BITS Design School (BITSDES), part of BITS Pilani, will close the application window for its 2026 admissions to the four-year, fully residential Bachelor of Design (Honours) programme on February 1, 2026.
This third cohort will admit 180 students. The online registration forms are available on the official website at bitsdesign.edu.in.
Applicants can qualify through the NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims, UCEED, or the BITS Design Aptitude Test (BITSDAT). Those applying with NID-DAT or UCEED scores must submit their applications by February 1, 2026, including their registration or application numbers. The one-hour online BITSDAT will be conducted from March 31 to April 5, 2026, with applicants who submitted by February 1, 2026 able to upload their scores between April 8 and 12, 2026.
Shortlisted candidates will be announced on April 16, 2026, followed by portfolio uploads from April 16 to 20, and online interviews between May 4 and 13. Final results will be declared on May 18.
Previous cohorts include students from diverse academic backgrounds such as Science, Arts, and Commerce from CBSE, ISC, State Boards, IB, and IGCSE. Students can specialise in Physical Product Design, Digital Product Design (UI/UX), Design Research & Insights, Experience Design, and Visual Design. The programme offers a transdisciplinary education that blends design, policy, business strategy, and emerging technologies to prepare students for evolving industry and policy needs.
BITS Design School students will join the BITS Pilani Practice School programme from the third year onwards. This structured learning programme places students in real industry environments for live projects under joint academic and industry mentorship with organisations like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, NVIDIA, and ISRO. Third-year students will undertake an eight-week industry engagement, followed by a twenty-two week immersion in their final year, connecting classroom learning with hands-on professional experience before graduation.
In line with the institute’s vision of providing international perspectives, academic rigour, and real-world exposure, BITS Design School has established collaborations with leading global institutions such as Stanford Design School, RMIT University, Arizona State University, and the Cumulus Association of Design Universities. These partnerships include curriculum development, student and faculty exchange, joint research, and collaborative projects.
