Bachelor Fashion Design

About the course

Year 1 builds core skills in fashion drawing, sewing, pattern making, textiles and design methods, and introduces WdKA’s three ‘Practices’. Year 2 adds interdisciplinary projects with other departments. The course also covers digital fashion (3D tools such as Clo 3D, Blender and AR/VR), photography, presentation and sustainability. Year 3 involves briefs for real clients and a semester-long internship or international exchange. Year 4 is a one-semester minor and a graduation project in your chosen Practice. Graduates work as fashion, concept or textile designers, stylists, digital artists and fashion researchers.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• You need a school-leaving diploma at the level of the Dutch HAVO (or higher). WdKA checks foreign diplomas against the Nuffic guide and only screens them after you pass the artistic admission. The Leaving Certificate is not named, so it is assessed individually – contact wdka.admission@hr.nl if unsure.
• No set school subjects are required. Your portfolio and motivation decide whether you get in.
• English: IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL iBT 80 or Cambridge 169 (test-centre versions only). If your schooling was fully through English, you can upload your diploma and results showing this and ask for an exemption; the screening team decides.
• Two-stage admission exam: first a digital portfolio (10–25 works, one PDF or PowerPoint up to 50 MB, showing process as well as final pieces) plus a motivation form; if that is positive, a matching interview. For Fashion Design, 3D work is given as an example of relevant pieces.

How to apply

1. Register on StudielinkApplications for 2027–28 open on 1 October 2026. EU applicants must register on Studielink by 1 May 2027. Check your spam folder for the confirmation email.
2. Upload portfolio and motivationLog in to WdKA’s applicant portal and pick one admission round. Upload deadlines: 17 January 2027, 14 March 2027 or 6 June 2027.
3. Matching interviewIf your portfolio is approved (results within about 3 weeks), you are invited to a matching interview. The final decision comes about 3–4 weeks later.
4. Send diploma and English proofAfter a positive artistic result, upload your diploma or school statement, results and English test or exemption evidence.

Costs

• Tuition: WdKA has not yet published its 2027–28 fee; the Dutch statutory EU fee for 2027/28 is €2,771 per year.
• No registration or application fee. Budget for your own laptop, software and art or making materials.
• EU students may be able to get a Dutch DUO tuition-fee loan (collegegeldkrediet).

At a glance