Complete Admissions Guide · 2027 Entry
Design at University of Cambridge
Official course requirements for Design at University of Cambridge, with 1-to-1 tutoring from Cambridge graduates.
In a nutshell
Design is a three-year interdisciplinary BA launched at Cambridge in 2023. It sits across architecture, engineering and the arts — students study object, environment, material and visual design with weekly studio supervisions plus lecture courses.
Official course summary
What University of Cambridge publishes for Design.
- UCAS code
- W200
- Degree
- BA (Hons)
- Duration
- 3 years
- Typical A-Level offer
- A*AA
- Admissions test
- No pre-registered admissions test. Some colleges set a short at-interview drawing or design-brief task — a College admission assessment, 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.