Programme Specification for the 2025/6 academic year
MSc Systems Thinking and Service Design (Higher Apprenticeship)
1. Programme Details
| Programme name | MSc Systems Thinking and Service Design (Higher Apprenticeship) | Programme code | PAS3POLPOL01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study mode(s) | Part Time |
Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Campus(es) | Streatham (Exeter) |
NQF Level of the Final Award | 7 (Masters) |
2. Description of the Programme
As a student on the Systems Thinking for Service Design MSc course, you will be learning how to take a holistic view and collaborate to improve existing services, redesign them, or even create entirely new ones and bring value to your workplace. The MSc is delivered through the L6 Service Designer Apprenticeship Standard and you will not be a regular student, but an apprentice who brings value to their organisation and stakeholders through putting learning to practice. The focus of the role ’Service Designer’ is on making sure services meet the needs of the people who use them, while also balancing the goals of the business and other stakeholders.
Services don’t exist in isolation: they are part of bigger systems made up of people, processes, materials, knowledge, organisations, and environments. When you are redesigning or creating a service, you are not just changing one part of the picture — you are influencing the wider system around it. Systems thinking gives you the tools to step back and see the “whole system,” rather than focusing only on individual problems or quick fixes. It encourages you to look at how different parts of a system interact, what dependencies exist, and where unintended consequences might appear. This mindset is essential for service design because it helps you understand the bigger context — how a change in one part of the service might affect users, staff, organisations, or even society and the environment.
Service design takes a user-centred, collaborative, and experimental approach, so you will spend a lot of time exploring ideas, testing them, and refining them until they can be implemented in practice. You will also be encouraged to think about wider issues such as sustainability, inclusivity, and ethics, which are weaved in the programme content. During the apprenticeship, you will gain knowledge of the foundations of service design, including its history, principles, and approaches. You will learn how to apply different methods such as user research, service mapping, prototyping, and iterative improvement. Because of the special emphasis on systems thinking, you will also become proficient in systems thinking methodologies such as soft systems methodology, the boundary critique and critical systems heuristics. You will also study how to measure value, cost, and impact, and how to take account of ethical, legal, and regulatory responsibilities such as data protection and accessibility.
Alongside this knowledge, you will develop a wide set of practical skills as described in the L6 Standard. These include interpreting and challenging design briefs to make sure you are working on the right problem, and leading workshops where you co-design solutions with users and stakeholders. You will learn how to select research methods, gather and analyse data, and use insights to map service journeys and design future states. Prototyping and testing your ideas will be a core part of your work, as will prioritising solutions based on user needs, feasibility, and value. Communication is another key skill, and you will gain experience in presenting your designs, explaining your research findings, and adapting your message to different audiences. The apprenticeship also focuses on the behaviours and professional qualities expected of a service designer. You will be encouraged to put the user first in every design decision, to work ethically and sustainably, and to be adaptable and open to change. You will need to show initiative, take responsibility for your work, and stay curious by keeping up with new tools, methods, and ways of thinking. These behaviours will prepare you to become a reflective and responsible professional.
Your learning will be split between on-the-job experience and off-the-job training, including workshops, mentoring, and independent study. Much of your progress will be demonstrated through real projects in your workplace, where you will be able to apply the knowledge and skills you are developing. Toward the end of the programme, you will complete an End-Point Assessment (EPA), which will include a project report, a presentation with questioning, and a professional discussion supported by a portfolio of your work. By the time you finish, you will be able to confidently investigate complex service challenges and identify what needs to be improved. You will be able to lead service design activities from research through to prototyping and testing, and to collaborate effectively with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders. You will be able to communicate and defend your ideas, make decisions grounded in evidence, and ensure that your designs are inclusive, ethical, and sustainable. Most importantly, you will learn how to balance the big picture — organisational strategy, goals, and wider environmental issues — with the detailed design work that makes services truly work for users.
3. Educational Aims of the Programme
4. Programme Structure
5. Programme Modules
The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme.
Stage 1
180 credits of compulsory modules
Compulsory Modules
| Code | Module | Credits | Non-condonable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| POLM811DA | Systemic Service Design | 30 | Yes |
| POLM812DA | Inclusive Systemic Evaluation | 30 | Yes |
| POLM813DA | Intervention 1 | 30 | Yes |
| POLM814DA | Service Design Ethics | 30 | Yes |
| POLM815DA | Intervention 2 | 30 | Yes |
| POLM816DA | End Point Assessment Preparation | 30 | Yes |
6. Programme Outcomes Linked to Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
Intended Learning Outcomes
A: Specialised Subject Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
Intended Learning Outcomes
B: Academic Discipline Core Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
Intended Learning Outcomes
C: Personal/Transferable/Employment Skills and Knowledge
| Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) On successfully completing this programme you will be able to: | Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) will be... | |
|---|---|---|
| ...accommodated and facilitated by the following learning and teaching activities (in/out of class): | ...and evidenced by the following assessment methods: | |
7. Programme Regulations
Classification
Full details of assessment regulations for all taught programmes can be found in the TQA Manual, specifically in the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and the Assessment, Progression and Awarding: Taught Programmes Handbook. Additional information, including Generic Marking Criteria, can be found in the Learning and Teaching Support Handbook.
8. College Support for Students and Students' Learning
9. University Support for Students and Students' Learning
Please refer to the University Academic Policy and Standards guidelines regarding support for students and students' learning.
10. Admissions Criteria
Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Postgraduate applicants must satisfy the Postgraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.
Specific requirements required to enrol on this programme are available at the respective Undergraduate or Postgraduate Study Site webpages.
11. Regulation of Assessment and Academic Standards
Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.
The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice. See the University's TQA Manual for details.
14. Awarding Institution
University of Exeter
15. Lead College / Teaching Institution
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS)
16. Partner College / Institution
Partner College(s)
Not applicable to this programme
Partner Institution
Not applicable to this programme.
17. Programme Accredited / Validated by
Not applicable to this programme.
18. Final Award
MSc Systems Thinking and Service Design (Higher Apprenticeship)
19. UCAS Code
Not applicable to this programme.
20. NQF Level of Final Award
7 (Masters)
21. Credit
| CATS credits | 180 |
ECTS credits | 90 |
|---|
22. QAA Subject Benchmarking Group
23. Dates
| Origin Date | 03/10/2025 |
Date of last revision |
|---|
