Indian vs. International B.Des Programs: Curriculum, Exposure, and Opportunities

Published by Shikha Kumari on May 23, 2025

This choice of pursuing a Bachelor of Design (B.Des) in India vs. overseas is a significant one, impacting a student’s design growth, professional network, and subsequent career. While Indian institutions such as the National Institute of Design (NID) and Pearl Academy provide solid programs catering to local industries, international institutions such as the University of Alberta provide international perspectives and multidisciplinary flexibility. This comparison is done in three aspects: curriculum organization, opportunities for exposure, and career prospects, based on figures from academic sources and institutional policies. In this article we will talk about the comparison between Indian and International B.Des programs with respect to their curriculum, exposure, and opportunities.

Indian vs. International BDesign Curriculum 

Pursuing the Bachelors in India and Internationally will have a different impact on a designers style, work ethic and many more which is usually affected by the curriculum. Given below we have given the details about Indian vs. International BDesign Curriculum 

Indian B.Des Programs

B.Des courses in India, primarily influenced by the depth and breadth of the country’s cultural practices and heritage, uniquely meld traditional craft with contemporary design thinking and practice.We teach B.Des degrees differently from the vast majority of international B.Des programs, focusing on indigenous processes and methods, sustainability, and aesthetics that are Indigenous to a locality in Indian design education. Established design institutions like the NID, NIFT and the IITs provide value-based and adaptation education that is relevant to industry with quite a bit of attention from the government. 

The curriculum also involves experiential learning, exposure to rural crafts, internships with leading Indian firms, and other means of embedding real, relevant learning into education. This focus on a context-based way of education, importantly prepares students to face local and global design issues and challenges, and is what makes B.Des programs in India, unique, socially appropriate, and well-grounded with varied real-world applications. Key highlights are mentioned below:

• Practical Learning by Projects: Most of the colleges in India have experience-based learning. The students will do one large capstone project and several mini-projects, and mandatory industry internship(unique from whichever company) ranging to three months. This will develop practical skills and real exposure to students. 
• Industry-Related Electives: Colleges of Design are adding electives in areas that change quickly, such as Sustainable Design and Digital Fabrication, keeping students linked to current industry needs and trends. 
• Common Entrance Exams for Admissions: Admission to prestigious design institutions has extreme competition and admission tests like NID DAT and NIFT test a candidate’s imagination, designing capability, and problem solving ability.

International B.Des Programs

International design degrees have the advantage of being interdisciplinary and holistic in their perspectives on design and emphasizing values like creativity. The University of Alberta, the Parsons School of Design (U.S.), the Royal College of Art (U.K.) and RMIT University (Australia) have established reputations for providing a varied suite of programs (program connections, paths of study) that allow you to tackle a wider remit of design disciplines before you settle into a specific area of design. 

For example, the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) Program at Alberta has a number of core subjects including drawing, 3D modeling and colour theory, before students then select a major (e.g., Industrial Design, or Visual Communication Design.). At Parsons, students are immersed in various real-world projects for global brands, while RMIT includes aspects of design, sustainability and urban innovation. The Royal College of Art expects students to focus on the conception and research-led design thinking and engage across research and design thinking boundaries to engage with contemporary global challenges. Key highlights have been mentioned below: 

• Global design exposure: Most students engage with projects that reference a wide swath of case studies and design challenges from a variety of cultures and economies; preparing for global and international careers in design.
• A flexible and interdisciplinary study path: There are many programs that will allow you to include business, environmental studies or technology courses alongside your design course – these pathways will help foster innovation across multi-disciplinary fields.
• Portfolio-based criteria on admissions: The international schools generally do not use an examination as a means of qualifying student entry into an undergraduate degree program. They use the portfolio, interview and personal statement to make decisions (the emphasis on originality and thinking through design is relatively high). High-stakes exams like TOEFL or SATs only play a minor role, compared to the arts / design focus.

Indian vs. International B.Des Curriculum Comparison

Below is the table giving the contrast and comparison of Indian vs. International BDesign Curriculum on the basis of duration, focus, Specialization, etc. 

Indian vs. International BDesign Exposure and Learning Opportunities

Exposure and learning opportunities play a vital role in shaping experience, skills and creativity, and the worldview of a design student. Skill-based learning in a B.Des program in India creates immersive learning interactions through experiential projects, craft-based learning and contextual interactions with the local industry and its heritage. Many Indian B.Des graduates are working through internship programs, or develop rural outreach, and engage in design assignments through ‘live’ projects in Indian contexts. The international B.Des programs provide students with global exposure and experiential learning through studio-based learning and interdisciplinary engagement across design, art, technology and entrepreneurship. At the international level, students have opportunities to work on global design briefs and through exchange programs, learning from international experts, and local industries, and bringing different perspectives, flexibility and knowledge to the design process. Given below is the clear comparison in Indian vs. International BDesign exposure and learning opportunities

Indian vs. International B.Des Career Opportunities

In India, graduates typically end up working for major corporations, start-ups, or government-affiliated projects on crafts and sustainability. International B.Des graduates generally have stronger global exposure and enter—design consultancies, international fashion brands, or in creative technologist roles. Indian programs emphasize local relevance and affordability, while degrees abroad provide interdisciplinary development and the potential for international networking. Awareness of the opportunities of each path provides potential designers context to make an informed decision about a course of study that best aligns with their career aspirations and creative vision. Given below is a table depicting the India vs International B.Des career opportunities: