Bachelor of Design Subjects and Syllabus in 2025
Published by Shikha Kumari on Jun 16, 2025
Bachelor of Design is the most popular course for any candidate who wants to pursue designing as a career. Unlike other popular courses such as BBA, this course is mostly practical and less theoretical. Candidates are expected to create a portfolio, which will help them pursue and place themselves in jobs. In this blog, we’re going to discuss the subjects, favours, and the entrance exams candidates are expected to go through to get into the Bachelor of Design.
Bachelor of Design Entrance Exam
Most of the colleges for Bachelor of Design prefer entrance exams such as CUET, NID DAT, and FDDI AIST. While most of the design entrance exams have already been conducted, we’ve provided the tentative exam dates for 2025 and 2026 in the following table. One must prepare at least three months in advance to perform well in these exams.
| Exam Name | Exam Dates (2025/2026) | Full form |
| UCEED | January 2026 (Tentative) | Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design |
| CUET | May 13 – June 3, 2025 | Common University Entrance Test |
| NIFT Entrance | February 2026 (Tentative) | National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam |
| NID DAT | January 2026 (Tentative) | National Institute of Design – Design Aptitude Test |
| FDDI AIST | May 2026 (Tentative) | Footwear Design & Development Institute All India Selection Test |
| SEED | Dates as per university | Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design |
Bachelor of Design Subjects
The course subjects for the Bachelor of Design include design fundamentals, drawing, design thinking and process, etc. However, if you pursue a specialisation in Bachelor of Design, these can range from fashion design, product design, to textile design. The courses are constructed to keep the practical and theoretical portions in balance. However, candidates are advised to prepare a portfolio while doing their course.
| Core Subjects | Specialisation Subjects (Examples) |
| Design Fundamentals | Fashion Design |
| Drawing and Sketching | Textile Design |
| History of Art and Design | Interior Design |
| Design Thinking and Process | Product Design |
| Visual Communication | Animation |
| Digital Design Tools (e.g. Adobe) | Accessory Design |
| Product Design | User Experience (UX) Design |
| Fashion Design | Communication Design |
| Interior Design | Furniture Design |
Bachelor of Design Eligibility
While most colleges only require 10th and 12th qualifications along with the entrance exam, there are many colleges (like the National Institute of Design) that also use age limits to shortlist their candidates. For example, any candidate for the open animation category must be born after 1 July 2004 for the 2025–26 session. These eligibility rules are created to give opportunities to younger students and push others to consider their next career choices.
| Category | Age Limit (as per NID 2025-26) | Educational Qualification |
| General/General EWS (Indian) | Born on or after 1 July 2004 | 10+2 passed or appearing in any stream |
| OBC-NCL/SC/ST (Indian) | Born on or after 1 July 2001 | 10+2 passed or appearing in any stream |
| PwD (Indian) | Born on or after 1 July 1999 | 10+2 passed or appearing in any stream |
| Foreign Nationals (Supernumerary) | Born on or after 1 July 2004 | 10+2 passed or appearing in any stream |
Bachelor of Design Salary
The salary for a Bachelor of Design course can range from Rs 3,00,000 to over Rs 25,00,000 per annum. This depends on multiple factors such as the specialisation the candidate has chosen, as well as their skills, location, networking opportunities, and level of expertise. As a fresher, a candidate can expect an average salary of Rs 3 to 6 lakh per annum. With seniority, this can jump to Rs 9 to 25 lakh per annum.
Likewise, candidates can also pursue global opportunities after a Bachelor of Design. We’ve mentioned the average salary range for interior designers in US dollars in the following table:
| Experience Level | Salary Range (India, INR per annum) | Salary Range (Global, USD per annum) |
| Fresher/Entry Level | Rs 3 – 6 lakhs | $39,000 – $76,000 (e.g., Interior Designer) |
| Mid-Level | Rs 9 – 20 lakhs | $56,000 (average for Interior Designer) |
| Senior/Expert | Rs 20 – 25 lakhs+ | Up to $108,000 (varies by role and location) |
About The Author
