The program revolves around the acquisition of methodological tools from Design Thinking, promoting a comprehensive and user-centered approach to design projects.

It emphasizes working in multicultural groups, promoting the exchange of points of view and world views that enrich the concepts proposed by the students. The MDes Le Studio France also includes a section devoted to the integration into French culture of design and opportunities for collaboration with companies and institutions that will question the work of students.

Part of the curriculum is composed of elective courses and projects that will enable students to customize courses to their needs. With several projects carried out every year in close collaboration with companies or institutions as well as a 4- to 6-month internship during the second year, this program is aimed at building up experience of real work situations in the design field.
A one-year long End of study project and thesis will also allow students to better define their identity and values as a designers.

Students will be able to choose to work on projects linked to one of these 5 topics, attached to our Design Labs:

• Care Design - How to provide creative, innovative and sustainable solutions to contemporary social issues, such as inclusion, access to services for vulnerable people, children, seniors.
• City Design - Evolution of the built environment and urban transformations. Reflection on the quality of life and services in the city. Mobility in the city, accessibility and services in rural areas.
• Digital Design - In the context of the evolution of artificial intelligence, how to imagine the interactions between humans and machines with quality user experiences. Work on interfaces of all types (UX / UI Design). 
• Food Design - How to feed more than 7 billion humans in a sustainable way and promote food that is good for health and the environment, by also reflecting on food production circuits
• Media Design - Program centered on Information Design and how to give tangible account to the narrative of reality, in particular through data visualization.

The MDes programs, established over two years, are organized in four semesters validated by 30 ECTS each.
Consult the MDes course description

Semester 1
Students who are joining L’École de design Nantes Atlantique at postgraduate level benefit from an integration semester. The goal of this semester for students is to highlight and expand professional knowledge in the context of another culture.

Courses:

• Welcome, transcultural content & technical skills (78h)
• Integration & skills development – creativity, methodology, marketing and projects (190h)
• Optional courses (42h)

Students who completed their undergraduate studies at L’École de design spend this semester abroad, either in academic exchange or internship as a junior designer (13 weeks minimum).

Semester 2
During this semester, students learn how to manage complex design projects, deepen their knowledge of the economic, social and cultural aspects of the field covered in their program, build and apply a methodology and support their end-of-term project. studies, the subject of which they themselves define.
Teaching are delivered in the form of projects in partnership with industry, workshops, lectures, conferences and professional meetings.

Courses:

• Design projects and seminars (186h)
• TOEIC preparation and languages courses (44h)
• End of studies project and thesis workshop (60h)
• Professionalization & lab (32h)
• Competitions (40h)

Semester 1
Continuation and finalization of the end-of-studies project summarizing all the professional skills acquired. It can be conducted in collaboration with a company and / or research laboratory of a partner university. This personal end-of-studies project must be related to the program in which students are enrolled.
Supervision is ensured in the form of workshops under the direction of a referent designer, to which punctual speakers are associated. Writing a thesis in the theme of the project.

Courses:

• Initiation to law (15h)
• Introduction to management (15h)
• End of studies project and thesis workshop (112h)
• Professionalization & lab (120h)
• Competitions (40h)

Semester 2
The study program ends with a minimum of sixteen weeks (and a maximum of six months) internship within a company, in France or abroad.
Trainees work as junior designers and support all or part of a project.
The student must demonstrate his ability to integrate into a team, manage a project and develop all the sequences of the project for its smooth running. It allows the student to articulate all of his studies with what will be his first professional experience.
Depending on the professional project of the student, this internship can also take place within a company that the student will create, or even within a research laboratory.

Program taught in English

Le Diplôme de design Bac +5 is awarded by the final jury to students who have obtained:

1. a minimum score of 800 points at the TOEIC test*;
2. a score greater than or equal to 10/20, which breaks down as follows:

• for 40%, mark attributed to continuous monitoring,
• for 60%, mark obtained at the final defense in September relating to the student's path (end-of-study project, internship and any other element chosen by the student).

More information on validation of the master's degree

This program is open to all applicants who either:


• hold a Bachelor’s Degree in design, or

• have completed three years of undergraduate studies in design, equating to at least 180 ECTS credits

You may apply before actually receiving the degree or having completed your undergraduate studies.
However, admission will only take effect once the degree is obtained or the undergraduate credits have been validated.


Applicants whose level we assess to be insufficient may be recommended to follow a semester or a full year in our 3rd Year of DN MADE / International Class before entering the master’s program.

Final admission will only take effect when the necessary visa is obtained, if applicable.




English
If you are not a native English speaker, we ask that you provide proof of your English proficiency (minimum level of 700 points at the TOEIC test or equivalent).

• The Master’s degree being subject to the validation of 800 points in the TOEIC, you will be required to take the TOEIC exam during the course.

French
While not mandatory for the programs taught in English, a certain command of French language is recommended for daily life in France and integration purposes.

Applications are open until June 30, 2023 for the academic year 2023-2024

They can only be done online on our application website

They are organized in 6 sessions:

• January session: Until January 31, 2023


• February session: from February 1 to February 28, 2023
• March session: from March 1 to March 31, 2023
• April session: from April 1 to April 30, 202
3
• May session: from May 1 to May 31, 2023
• June session: from June 1 to June 30, 2023

Selection process

1. Online application and payment of the application fees (€50);
2. Uploading all the required documents for application;
3. Application file review and interview if your application file is accepted;

4. Publication of the admissions results at the end of each admission session;


Selection process

French students and European Union students: €8,900 per year

Non-European Union students: €9,900 per year

+ CVEC (Student and campus life contribution): contribution set at just under €100 per year
CVEC website

Academic calendar
The academic year runs from the beginning of September to the beginning of July for all our programs.

Academic Calendar 2023/2024 will start on:

• MDes 1st year / semester 1: Septembre 2023
• MDes 1st year / semester 2: February 2024

• MDes 2nd year: September 2023

This dates are provided for information purposes only and are subject to change.

For more information to help you to prepare your arrival & life in Nantes Studying in Nantes

Final admission will only take effect when the necessary visa is obtained, if applicable. For more information about the visa  to help you to prepare for your arrival in Nantes, consult the item Procedures for international students on the page Studying in Nantes

This program trains students to become global players who can converse fluently in English and possibly even local, French language, understanding the context of another country, and most of all, steep themselves in the ability to design for clients and employers from other cultures. It is a living experience that will change its participants, often opening up unexpected, exciting international career opportunities.

As all our master programs, the MDes Le Studio France leads to the Master’s level degree in design, certified by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and registered in the Registre National des Certifications Professionnelles (the French directory for vocational qualifications or RNCP) as a Level 7 Master’s degree.


Le Diplôme de design Bac +5

The Master’s level degree confers the "Grade de master", and you can pursue your education at a PhD level.