Course Summary · 2027 Entry
Design at University of Cambridge
Key requirements for Design at University of Cambridge, compiled from the official course page, with 1-to-1 tutoring from Cambridge graduates.
In a nutshell
Design is an interdisciplinary course launched at Cambridge in 2023, taken as a three-year BA or a four-year MDes. It sits across architecture, engineering and the arts: students study object, environment, material and visual design with weekly studio supervisions plus lecture courses.
Course summary
What University of Cambridge publishes for Design.
- UCAS code
- KH11
- Degree
- BA (Hons) / MDes
- Duration
- 3 years (BA) or 4 years (MDes)
- Typical A-Level offer
- A*AA
- Admissions test
- No pre-registered admissions test. Every college sets the same at-interview College admission assessment as Architecture: a 30-minute graphic and spatial ability task, sat on 18 November 2026, no advance registration. The portfolio requirement is the gating piece of work.
- Interview
- The portfolio is the centre of the interview. Tutors will spend most of the slot leafing through it and asking why each piece exists. Show process and iteration, not finished design renders.
- Official course page
- https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/design
Always verify these details on the official University of Cambridge course page before applying - entry requirements and assessment formats can change between cycles.
Insider tips
Things Design applicants commonly miss.
- 01
Design is not Architecture (K100). The two share a faculty but are different courses with different curricula and different colleges that admit them.
- 02
You do not need A-Level Art. Sketchbooks, urban photography, observational drawing and short written reflection are accepted portfolio pieces.