A minimum honours degree (Level 8) qualification. Please provide a copy of your academic transcript. If you have previously studied at UCD, please provide your UCD student number on a Word document / pdf. If you do not have a Level 8 you may be eligible to apply under Recognition of Prior Learning. Please contact
innovation.academy@ucd.ie
first for further guidance.
Interview (Online)
As part of the admissions process, all applicants are required to complete a 15-minute online interview.
English Language Test (if applicable)
IELTS: minimum overall score of 7.0 over all components and a minimum of 6.5 in each band
TOEFL: A minimum score of 5 with no less than 5 in each section of reading, listening, speaking and writing. If using old scoring system, min score of 95 overall and no lower than 23 in each section.
Students who successfully completed the MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability will be able to: Apply the Design Thinking process to create innovative, human-centric, sustainable solutions to complex, real-world problems. The five-stage process includes skills in (a) insight gathering, (b) analysis, (c) ideation, (d) prototyping, (e) iterative design and testing. Develop a sustainability mindset through sustainability literacy including a working knowledge of sustainability systems, issues and tools, framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Apply and cultivate teamwork and leadership skills to support effective collaboration across diverse stakeholders and within multi-disciplinary teams practising design thinking. Communicate persuasively, both individually and in teams, proposed solutions, ideas and concepts, using supporting evidence, insights and an awareness of assumptions, to influence different stakeholders, decision-makers and a wider general audience. Adopt and apply an entrepreneurial mindset - a way of thinking that creates value by recognising and acting on opportunities, making decisions with limited information, and remaining adaptable and resilient - in the design and implementation of sustainability solutions. Practise reflective techniques to enhance decision-making, draw insights to inform future approaches and enable self-directed learning into the future in the fast changing field of sustainability, among others. Apply the Design Thinking methodology to design learners’ own careers and vocations, using practical career skills to identify and navigate relevant and possible career and life pathways. Identify sustainability challenges, opportunities, and needs, and design innovative implementation plans. Lead a complex and ambitious sustainability project, managing multiple stakeholders and competing needs to deliver an actionable solution. “We did a design sprint with ESB, then we got to do a group project with NCAI, and then an independent project which I’m continuing to do. [The MSc Design Thinking for Sustainabillity] was more professional driven rather than something that was purely academic or theoretical.” - Vivaan Sharma, 2025 MSc graduate (India), Sustainability Project Coordinator, shareclub Decision makers in government, enterprise and civil society now recognise that learners must have not just the knowledge to act on sustainability, but also the skills to act quickly. The MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability is a unique programme that bridges knowledge and skills, ensuring students begin to affect change within the programme and are ready to quickly transition to new roles and opportunities upon graduation. “Shifting global trends in technology, economy, demographics and the green transition are projected to generate 170 million new jobs by 2030, while displacing 92 million others.” - Future of Jobs Report, World Economic Forum The MSc in Design Thinking for Sustainability offers students an opportunit