Industrial Design BA

Educational qualifications
As a rule, admission to the aptitude assessment for Bachelor’s degree programmes in Design (Industrial Design, Interior Architecture and Scenography, Fashion Design, Process Design at Hyperwerk, Visual Communication and Digital Spaces) requires one of the following educational qualifications:

• a certified vocational baccalaureate
• a certified specialized baccalaureate
• a certified upper secondary school (level II) baccalaureate
• proof of an equivalent educational degree at an upper secondary school (level II) obtained otherwise (e.g. Vocational College HF) 

Language of tuition
The language of tuition is German (B2 or equivalent). Proof of language proficiency is required at the start of the degree programme.

Workplace experience or preparatory course in Design
In addition, candidates need to provide proof of one year of workplace experience or completion of a two-semester preparatory course in Design. The workplace experience must include practical as well as theoretical knowledge in a professional field related to the subject of study.
Note: Proof of workplace experience or completion of a preparatory course in Design is not required of candidates who are able to provide proof of a vocational baccalaureate in a professional field related to the subject of study, a Swiss certified baccalaureate with a focus on Visual Design, or a specialized, design-based baccalaureate. The attained degree need not specifically be in a profession related to the branch of study.

approved professional fields (german)
Is a list of approved vocational trainings and professional fields, respectively.

Catching up on the vocational baccalaureate
Applicants who have not completed at least three years of upper secondary schooling (level II) are not legally entitled to admission to a Bachelor's degree programme. Information concerning full-time or part-time on-the-job training courses focusing on a vocational, design-based or specialized baccalaureate is provided by the local vocational colleges.

Admission on the basis of exceptional talent (1)
In exceptional cases, applicants can be admitted to the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Design and in Fine Arts without being in possession of an upper secondary school (level II) certificate (Swiss education system), link, namely if they can provide proof of exceptional talent, either in a design-related or an arts-related field.
Note: We recommend that you make enquiries by means of an email to the office of the respective degree programme at YWRtaXNzaW9uLkJBLWluZHVzdHJpYWxkZXNpZ24uaGdrQGZobncuY2g= at least two weeks prior to the application deadline (15 February), or arrange an appointment with the Head of the degree programme.

Documents to be submitted (online registration)

• Motivation letter
• Portfolio (documentation of creative work to date)
• CV in tabular format
  
  The Head of the degree programme decides whether sufficient proof has been provided on the basis of the application documents
  

____________
(1) If you are in possession of one of the following educational degrees, you are eligible for this mode of admission:
Federal Certificate of Vocational Proficiency EFZ (apprenticeship), Professional Certificate EBA, Specialized Secondary School (FMS), Compulsory Schooling, no educational qualification

The detailed information on the aptitude assessment will be published on 1 November 2023.
To apply for a place at the HGK, the required documents must be submitted by 15.02.2024.

Please send enquiries regarding specific degree programmes to the appropriate email address.

Info aptitude assessment 2024 (german)

Dates 2024

• 01.11.2023
  Publication of the detailed information on the aptitude assessment
  
• 15.02.2024
  Registration deadline and deadline for submitting the required documents for the aptitude assessment.
• 09.- 13.09.2024
  Introductory weeks at the HGK Basel (mandatory)
  
• 16.09.2024
  Fall Semester begin 2024/25

Industrial Design, Bachelor (PDF Download in German)

The degree programme Industrial Design targets inquisitive and creative minds who wish to design and change things. It addresses students who are not interested only the form and function of serial goods but also wish to know how these products are used and in what contexts they develop impact. The degree programme calls for a wide range of interests on the part of the students and a curiosity to understand the social, cultural, economic, and technological challenges society faces. Hereby the focus is on the perspective of users. Apart from conceptual aspects, major emphasis is placed on the practical, hands-on design work including the materials, existing procedures as well as new technologies.

