BITS Design School (BITSDES), Mumbai, has opened applications for its 2027 intake to the four-year Bachelor of Design (Honours) programme. The school will admit 210 students to the incoming cohort, with applications closing on January 31, 2027.
Applicants qualify based on their scores in BITS Design Aptitude Test (BITSDAT), UCEED or NID DAT Prelims. BITSDAT, an online, one-hour long test is mandatory, and test slots will be available for applicants and will be conducted between March 29 and April 5, 2027.
Applicants will be required to upload their preliminary examination scores to the application portal between April 6 and April 10, 2027. The shortlist, based on the highest relative score from those submitted will be announced on April 14. Shortlisted candidates will then go through a design portfolio review and online interviews. Final admission results will be announced on May 20, 2027. BITSDES reserves the right to change these dates at its discretion.
The programme follows a transdisciplinary approach, integrating technology, business, public policy and other domains to equip students to address complex, real-world challenges. Students have the option of selecting from one of five pathways after Semester 3 – Physical Product Design, Digital Product Design (UI/UX), Design Research and Insights, Experience Design, and Visual Design. Learning modules in the first three semesters are designed for students to experience and explore all five pathways before they take a decision.
Industry engagement is a critical component and runs through all four years of the programme. In Year 1, the Design Discovery Club connects students with industry mentors in small groups. In Year 2, the Live Industry Project places students inside organisations for research led work, while guest lectures and masterclasses bring them face to face with industry leaders. Community Projects takes students into living systems to design with, and for communities. BITS Pilani’s signature Practice School that has shaped generations of BITSians, has been integrated into the B Des programme. Working in leading organisations under faculty supervision and industry mentorship, students get eight weeks of exposure after Year 2 (Practice School-I) and twenty weeks of full immersion in Year 4 (Practice School-II).
The second-year batch completed Practice School-I programme this summer, with 138 students undertaking internships at 85 organisations across 12 industry sectors. These included aerospace, polar research, financial innovation and consumer industries, exposing students to a range of design challenges in real-world professional contexts.
Run by BITS Pilani alumni across all campuses – “New Venture Creation” is a three-credit course aimed at developing entrepreneurial capabilities and is also now part of the B Des curriculum. In the first instance of the course, six venture ideas developed by BITSDES students have been selected and are under consideration for funding by investors.
The school offers the Chancellor’s Scholarship to selected high-potential students with a 100% tuition fee waiver, an international exposure opportunity in the second year and an internship arranged by the Chancellor’s Office in the third year. Beyond this, the school offers merit based as well as merit and means scholarships to a significant proportion of the student intake for the full duration of the course.
For more details, visit. BITS Design School Admissions
