Health by Design Avans University of Applied Sciences

Overview

The Health by Design MA course from Avans University of Applied Sciences students develop intellectual and practical skills to achieve a transdisciplinary and co-design approach as a health designer. Adding value to complex health and wellbeing challenges, and propelling your career in a rapidly evolving field.

As a society, we encounter increasing challenges in delivering accessible and honest 'holistic health for all' services. A global paradigm shift is underway, recognizing individuals beyond their illnesses. And emphasizing the crucial role of art and design in collaboratively shaping ethical innovations. During the graduation track you learn how to respond to the current challenges and opportunities and shape this new reality.

Engaging with people from art and design, technology, ethics, research, and healthcare backgrounds in an interdisciplinary environment enriches your practice. And allows you to build a unique support network of peers and professionals. Learn from cross-disciplinary experts, lead co-design processes, and immerse yourself in a practice-based design approach to conduct design research. Individually and in multidisciplinary teams.

Career opportunities:

We deliver artists and designers that are able to expand their career based on value-driven motivations to become part of creating a better world. You are able to step into complex societal questions related to health and wellbeing. And take part in co-design with cross-sectoral professionals and stakeholders of different disciplines to become part of future solutions.

After the graduation track Health by Design you will be equipped with the skills and qualities essential for a range of work environments. Such as 3D labs and studios in hospitals, health technology start-ups, design research firms and creative technology labs at health organizations. Examples of career opportunities are product designer, design researcher/strategist, UX designer, curator, and design consultant in the field of health and wellbeing. You are also invited to define your own future profession, expanding to new roles such as inclusive design artist, health-centered designer, health data designer or health system hacker.

This graduation track can also be a stepping stone to a research-oriented career towards a Professional Doctorate (PD) or a PhD research at a university (PhD).

• Artists and designers: product and service designers, visual storytellers, and digital artists interested in design research and health and wellbeing.
• Health- and wellbeing professionals: nurses, social workers, and therapists interested in artistic practices, technology and design research.
• Engineers: urbanists, engineers and data scientists interested in artistic practices, design research and health and wellbeing.