The courses offered reflect socially relevant issues: three labs were set up in order to address such issues in teaching. The Design Culture Lab offers the opportunity to apply critical thinking and understand new design perspectives. The Material@Sustainability Lab focuses on sustainability and the Digital Integration Lab gives our students a broader perspective and infrastructure with regard to the digital transformation. Students get to experience the latest design technologies such as three-dimensional sketching, virtual project presentations or coding.

Thematic focal points range from sustainable production to medical design and transport; from social innovation to home and living and interface design. It also addresses design questions related to capital and consumer goods. Critical reflection on the content and specifications as a requirement for innovative concepts and solutions is essential for doing so.

In selecting modules students are able to set their own training priorities.

As a graduate of the Industrial Design bachelor’s programme, you can expect a multifaceted professional field, in some cases highly specialised. You will be in a position to work in companies’ design departments and at design studios or to start your own business. In the context of information and communications technology, many new fields of activity for Industrial Design – such as in the area of digital services – are opening up. If you are aiming at leadership job in the design field, teaching or academia, continuing your education in our Industrial Design master’s programme is an ideal way of preparing for it.

As a rule admission to the enrolment procedure requires the following:

• Swiss state-certified high school diploma (Matura)
• Swiss state-certified professional Matura diploma
• Teacher’s College degree
• Swiss state-certified vocational Matura diploma
• Three-year certificate from a state-certified intermediate commercial college (Handelsmittelschule)

 In the case of other degree qualifications, the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW carries out an equivalence test.

Concerning application to the Bachelor of Arts FHNW course in Product and Industrial Design, the Academy requires in addition by way of proof one year of professional experience or the completion of a one-year preparatory course in Design. Work experience should include practical and theoretical knowledge in a field related to the intended study course. Here is a list of relevant professions (PDF, 53 KB).

Proof of professional experience or the completion of a preparatory course is not required from students with a professional Matura diploma in a field related to the intended study course, a Swiss state-certified high school diploma (Matura) with a focus on visual art and design, or a professional Matura diploma in a design-oriented field. It is not mandatory that the degree be in a profession related to the intended study course.

With its studios and central Campus.Workshops, HGK offers ideal conditions for combining craft curiosity, the acquisition of technical skills, and the necessary digital know-how. In addition, all students have their own 24/7 workspace in one of the spacious studios. In the degree programme Industrial Design, students experiment with the classical tools and machines used in wood, metal, and plastic processing but also with cutting-edge equipment such as laser cutters, CNC milling machines, and 3D printers. They develop prototypes out of numerous and different materials made available by the Institute. They have access to the Digital Integration Lab allowing them to work with virtual reality, 3D scanning, Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and AI. The facilities are open to students 365 days a year.

Here you will find everything you need to know about the enrolment process at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW.

Outgoing students

The Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW is part of a network of universities and academies at home and abroad. Our affiliation with renowned schools in Europe, America and Asia provides students the opportunity to complete an exchange semester and advance their knowledge in their specific field of study from a different perspective and against the backdrop of a different cultural environment. The Academy supports applications for an exchange semester in the context of the European Erasmus scholarship programme and, at the same time, welcomes applications by foreign students to study in Switzerland.

Incoming students

The Academy welcomes students from other universities at home and abroad to its study programmes. For more information and the correct Application Form see under “Incoming students”.

For more information on exchange and mobility please contact the director’s office of the respective institute or the International Office.

In the Masterstudio Industrial Design, the Master of Arts FHNW in Design enhances the individual qualifications and skills required in the world of professional design.

Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
Institute Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP)
Freilager-Platz 1
Postfach

CH-4002 Basel

Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
Institute Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP)
Industrial Design BA degree course

Oslo-Strasse 3
4142 Münchenstein near Basel

Building: A 0.13

Phone: +41 61 228 40 44
Fax: +41 61 228 42 87
Email: aW5mby5pbmR1c3RyaWFsZGVzaWduLmhna0BmaG53LmNo