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Bachelor Programme in Industrial Design

Umeå University (Umeå Institute of Design) · Umeå, Sweden

100% taught in EnglishApply direct to the university, not the CAOPortfolio/auditionTuition-freePortfolioInterviewApply after results
Duration3 years
StartsAutumn 2027
EntryPortfolio/audition
Deadline (EU)15 Jan 2027
EU fee 2027/28No tuition fee

About the course

A three-year, 180-credit industrial design degree at Umeå Institute of Design, taught in English, with an intake of about 15 students a year. The programme is built around hands-on design projects covering research, idea development, sketching, visual communication and three-dimensional form.

Entry requirements for Irish students

  • University Admissions in Sweden accepts the Leaving Certificate for general entry if you have at least six subjects, with at least two at Higher Level. Only final results count, and predicted grades are not accepted.
  • Selection is based on artistic talent and design aptitude. You submit set homework assignments, free work samples and a letter of motivation. The recruitment group shortlists 20 to 30 applicants, who are then invited to an interview. Assessment looks at analytical skills, problem-solving, idea development, visual communication, sketching (including perspective sketching), three-dimensional thinking and norm-critical thinking.
  • English: you need English equivalent to Swedish upper-secondary English B/6. University Admissions accepts a Leaving Cert English result of Ordinary Level grade 6 (O6 or D) or better.

How to apply

  1. Read the portfolio briefAutumn 2026: read the programme’s Admission & Selection page at Umeå Institute of Design for the homework assignments and the work-sample and letter requirements. Start building your portfolio early.
  2. Apply at universityadmissions.seFrom mid-October 2026 to 15 January 2027 (midnight CET), create an account and select the Bachelor Programme in Industrial Design at Umeå University.
  3. Upload documents and portfolioBy 1 February 2027, upload your final Leaving Cert results and your passport or ID card to University Admissions. By the same date, upload your portfolio and letter of motivation as PDFs through the UID website.
  4. Interview and resultsIf you are shortlisted, UID contacts you for an interview. Results come out through University Admissions on 8 April 2027. Accept your place. The programme starts in autumn 2027 (late August or September).
Deadline for Irish/EU applicants: International round for autumn 2027: applications open in mid-October 2026 (University Admissions gives 16 October; the UID admission page gives 15 October) and close on 15 January 2027 at midnight CET. By 1 February 2027 you must upload your academic documents and proof of EU citizenship to University Admissions, and your portfolio (work samples) and letter of motivation, as PDFs, through the UID website. Selection results come out on 8 April 2027. There is a second round (opens 15 March 2027, closes 15 April 2027), but this programme recruits in the international round, where the portfolio process runs..

Costs

  • No tuition fee for Irish and other EU citizens: Umeå Institute of Design says tuition is covered by Swedish government grants for EU citizens. The 900 SEK application fee applies to most non-EU applicants only. EU citizens instead upload proof of citizenship (a passport or national ID card) by 1 February 2027. If you miss that date, your application is treated as late.
The 15 January deadline is before Leaving Cert results come out, and predicted grades are not accepted, so most Irish students apply after they get their results, for example in a gap year. Only about 15 places are offered and selection is by portfolio and interview, so give the portfolio plenty of time.

At a glance

CountrySweden
CityUmeå
LanguageEnglish
Apply viauniversityadmissions.se (national admissions service), plus portfolio and letter of motivation uploaded through the Umeå Institute of Design (UID) website
PlacesAbout 15 students a year
EntryPortfolio/audition
Umeå Institute of Design: Bachelor Programme in Industrial Design ↗Umeå Institute of Design: Admission & Selection ↗University Admissions: autumn semester dates ↗University Admissions: Ireland country instructions ↗← Back to all European courses

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Checked against the official Umeå Institute of Design and University Admissions in Sweden pages on 28 September 2026 (autumn 2027 entry). Always confirm details with the university before applying.