Bachelor in Design

About the course

A 4-year (240 ECTS) design degree taught in English, combining strong design foundations with real-life projects. The first two years are in Segovia and the last two in Madrid. You can add an optional diploma (30 ECTS) in Interior Design, Graphic Design or Product Design.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• IE University does not list the Irish Leaving Certificate on its entry requirements page (it lists grade guides for other systems, such as a French Bac of 14 or more). Under Spanish rules for EU school leavers, Leaving Cert students do not sit the Spanish entrance exam (PAU), but they are expected to meet the rules for getting into university in Ireland. As a guide, UCD asks for six subjects, with at least H5 in two and O6/H7 in the other four, including English and Irish. Confirm with IE admissions how your Leaving Cert will be assessed.
• Selection is through IE’s own process: an online application, the IE Admissions Test (in English only, covering verbal, logical and numerical skills), an online assessment and a personal interview, then a committee decision. IE’s admissions page does not ask for a portfolio, but ask admissions whether one would help your application.
• English: IE does not need an English certificate (normally IELTS 7 or TOEFL 100) from students who have lived in an English-speaking country for more than 2 years or who studied in an English-language school system for at least the last 2 years of secondary school. Leaving Cert students living in Ireland should therefore be exempt, but confirm this with admissions.

How to apply

1. Apply online earlyApply through IE University’s online portal in 6th Year, and pay the €150 application fee. There is no fixed deadline, but earlier rounds have more places.
2. Sit the test and interviewComplete the IE Admissions Test in English, then the online assessment and the personal interview.
3. Accept and pay the depositIf you receive an offer, accept it by the date given and pay the €3,000 deposit to hold your place. Decide whether you want the optional diploma, which raises the fee.
4. Send final documents by 15 OctoberAfter your Leaving Cert results, send your final legal documents, such as your results, to IE admissions before 15 October of your first year.

Costs

• IE University is a private university, so the same fee applies to EU and non-EU students and it is far higher than at Spanish public universities. IE lists this degree at €26,500 a year for 2026/27, or €29,500 a year with an optional diploma (in Interior, Graphic or Product Design). The first-year fee is adjusted each year after that. There is also a €150 application fee and a €3,000 deposit to hold your place. Ask IE admissions for the 2027/28 fee.

At a glance