Online application website opens	25 March 2025
Last date for submission of online applications	20 May 2025
Entrance test	15 June 2025
Announcement of list of candidates called for interview	TBD
Date of Interview	TBD
Announcement of Merit List	TBD
Last date for fees payment for confirmed candidates in first round	TBD
Announcement of Confirmed and Waitlisted Admissions	TBD
Registration and document verification at DAIICT campus for confirmed candidates	TBD

Master of Design (Communication Design) – M.Des. (CD)

MDes (Communication Design) is a distinctive 2-year interdisciplinary design specialization blending Communication Design with Interaction Design. This prepares students for careers in multi-media design, visual communication design, UI/UX, Interaction design & Immersive design, film/motion graphics, photography, design research, innovation, strategy, and academia. The DAIICT MDes (CD) is a legacy specialization which emphasizes a holistic design education that addresses cultural diversity and social needs and recognizes the enormous significance of information and communication design in a modern digital economy. The specialization uniquely integrates Technology, Humanities, and Social Sciences with Design skills and aesthetics. Students gain the skills to execute complex multimedia projects, choosing the most efficient design mediums to achieve their desired communication outcomes.

DA-IICT's MDes (CD) specialization prepares students to become strategic design thinkers, moving beyond tool-driven approaches. By focusing on critical and contextual understanding, students learn to identify, articulate, and solve context-specific design challenges with effective multimedia interventions, even amidst the rise of advanced AI-driven facilitation tools.

Master of Design (Intelligent User Experience Design) – M.Des. (IUxD)

The MDes (Intelligent User Experience Design) is a 2-year post-graduate degree that offers specializations in user experiences and Interaction design. This distinctive transdisciplinary program prepares students to pursue careers in the fields of HCI Design, Design for Smart wearable/IoT, UX Research, Product Interface and Interaction Design, UIUX, Academics and entrepreneur.

M.Des. (CD)

The MDes (CD) specialization is built upon a strong foundation of core design principles. The specializations pedagogical structure integrates Basic Design Skills, Culture and Context, Visualization, Interface and Interaction Design, Multimedia Composition, Storytelling, and Research-driven problem-solving. This integrated approach allows students to apply their learning to fields such as entertainment, edutainment, branding, UI/UX, digital design, environmental design and social impact design.

MDes (CD) employs a modular course structure that blends lectures with studio work, immersing students in real-world problems through fieldwork. Over two years, students develop a comprehensive understanding of Design, Culture, and Communication through instruction in Visual Design (color, composition, typography, graphics, photography, animation/motion graphics, film), Interaction Design (UI/UX, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Systems, immersive web and interface design), and research methods from Sociology, Anthropology, and Cultural Studies (Ethnography, Design History). Students are encouraged to engage with real-life contexts, fostering critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving skills.

The detailed course structure consisting of both core courses and elective courses can be found here

The program brochure can be found here.

M.Des. (IUxD)

The MDes (IUxD) is a full-time two-year program, which is divided into four semesters. This Program extends traditional UX, UI, and interaction design principles to enable intuitive interactions with smart and autonomous systems, ensuring that the user experience remains meaningful and effective in an increasingly intelligent technological landscape. The program also includes conversations and debates on the ethics, challenges and uses of ‘intelligent technologies’ to create sensitive designers who can visualize, leverage and integrate products and services in a socially and culturally sensitive manner.

The detailed course structure consisting of both core courses and elective courses can be found here

The program brochure can be found here.

Placement Statistics for the Last Five Years - Postgraduate Programs:

Highest CTC: 45.03 LPA

Average CTC: 08.43 LPA

Top Recruiters:

M.Des. (CD)

Total seats: 25

M.Des. (IUxD)

Total seats: 25

Educational Qualification

A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent from a statutory university in the fields of Design, Science, Engineering, Technology, Humanities, Social Sciences, Fine Arts, Applied Arts, Architecture and Performing Arts. Professional Diplomas from nationally recognized institutions such as NID, NIFT, CEPT, IDC will also be considered for eligibility. Candidates must have 55% marks or equivalent in the last qualifying degree/examination and are required to submit the provisional Degree certificate or proof of completion of Degree before 30 October 2025 failing which their admission is liable to cancellation.

The decision of the concerned authorities of DA-IICT regarding eligibility of any candidate shall be final.

Age:

There is no age limit applicable to this program.

At the time of admission an amount of Rs. 1,75,000/- (Rs. 1,50,000/- towards Tuition Fee for the First Semester and Rs. 25,000/- towards a Caution Deposit) is to be paid. The registration fee is payable at the time of registration and hostel rent on allotment of the hostel room.

Tuition fee	Rs. 1,50,000 per Semester
Registration Fee	Rs. 2,500 per Semester
Caution Deposit	Rs. 25,000 (Refundable at the end of the program)
Hostel Rent	Rs. 35,000 per semester
Food	On Factuals. There are multiple food options available on the campus. (The expenses will be approximately Rs. 5,500 per month)

* This Fee Structure is submitted to the Appellate Committee of the State Government for consideration.

Subject to revision every Academic Year from 8 to 10%.

Education Loan

The Institute will facilitate the students to avail educational loan from selected Banks. The bank officials will be present on campus at the time of registration of admitted students so as to enable the students to obtain details on procedures and terms and conditions of the loan. The students can also avail loan from banks of their choice and in either of the case; the Institute will extend support in completing the loan documentation process

Refund Policy

The refund policy for the withdrawing candidates will be in accordance with the UGC rules.

M.Des. Program follows a 3-step system for admission

• Step 1: Admission form and Statement of Purpose
• Step 2: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by DAU MDes Program. Currently students who have qualified for CEED is exempt from taking DAT.
• Step 3: Interview

M.Des. (CD) and M.Des. (IUxD) will have the same structure but DAT and Interview questions may differ.

All candidates for this programme must appear for a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) to be conducted by DAU and on securing minimum 40% score will be selected for interview. Design Aptitude Test (DAT) may be conducted at selected centers all over the country or online. The tentative list of centers is: DAIICT Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Benguluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur, Bhavnagar, Bhilai, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Jammu, Kochi, Lucknow, Pant Nagar, Porbandar, Ranchi and Vijayawada.

The final selection will be based on the combined scores attained in the DAT and the interview. The DAT will constitute 60%, and the interview 40% of the overall marks assigned to the admission test.

The candidate should secure a minimum of 40% in the exam to be considered for the interview process.

Currently students who have qualified for CEED is exempt from taking DAT. Their CEED score will considered in equivalence to DAT score.

Note:

• The decision of the Competent Authorities of DAU regarding eligibility and selection of any candidate shall be final.

Application form and Statement of Purpose

All candidates will have to submit their Statements of Purpose online, along with their applications. Applications without an SOP will not be considered. Candidates will have to relate the curricular content of MDes (CD) or MDes (IUxD) specialization to their own interests and aptitudes and explain how they can learn and contribute to the specialization in their own way.

The candidates will have to select one of the following options in the Admission form:

• M.Des. in Communication Design M.Des. (CD)
• M.Des. in Intelligent User Experience Design M.Des. (IUxD)

Candidate will be considered for the selected specialization only.

Design Aptitude Test (DAT):

The Design Aptitude Test (DAT) for MDes (CD) and MDes (IUxD) will have the same 3-part format but the questions will differ for the 2 specializations.

The DAT Question Paper will have the questions for both the specializations clearly marked and demarcated. It is the candidate’s responsibility to answer the correct set of questions (for MDes CD or MDes IUxD) based on their chosen preference. If the wrong set of questions is answered by the candidate, that section will not be evaluated and marked.

Design Aptitude Test consists of 3 parts, each bearing 20 marks each.

M.Des. (CD) - Design Aptitude Test (DAT):

The Design Aptitude Test for MDes Communication Design (MDes CD) will have the following parts:

• M.Des. (CD) Part 1: This test will evaluate the candidate’s imagination and visual cognition skills and ability to interpret a problem.
• M.Des. (CD) Part 2: Will evaluate the candidate’s recognition and understanding of a range of design and technology related challenges
• M.Des. (CD) Part 3: The candidates will be asked to write a subjective response to a Communication Design brief.

A sample question paper can be found here (pdf)

M.Des. (IUxD) - Design Aptitude Test (DAT):

The Design Aptitude Test for MDes Intelligent User Experience Design (MDes IUxD) will have the following parts:

• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 1: This test will evaluate the candidate’s ability to think creatively and test problem-solving skills in the context of human centric design.
• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 2: Will assess the candidate’s understanding of digital product design and human-computer interaction related challenges.
• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 3: The candidates will be asked to write a subjective response to a user experience design brief, demonstrating their design thinking skills.

A sample question paper can be found here (pdf)

• Please submit the online application along with the Statement of Purpose (SOP) by clicking on the link given below. Application fee (non-refundable) is Rs. 1500/- plus GST@ 18%. (Total: Rs. 1770/-).
  
  Click here to apply online
• The Candidate has to satisfy the eligibility criteria in order for her/his application to be considered for final admission.
• Eligible Candidates have to appear for Entrance Test conducted at selected centers in the country.
• The online application procedure will guide you through the necessary steps for application fee payment, submission of statement of purpose, registering for design aptitude test and appearing for personal interview. Candidates with valid CEED score are exempted from DAT Test.
• The short-listed candidates will be offered admission (confirmed/waitlisted) in order of their merit. Counseling will be done online. Applicants are advised, from the date of announcement of first merit list, to check for website to know about the steps they need to take to continue with the counseling process.

The Candidates who have accepted admission offers will be notified to appear for registration, followed by counseling, document verification, payment of fees and on confirmation of admission, the orientation program.

Interview and Admission Offer

Final merit list of confirmed and wait-list candidates based on entrance test and interview performance will be posted on the website of the Institute.

The offer letter for admission will be sent by the Admission committee through post or email to candidates.

In case of a tie, years of experience, marks in 10+2 and 10th examination or age will be considered in order to break the tie.

The frequently asked questions (FAQs) for the M.Des. program can be found here

Scholarships at DA-IICT