Master Design — Design et sciences sociales

Université Rennes 2, based in Rennes Cedex, France, offers this master's program in Design, with a specialization in Design et sciences sociales, connecting design practice with the social sciences. Design as a discipline covers the process of conceiving and developing objects, spaces, services, or systems with attention to form, function, and user experience, and this specialization situates design within a broader social science framework, examining how design choices interact with social structures, cultural practices, and public issues. Typical subjects include design methodology, research methods drawn from sociology and anthropology, the study of social and cultural contexts of design, and project work applying design thinking to social or public problems. Students often work on collaborative projects that combine design skills with social research, sometimes addressing questions of public policy, urban life, or community needs. Graduates from programs combining design with social sciences commonly pursue careers as designers within public or nonprofit organizations, design researchers, consultants working on socially oriented design projects, or roles within design agencies focused on service or social innovation. Some continue toward further research in design studies or social sciences. The program is completed over two years, delivered in French, and begins in September, with a yearly tuition of 250 EUR. Rennes, a university city in Brittany, provides a setting for this interdisciplinary approach to design and social inquiry.