National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad is a premier design institution offering admission to B.Des in eight different specializations for a duration of 4 years, which costs INR 18.14 Lakh for Indian National Students, excluding Hostel Fees. At the PG level, the institute offers M.Des in seven different specializations. Apart from that, NID Ahmedabad also offers the PhD program in both full-time and part-time modes. Admission to the UG and PG courses at NID Ahmedabad is based on NID DAT scores, which is conducted in two stages, namely Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims and Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Mains.

Students interested in pursuing studies at NID Ahmedabad need to apply online on the official website: admissions.nid.edu for all programs. The B.Des application fee for NID Ahmedabad admission is INR 3,000 for General/EWS/OBC-NCL and INR 1,500 for SC/ST candidates. The first year course fees for B.Des is INR 4.52 Lakhs and for M.Des is INR 5.25 Lakhs. NID Ahmedabad offers a total of 128 seats for B.Des and 126 seats for M.Des across various specializations. All applications are submitted online through the official NID admission portal.

Undergraduate Programs and Admission 2026

B.Des (Bachelor of Design) Program

NID Ahmedabad offers Bachelor of Design (B.Des) at the undergraduate level for a duration of 4 years in eight specializations in the field of Design. The program provides comprehensive education in various design disciplines with practical and theoretical knowledge.

B.Des Program Details

Particulars	Details
Course Name	Bachelor of Design (B.Des)
Duration	4 Years
Type	Full-time
Number of Specializations	8
Total Seat Intake	128 Seats
First Year Course Fees	INR 4.52 Lakhs
Eligibility Criteria	Passed 10+2 in any stream from a recognized board and must not be older than 20 years of age
Selection Criteria	Merit in NID DAT Prelims + NID DAT Mains

B.Des Specializations and Seat Distribution

NID Ahmedabad offers a total of 128 seats for different specializations of B.Des. Here is the specialization-wise seat intake for B.Des at NID Ahmedabad:

B.Des Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates must have passed 10+2 in any stream (Science/Commerce/Humanities) from a recognized board
• The upper age limit for candidates for B.Des at NID is 20 years (3 years relaxation for SC/ST/OBC-NCL) on or before July 1 of the admission year

B.Des Selection Process

• Admission to B.Des at NID Ahmedabad is based on the Design Aptitude Test (DAT), which is conducted in two stages: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains
• Based on the merit list of DAT Prelims, eligible candidates will have to appear for DAT Mains
• Final admission is based on the sum total of the weighted scores obtained by candidates in the DAT Prelims and Mains

Postgraduate Programs and Admission 2026

M.Des (Master of Design) Program

NID Ahmedabad offers Master of Design (M.Des) at the postgraduate level in seven specializations for a duration of 2.5 years. The program provides advanced education in design with focus on research, innovation, and professional practice.

M.Des Program Details

Particulars	Details
Course	Master of Design (M.Des)
Duration	2.5 Years
Type	Full-Time
Total Seat Intake	126 Seats
First Year Course Fees	INR 5.25 Lakhs
Number of Specializations	7
Selection Criteria	Merit in NID DAT Prelims + NID DAT Mains

M.Des Specializations and Seat Distribution

NID Ahmedabad offers 126 seats for a total of seven specializations of M.Des. The specialization-wise seat matrix for M.Des at NID Ahmedabad is as follows:

M.Des Eligibility Criteria

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum duration of 3 or 4 years in any specialization after 10+2
• Full-time diploma of 4 years in Design/Fine Arts/Applied Arts/Architecture after 10+2
• The upper age limit for M.Des at NID is 30 years (3 years relaxation for SC/ST/OBC-NCL) on or before July 1 of the admission year

M.Des Selection Process

• Admission to the M.Des program is based on the candidate's performance in DAT (Prelims + Mains)
• Candidates can apply to a maximum of two disciplines for the Master of Design program
• Seat allotment is purely based on the preference submitted by the candidate at the time of submitting their application

Doctoral Programs and Admission 2026

PhD in Design Program

NID Ahmedabad offers a PhD in Design in both full-time and part-time modes of study. The program provides advanced research opportunities in design with focus on innovation and scholarly contribution to the field.

PhD Program Details

Particulars	Details
Course	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Type	Part-time and Full-time
Duration (Part-Time)	5-7 Years
Duration (Full-Time)	3-5 Years
Seat Intake	15 Seats
Selection Criteria	Eligibility Screening + Research Proposal Assessment + NID DRT (Design Research Test) + Personal Interview

PhD Eligibility Criteria

Candidates with the following educational qualifications are eligible for a PhD at NID Ahmedabad:

• Master of Design (M.Des) degree from a recognized institution
• Master of Philosophy in Design (M.Phil (Design)) degree from a recognized institution
• Master of (Architecture/Fine Art/Applied Art) degree following a M.Des/B.Des degree
• Bachelor of Design (B.Des) from NID + 3 years professional or teaching experience
• 2-year Faculty Development Program in Design from NID or any recognized university

PhD Selection Process

Stage 1: Eligibility Screening

• Application forms will be scrutinized for eligibility, such as educational qualifications

Stage 2: Assessment of Research Proposal

• Candidates need to submit a research proposal outlining their motivation and research plan
• The content of the research proposal will be examined from the perspective of alignment with NID's research objectives
• Candidates whose proposals pass this assessment will be shortlisted for Stage 3

Stage 3: Design Research Test

• Shortlisted candidates will have to take the Design Research Test (DRT)
• Candidates with work experience of 15 years or more are exempted from taking the DRT
• Candidates who pass the DRT will be eligible for the final Personal Interview

Stage 4: Personal Interview

• Candidates will have to interact online with appointed representatives of the institute
• Assessment of their aptitude for conducting the proposed research