview.
After graduation
Graduates of the programme receive one of the following degrees, depending on your chosen specialization:
- Master of Fine Arts in Design with specialization in wood-oriented furniture design
- Master of Fine Arts in Arts and Crafts with a specialization in metal art
- Master of Fine Arts in Arts and Crafts with specialization in textile–body–space
The programme prepares you to work on assignments for private and public clients, exhibitions, and your own artistic practices.
You may also choose to apply for PhD studies in the field.
