Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA) Master in Design Management
Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA)

Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA)

Master in Design Management

Rome, Italy

Master degree

12 months

English

Full time

EUR 13,800 / per year **

On-Campus

* The Admission committee will continue to review applications as long as space is available in the program.

** € 11.800 for Italian students | €11.800,00 for EU students

Key Summary

About: RUFA's Master in Design Management trains professionals to lead design-driven innovation across products and services. It treats design as research and testing to produce sustainable, inclusive solutions across the chain, including marketing. The program is a laboratory and offers a 250-hour curricular placement with partner organizations. Keywords: design management, service design, UX, brand strategy, innovation

Career Outcomes: Graduates can work as Research and Service Designer; Service Design Strategist; User Interface Designer; Experience Designer; Brand Strategist; Business Designer; Project Manager; Digital innovation and new business consultant in private companies, SMEs, public administration and non-profits and international organizations, consultancies and startups.

In a global scenario led by increasing complexity, design has a crucial responsibility of contributing in a concrete way to making the socio-economic system more sustainable, inclusive, and collaborative. Meaningful ideas will address the major issues of today. Design implies researching, developing, and testing – in an iterative way – innovative and effective products, experiences, and services. Design-driven innovation is multi-dimensional, and a good product/service requires consistent interventions throughout the value chain, including marketing, distribution, and customer care.

The aim of the Master in Design Management is to train professionals with different roles in this evolving framework at large private companies, SMEs, public administration, and non-profit organizations: Research and Service Designer, Service Design Strategist, User Interface Designer, Experience Designer, Brand Strategist, Business Designer, Project Manager, Content Designer, Designer for sustainable social change, Organizational Change Manager, Digital innovation and new business consultant.

The Master’s program is intended as an extensive laboratory in the field of human-centered design applicable to a wide range of sectors: art and culture, health and wellness, traveling and hospitality, education, energy, and public policies. Particular attention will be paid to Systemic design and to Design Management, both as an understanding of business dynamics, general management, business models and development, entrepreneurship, and crowdfunding. Students learn to initiate, develop, organize, and assess any design-driven projects. Design thinking is addressed as a critical and strategic approach to analyzing and interpreting various contexts, identifying future scenarios, and imagining new products and services. User-experience design and Engagement design allow the development of creative and innovative solutions also thanks to the potential of visual narratives and digital technologies, and strategic brand management as the ability to define powerful brand identities and communicate in an original way with all users and stakeholders.

The Master in Design Management has many partners who can host students for a 250-hour curricular placement, including 5A Design, AMKA Onlus, Ashtart Consultancy S.r.l., Baas Box, Cappelli Design, Creation, Fifth Beat, FolkFunding – produzioni dal basso, ILI Editore, Iperdesign, Lopelab, Particle, Ragù Communication, TWM Factory, Wemanage.

This Master's starts in January and ends in December and includes 250 hours of internship. Attendance is mandatory. Applications are currently open for the January 2025 intake.