Service Management and Design

This innovative new Service Management and Design program at The University of Edinburgh uniquely integrates service management and service design in the context of a data-driven society, and is taught by academic experts from management, design and data-related fields. 

This Service Management and Design program at The University of Edinburgh is intended for those who plan to build careers in service-related areas across the private, public and third sectors. It supports students to develop the critical, creative and data skills that are essential to their success.

Unlike other programs, this distinctive program considers service management and service design as part of an integrated whole. We cannot design services without understanding how they are to be delivered and managed, and we cannot manage services without understanding how and why they have been designed. Working from this perspective you will develop an engaged and critical understanding of service management and service design that will underpin your career development.

Developing core data skills and an advanced understanding of the implications of designed services, you will explore the core characteristics of ‘service’ and ‘services, understanding how they can be designed, managed and delivered to add value to their consumers and users. You will look at the implications of the data-driven society for the service sector, and what this means for the management and design of services. The program will also give you a deep understanding of how value is defined, created and embedded in service delivery.

Postgraduate Study at the Edinburgh Futures Institute

This program is part of an interconnected portfolio of postgraduate study in the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI). EFI supports interdisciplinary teaching, learning and research that is focussed on complex global and social challenges. Our programs are all taught by academic experts from many different subject areas, and as an EFI student you will develop creative, critical and data-informed thinking that cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries. You will have the space to think deeply about questions linked to your own passions and professional goals, and will develop a project based on an issue that you care about.

As well as knowledge specific to your area of study, studying at EFI will give you the skills and understanding you need to become a creative, confident and critical citizen in a fast-changing world. These will include core data skills, data ethics, the ability to interrogate issues of global scope, and the creative and analytic approaches to knowledge that are vital for building better futures. You can join us regardless of whether you already have skills in the use and application of digital data.

Career opportunities

The program is intended for applicants who are either already working in, or are in interested in, a career in service management and/or service design – in the public, private and third sectors. The service sector comprises around 75% of developed economies globally and 35-50% of developing economies – and is growing fast.

Consequently, it is a major source of employment and career enhancement opportunities. Careers in service management and service design can be found in the public, private and third sectors. We expect that graduates from the program will aspire to operational and strategic management posts across the fields of service design and delivery. These career opportunities can include roles such as heads of service areas, chief designers, and sector leads or directors. Potential fields of employment include:

• Financial services and banking
• Tourism, leisure and sport
• Public services and health services
• Education
• Business services
• Creative industries
• Retail and fashion
• IT and information services

The core elements of the program address the data and higher-order skills we know are important for the future of work, confident and critical citizenship, and a thriving, just society.

Courses include:

• Service Management

• Service Design

• Value and Value Creation

• Applied Co-Creation

• Data-driven Innovation in Services

• Inter-organisational Working and Collaboration