Master of Design Administration (MDA)

What skills will I practise and develop?

The Learning outcomes for this program describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you and academic staff will focus on precisely what they want you to achieve within each Module.

Knowledge & Understanding:

On completing the program you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Demonstrate a systematic and in depth understanding of the methods used to regulate development, the construction industry and the provision of design services within and outside the UK
• Critically evaluate and compare simple and complex procurement systems, including collaborative and multi-party arrangements, assessing their implications for the role of consultants, including design managers
• Demonstrate a systematic and in depth understanding of the relevance of design management to contemporary practice and the potential role of design managers in delivering client objectives.
• Critically evaluate procedures and tools for managing design firms, design teams, and the design process throughout all stages of a project.

Intellectual Skills:

On completing the program you will be able to:

• Identify and appraise sources of information (including current research work), relating to the construction industry within and outside the UK, to determine their authority and reliability.
• Undertake a detailed analysis of the purpose, role, and relative and combined impact of selected regulatory instruments on the design and feasibility of building projects.
• Construe the individual and combined effect of key terms in professional services and construction contracts on the extent of design responsibility and level of risk assumed by those involved.
• Critically analyse key methods for coordinating design development prior to construction including design team integration, early supply chain involvement, and collaborative working at the interface of demand and supply
• Critically analyse key methods for ensuring delivery of project objectives during construction, including risk management, change control, quality monitoring and handover procedures.
• Analyse and compare the roles of contract administrator and project manager as delineated in a range of contrasting contract types, including their duties and powers relating to achievement of quality, time and cost targets.