Bachelor Programme
A Bachelor’s degree at Design Academy Eindhoven is a four-year programme that offers students the opportunity to develop their own perspectives to these fundamental questions about our designed world, surrounded by objects, systems and processes that have been created by humans.
Students are provided with space, support and guidance to explore their relationship with design, as well as its potential as a tool for positive action in a world that is in constant flux.
Discover your position as a designer
DAE nurtures independent thinking and encourages students to engage deeply with themselves and with their environment, to be curious and to question their assumptions, and to interrogate systems of power, of knowledge and of production. Our ultimate aim is to help students discover their own position in relation to design and as a designer, and foster a critical but open approach that will help in their professional development after graduating from DAE, whichever path they choose to follow.
At DAE, we believe in 'designing the designer'. All BA students follow three main programme lines: Fundamentals, Studios and Reflections. This structure is designed to encompass important development opportunities and gradually offer students more agency and independence within their studies.
Our ultimate aim is to help students discover their own position in relation to design and as a designer, and foster a critical but open approach that will help in their professional development after graduating from DAE, whichever path they choose to follow.
Programme Structure
All Bachelor programmes at DAE share a core structure built around three interconnected programme lines:
- Fundamentals – building a strong foundation in thinking, making and research
- Studios – experimentation and development within different design contexts
- Reflections – critical reflection on one’s work, process and position
The programme also includes an internship, a Focus period, and the build-up towards Graduation and the Final Exam. As the programme progresses, students gain increasing agency and independence in shaping their studies.
Learning through making
'Learning through making' is a central concept at DAE. Consequently, there is a strong focus on 'doing' – whether it is experimenting with manufacturing, developing a stream of research or collaborating with fellow students to test solutions and explore problems.
The schools' workshops play a key part in the BA programme, with eight spaces dedicated to different materials. For more technical work, the school has fostered partnerships with specialist centres for production, including the TextielLab in Tilburg, Glasmuseum Leerdam, Make Eindhoven, the EKWC (the European Ceramic Work Centre) in Den Bosch and Bruns (a model-making company) in Bergeijk.
Learning from practice
Tutors at DAE are practising professionals and work part-time at the school. With more than 150 designers, theorists, curators, writers, artists and researchers among the faculty, students are exposed to actual working practices throughout their studies and are often invited to work on real-world projects, either within their programme or through the school's collaborations with organisations outside of the Academy.
The Fundamentals programme is dedicated to acquiring knowledge, skills, tools and insights that form the basis of contemporary design practice.
This programme line brings students from all study years together in mixed groups around a fixed coach/facilitator.
Taking place in the fourth year of the BA, Focus is a space for students to deepen and/or broaden their knowledge of matter, materials, techniques, and production. Students can choose a Focus module that best suits their personal approach or methodology. All students within the Focus programme work according to the method of ‘understanding, experimenting, documenting, presenting and reflecting’.
The internship takes place in the second half of the third year, when students complete placements within a professional environment and gain practical experience in different types of practice.
During the last semester of the programme, students will work under the guidance of various tutors on two self-defined projects that enable them to express a personal profile as a designer. Students will be challenged to combine the content and experiences gained from various studios and translate them into personal projects.
The BA Studios were introduced in 2021, replacing the previous system of BA departments. There are currently 9 Studios, each representing a different view of design, with a different focus and approach to design research and practice. Each Studio is led by design professionals, who work at DAE alongside running their own practice.
Applications
DAE is one of the world's leading design schools, with an international reputation that attracts students from around the globe. Applications are oversubscribed every year, meaning students must be very talented to be accepted. Find out more about the applications process.
Foundation Year (for Dutch school leavers)
Dutch school leavers can also explore their interest in studying design and develop a portfolio before applying to the BA programme with DAE's Foundation Year.
Educational Level and Entry Requirements
DAE is an HBO (Hoger beroepsonderwijs), which is the official classification for a higher education institute in The Netherlands. This means that, if students meet the conditions, they may apply for Studiefinanciering (the Dutch student grants and loans system).
The school is open to students who hold:
- Or a foreign equivalent qualification
- A Dutch HAVO / VWO / MBO-4