Master in Communication Design at Polytechnic University of Milan

Detailed entry requirements

Communication Design admission requires a suitable prior degree, the programme’s curricular and preparation checks, and the applicable language evidence. The course-specific details below come from its 2026/27 regulation; central foreign-degree instructions and the newer 2027/28 language table are labelled separately.

Course-specific degree and credit routes

• The listed main Italian degree-class route is L-4. L-1, L-3, L-10, L-8, L-17, L-20 and L-31 can be considered under the prescribed curricular route, which requires at least 30 CFU in CEAR-08/D, formerly ICAR/13.
• A suitable foreign university qualification is assessed against those subject/credit requirements. Where disciplinary mapping is not possible, the programme board assesses the previous academic career individually.
• The committee can examine relevant additional educational/professional preparation and assign curricular integrations. Required integrations must be completed before the personal-preparation assessment; experience is not an automatic credit exemption.
• The 2026/27 regulation lists a weighted-average floor of 23/30 for Polimi candidates and 25/30 for candidates from other Italian universities. These floors are separate from the overseas-qualification and country assessment.

Direct admission, merit assessment and cohorts

• The specified direct route concerns qualifying Polimi Communication Design bachelor’s students. For cohorts enrolled in 2024/25 or earlier, the stated conditions include graduation within four years, at least 114 credits by the defined second-year 10 October point, the required weighted average and timely English certification.
• The relevant 2026/27 direct-route average is 27/30. The later 135-credit/28-average direct model is explicitly for admissions from 2028/29, not a current universal condition.
• For the 2026/27 and 2027/28 merit route, a third-year applicant who has not yet graduated must have at least 145 credits under the programme rules. The lower 120-credit requirement is separately dated from 2028/29.
• The published 2026/27 programme places are 145, including 25 reserved for non-EU applicants, with the stated Marco Polo allocation. Eligibility and meeting a grade floor do not by themselves decide a position in the merit ranking.

Portfolio and programme evidence

• The programme assessment requires a project portfolio, or the specified thesis-abstract route for a non-project-based background, CV, motivation letter, English evidence and a study plan for applicants from other universities.
• The committee assesses academic merit, project preparation and documented educational/professional experience. Candidates must submit an online application and order their permitted programme/section preferences.
• Transfers and internal changes follow the required application procedure and available-place/ranking rules; an existing enrolment elsewhere does not automatically give entry.

Foreign-degree qualification, grades and recognition

• The foreign-qualification route requires a recognised university-level bachelor’s degree giving access to second-cycle study, with subjects closely related to this master. Pending students may be evaluated, but the qualification must be obtained before final enrolment under the applicable procedure.
• The International Admissions Office applies strict country-specific qualification and CGPA requirements. Examples on the current page include India 70/100, China 80%, Bangladesh and Pakistan 3.3/4, and Iran 15.5/20. These are country-specific application thresholds, not a single score applicable to every applicant. We check the complete requirements for the country awarding your degree.
• Final recognition evidence is separate from a positive academic evaluation. The university may request a Declaration of Value or CIMEA evidence, and the applicable final-enrolment qualification checks still have to be satisfied.

English evidence and applicable academic year

• English evidence is required on the foreign-degree master’s route. The currently published certificate table is explicitly updated for 2027/28, while the course regulation cited here is for 2026/27. We match the certificate rule and deadline to the intake you are applying for.
• The current table includes IELTS Academic or General Training 6, PTE Academic 59 and LanguageCert ESOL B2 Communicator with four skills. TOEFL iBT/Home Edition requires 78 for tests through 20 January 2026 or 4.5 on the new scale for tests from 21 January 2026. Certificates expired under the issuer’s rules are not accepted.
• The stated English-medium exemption requires a bachelor’s of at least three years and university-certified evidence that at least 75% of its courses were taught in English. A general claim of fluency does not satisfy this documentary route.
• The course regulation requires English certification with the admission application. Central international guidance allows language evidence after initial evaluation but before specified post-admission stages. We follow the deadline expressly assigned to your applicant route and programme, and do not assume a later deadline applies to a School of Design or AUIC application.
• An Italian-taught or mixed Italian/English route also requires the stated B2 Italian evidence under central foreign-degree guidance, with the specified Italian-citizenship exemption. We match this condition to the programme language or track you choose.

Documents to prepare for the foreign-degree application

• Supply the bachelor’s qualification or permitted final-year/provisional document, official transcript, official CGPA/grading-scale evidence and a CV of no more than two pages. The transcript or diploma can serve as the GPA statement if it contains all required information.
• Academic documents are accepted in Italian, English, French or Spanish. Other languages require the specified official translation. Use legible scans of original documents with the required stamps/signatures or accepted official verification evidence.
• Architecture and design applicants must supply the required portfolio, maximum 20 MB. The international design guidance permits a thesis abstract or relevant internship report instead for specified non-design backgrounds; programme-specific requirements must still be met.
• We complete the dossier before the application fee is paid: the admissions instructions say uploaded documents cannot be changed or supplemented after payment. Incomplete or unpaid applications are not processed. A successful evaluation still needs the subsequent enrolment and recognition steps.

Sources and verification

1. Politecnico di Milano. Communication Design: official teaching regulation, academic year 2026/27, sections 6.1-6.3 (admission, curricular preparation and places); reviewed 6 October 2026.
2. Politecnico di Milano. Master of Science admission with a foreign qualification: Requirements, degree eligibility, recognition and country-specific qualifications/CGPA; current guidance reviewed 6 October 2026.
3. Politecnico di Milano. List of documents required by the International Admissions Office, mandatory documents and language evidence; certificate table explicitly updated for 2027/28; reviewed 6 October 2026.

Which subject-credit rule applies to the alternative route?

The programme specifies at least 30 CFU in CEAR-08/D, formerly ICAR/13.

Are Italian grade floors universal foreign GPA cut-offs?

No. Foreign qualifications have their own suitability and country-specific assessment.

Can I apply without having graduated?

The 2026/27 merit route allows specified third-year applicants with at least 145 credits, subject to the full rules.

Is a portfolio required?

Yes, or the expressly permitted thesis-abstract route for a qualifying non-project-based background.

Does direct admission apply to every applicant?

No. It is limited to the specified Polimi programme/cohort and academic conditions.

Are the 2028/29 credit rules current?

No. The regulation dates those conditions separately.

Can someone handle my whole application to Communication Design at PoliMi?

Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against PoliMi's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the Politecnico di Milano DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.

I'm applying from India. What is the route into Communication Design?

PoliMi assesses Indian bachelor's degrees against its country rules, which list a minimum of 70 out of 100 for India, and your subjects must be closely related to communication design. You need a project portfolio, a CV, a motivation letter and English proof such as IELTS 6. The steps are the online application to the English-taught Comunicazione 3 section, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][2][3] Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.

Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?

No. The academic rules for Communication Design are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application with a project portfolio, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.

I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?

At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Communication Design are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application with a project portfolio, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.

I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?

The academic rules for Communication Design are the same whatever your nationality, and your degree is assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: online application with a project portfolio, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.