Study At DAE
Discourse forms an important building block for both our curricula and our research agenda. This is an institute where debate and difference are always welcome.
The Academy includes over 700 students from more than 40 different countries. This diversity is a key element of DAE’s identity. The meeting of nationalities and cultures within the school enriches the work of the entire DAE community and helps student designers understand their projects within a global context.
Do you want to study at DAE?
Design Academy Eindhoven is one of the world’s foremost educational institutes in the field of design. The various departments within the four-year Bachelor programme and the two-year Master programme train students from different perspectives to produce critical and socially engaged designers.
DAE sees design as a global phenomenon with an increasing urgency to reform social structures and systems. These include reforms in the fields of consumption, care, social organisation and future industries, but the list is inexhaustible.
Are you interested in studying at DAE? Do you want to hear first-hand what student life is like in Eindhoven, or are you curious to know more about the application process?
The Foundation Year is designed for prospective students who want to explore their relationship with design and prepare themselves to apply for to study on the Bachelor programme.
The Bachelor programme offers students the opportunity to explore different approaches to design and design research, using concepts such as thinking through making. It encourages students to develop their own position as a designer and to develop a critical eye for the world around them.
All BA studies at DAE last for four years and follow a core structure with three main programmes: Fundamentals, Studios and Reflections, as well as an internship period, a Focus period and the build-up to Graduation and the Final Exam.
The Pre-Master programme bridges the gap between the practical focus of art academies and the research and writing skills required in the master’s departments. Participants will deepen their knowledge and design skills, while preparing a portfolio for admission to the master’s programme at Design Academy Eindhoven.
Designers, curators and theorists work in a world in flux. They are faced with complex themes that cannot be reduced to readily solvable design problems. More and more often, they stray beyond the boundaries of their disciplines, and the themes they focus on merit the critical view of well-informed creative minds.
This section outlines the steps for applying to DAE’s undergraduate and master’s programs, with information on preparing portfolios, understanding selection criteria, and meeting deadlines. Support is available at each stage of the process.
Design Academy Eindhoven is home to a community of over 700 students from more than 40 different countries. This diversity is a key element of DAE’s identity and a large factor in its status as one of the world’s most influential design schools.
The Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show is one of the world’s most influential exhibitions of work by new designers. Staged annually in Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week, it allows both Bachelor and Master students to present their final projects to thousands of visitors in a curated environment.
Workshops
Our programmes are supported by eight workshops and a Library that allow students to experiment with materials and ideas at a practical level as well as exploring theoretical ideas and an understanding of their context in design history and in relation to other disciplines, such as science and medicine. The workshops specialise in 3D design, working with wood, metal, plastics, textiles, plaster, silkscreen printing, and digital printing and imagery.
The Digital Workshop is the central location for printing, photography, sound recording and computer access within Design Academy Eindhoven.
The Metal Workshop is Design Academy Eindhoven’s one-stop-shop for all metal related things.
The Plastics Workshop is the central location within the Academy building for working with all forms of plastic.
The Silkscreen Workshop provides students with the space and support to experiment with various printing techniques on a wide variety of materials.
The 3DLab is an environment dedicated to the experimentation with and application of digital design techniques.
This workshop offers support for student designers who are interested in using 3D programs, automation and electronics in their projects. It also helps students transform their designs into practical and physical objects.
The Textile Workshop is a Walhalla for students with an interest in soft materials, colours and textile construction techniques.
The Wood Workshop is a hub for all wood-related making processes within the Academy, from sawing and sanding to bending and glueing.
The Ceramic Workshop uses around 1000kg of plaster a month, making moulds for ceramic casting. But the space is not just for mould-making. In this workshop, students can experiment with creating forms out of plaster in all its incarnations, from liquid slip to solid clay.
The Design Academy Eindhoven Library is an integral resource, with a rich and continually updated collection of books, magazines, journals and more.