College Details -

BITS Design School

Located at Mumbai

About us

Apply-BITS

About Us

BITS Design School is a world-class Design School under the aegis of BITS Pilani, an Institution of Eminence. Located on a state-of-the-art 60-acre, fully residential campus in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, it will offer students ultramodern design infrastructure, creative spaces, with an inspiring and accomplished faculty from across the world. lnterdisciplinarity with Technology and Management is at the heart of the BITS Design Programme. BITSDES students benefit from strong interfaces - Technology, being a part of BITS Pilani, and with Management, through collaborating closely with BITSoM (BITS School of Management). Apart from this, all students will work on live industry challenges with a strong understanding of human behaviour, generative Al, sustainability, and collaboration through the lens of human and humanity-centred design.The learning environment will focus on the students and creating the innovator not just the innovation. There is an emphasis on the why and the how, not just the what. Learning is participatory, rigorous and enabled with the best design and creative infrastructure.

Why Join BITS Design School

Industry Integration
3 internships starting from the year 1 community project, Capstone in year 4 - Design discovery Club (group mentoring in year 1) and Industry mentor for each student from sem-5
2 cross disciplinary projects, 4 live industry projects
BITS Pilani practice school opportunities for internships and capstone project.
Dedicated placement team- in addition to BITS Pilani Team for tech companies.
Startup incubator on campus.
Transdisciplinary in nature
Synergies with BITS Pilani for tech, BITSoM for management, and within the diverse disciplines of design.
Trans disciplinary at 2 levels ( Tech, management, law, liberal arts) and (the disciplines of design)
International Exposure
Partnerships with top global design schools for exciting student exchange and immersion opportunities.
Alto university, RMIT University, Standford University, Arizona state university.
Two opportunities for international exposure ( Student exchange/ immersion) and (International projects)
The BITS Pilani Advantage
BITS Pilani faculty will teach technology in the context of design
BITS Placement team
Membership to BITS Alumni Association (BITSAA)- International Alumni Network
BITS Pilani incubation center and initiatives
Companies from among the 563 that are BITS Pilani Practice school centres will offer opportunities to BITS Design school students.

Programmes Offered

Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

In the 4 year Bachelor of Design (Honours) Programme, students engage in distinct groups of courses that impart fundamental knowledge, encourage personal development, ignite investigative curiosity, foster learning specific to a specialisation, and enhance mastery of essential tools and skills.

The B Des (Hons) programme offers 5 pathways to prepare a student for tomorrow's design landscape.

Physical Product Design - Bring everyday objects, accessories, furniture, lighting, and consumer electronics to life.
Digital Product Design (UI/UX) - Design digital products like UI/UX of websites, mobile apps, or an interactive installation.
Design Research and Insights - Focus on deep research and analysis, engaging with stakeholders to solve problems and uncover opportunities.
Experience Design - Design meaningful and engaging interactions for users with products, processes, services, events, or environments.
Visual Design - Design visual identities for brands and companies across assets like print media, 3D visualisations, videos, and animations.

Relating the pathways to the five areas of Expertise

Global Partnerships

Exposure to a global context can open minds, foster creativity and cultural sensitivity, and prepare students for international collaboration and global careers. We have partnered with:

Leadership

The leadership team of BITS Design School will set the strategic direction and vision for the school, and help create access and opportunities for its students.

Industry Connect

BITS Design School bridges theory with practice, with deep industry integration and structured mentorship by design professionals right from the first year of the programme.

Don Norman India Tour

We organised a three-city tour with Don Norman, known as the Father of UX Design. The tour events were in collaboration with DesignUp in Bangalore, and with the Association of Designers India (ADI) in Pune. The event at Delhi also had Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa and former CEO of Niti Ayog, and was a collaboration with Lopez Forum. The events gave an opportunity to design professionals to engage in a dialogue with one of the legends of design.

Design Discovery Club (DDC)

The DDC is a unique industry led mentorship program for first year B Des students at BITS Design School where students engage and network with industry professionals. Each student will engage with three mentors over the course of the first year of academics in a small group setting.

Care I Value I Place

In partnership with AMIT University, Melbourne we hosted 'Care I Value I Place: Building Design-Led Project Frameworks with Community' - the first in a series of 15 conferences to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. The conference was curated by Prof. John Thackara, Writer, Curator, Professor at Tongji University, and advisor to BITS Design School. A group of experienced project leaders, with expert contributors collaborated on practical steps to effect lasting, positive systemic change with a focus on how design can serve communities exploring themes such as urban ecological restoration, community managed natural farming, new livelihoods in waste ecosystems, traditional knowledge and frugal innovation, two-wheeled commerce; water systems and social hydrology.

Faculty

The BITSDES faculty is a mix of practitioners and academicians who will ignite students' curiosity and talent.

Academic Facilities

The BITSDES Experience

Interaction with Don Norman

Interaction with Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla at The Chancellor's Dinner The Chancellor's Scholarship

Interaction with Sandy Speicher Interaction with Rupesh Vyas from Aalto University

Garba night

"Halloween Heist" - an active, immersive learning experience

Admissions

To apply for admissions, applicants should have a minimum of 45% score in Class 12 and should have taken at least one of the following tests -

National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test (NID-DAT Prelims)
IIT Bombay Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED)
BITS Design Aptitude Test (BITS-DAT)

The admissions process starts with filling out the application form on our website, and submitting scores of NID-DAT Prelims / UCEED / BITS-DAT. Shortlisted candidates will be called for a portfolio interview, after which they receive an offer if selected.

Selection Criteria

We believe in nurturing the next generation of design innovators who bring passion, creativity, and a commitment to excellence. During the portfolio interview, we identify applicants who possess the following qualities:

Scholarships

We are committed to enabling access to high quality design education through scholarships based on merit and financial situation which will also consider diversity as a criterion. Details of scholarships are given below:

Chancellor's Scholarship (100%)
Merit & Means based Scholarships (up to 75%)
Merit based Scholarship (up to 75%)

Student Residence

You will stay in a fully furnished, shared hostel room with an attached washroom and access to other amenities such as a cafeteria, gym, first-aid, sports, and other facilities. The hostels have 24-hour WiFi, doctor on call, and a paid laundry service.