The Kunsthochschule Kassel will launch a new Bachelor’s degree programme in Design (B.A.) from the winter semester of 2026.
Design shapes the way people live, work, consume and communicate. Today, it faces challenges such as digitalisation, AI, resource scarcity and social responsibility. The Bachelor’s degree programme in Design (B.A.) at the Kunsthochschule Kassel equips students to design products, spaces and systems that are not only visually compelling but also technically sound, socially responsible and sustainable.
The programme is project-based: students develop their own research questions based on observation and research, test ideas and turn these into prototypes through design. A unique feature of the university is the combination of intensive one-to-one sessions, student workspaces and closely integrated practical workshop experience. In 13 design workshops – ranging from ceramics and paper to wood and metal, and digital processes – designs are built, tested and realised. At the same time, students acquire skills in current digital tools, including AI-supported workflows, develop initial interactive prototypes with microcontrollers in the physical computing workshop, and produce 3D-printed models in the Fab Lab.
The programme’s profile includes an endowed professorship dedicated to the work of Lucius Burckhardt and an honorary professorship in design management. Theory is not an add-on but an integral part of the design process: design decisions are reflected upon using approaches from aesthetic theory, cultural and art studies, sociology and philosophy, and placed within cultural, social and political contexts. The field of sustainable product design is embedded in the curriculum and linked to the Kassel Institute for Sustainability (KIS), giving students direct insight into interdisciplinary sustainability research.
Practical relevance is central: collaborations and projects with industry partners, as well as targeted support for participation in competitions, facilitate entry into professional networks. In addition, a practical semester is integrated as a compulsory component – comprising at least three months’ work placement or a practice-oriented project with an accompanying practical colloquium. The programme thus opens up a wide range of career prospects, for example in in-house product design/industrial design, in design and innovation agencies, in furniture and exhibition design, in textile product development, in the field of design and sustainability, in design management, or in self-employment with one’s own studio.
Programme information at a glance:
- Degree: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Start of programme: always in the winter semester (from the 2026 winter semester)
- Standard duration of study: 8 semesters (240 credits)
- Language of instruction: German
- Entry requirements: Artistic aptitude test (in exceptional cases, entry is possible without a general university entrance qualification)
Application deadlines:
June: applications by 30 April
September: applications by 15 August
For enquiries regarding student advisory services, please contact us by email: studierendeberatenproduktdesign☞ Please insert an @ at this point ☜uni-kassel☞ Please insert a period at this pointde.
Further information on applications:
kunsthochschulekassel.de
Link:
Bachelor of Design