Master in Integrated Product Design at Polytechnic University of Milan
Two-year LM-12 master at Politecnico di Milano's Bovisa campus with an English-taught section: product development and concept studios, materials and manufacturing, strategic and service design, a final synthesis studio and an internship. Entry needs a related bachelor's, a portfolio and English.
Master
2 years
Milan
Multiple
Polytechnic University of Milan
Integrated Product Design is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-12) at Politecnico di Milano's School of Design in Milan, with an English-taught section, Integrated Product Design 2. Entry needs a bachelor's in product design, architecture or engineering judged suitable, a project portfolio and an English certificate such as IELTS 6. Indian applicants need a four-year degree with at least 70 out of 100.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
PoliMi's Integrated Product Design master asks for a bachelor's in product design, architecture or engineering that the Programme Board judges suitable, the minimum grade set for some countries, a project portfolio assessed with your CV and record, and English certified with a recognised test such as IELTS 6. There is no entrance test. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and background
For a foreign degree, you need a bachelor's or equivalent qualification consistent with the fields of product design, architecture or engineering, judged suitable by the Programme Board. The board needs to identify the subject areas and credits in your degree; where it cannot, it assesses your academic record individually. [1][2]
For Italian degrees, the 2026/27 regulations name class L-4 (Industrial Design). Classes L-3 (visual arts, music, performing arts and fashion), L-8 (information engineering), L-9 (industrial engineering) and L-17 (architecture) also qualify with at least 36 CFU in sectors CEAR-08/D (formerly ICAR/13, industrial design) and CEAR-10 (formerly ICAR/17, drawing). The same criteria apply to foreign degrees. If you fall short, the Admissions Committee looks at other design-related academic and professional experience and may set extra credits to complete before your preparation is assessed. [1]
PoliMi also requires a degree that gives access to EQF level 7, issued by a university in the official system of its country, with subjects closely related to the programme. Franchised degrees are not accepted, and if you hold both a bachelor's and a master's, only the bachelor's is evaluated. [3]
Country rules and minimum grades
PoliMi sets strict country rules for some degrees, with no exceptions: [3]
- India: a bachelor's of at least four years, such as a B.Tech, B.E., B.Des. or B.Arch. A three-year B.Sc. may be considered only if it is an Honours programme. Minimum average 70 out of 100.
- Pakistan: a four-year continuous bachelor's, as 2+2 degrees are not accepted. Minimum GPA 3.3 out of 4.
- Bangladesh: minimum GPA 3.3 out of 4.
- Sri Lanka: an Honours degree at SLQF level 6 from a recognised institution. Level 5 qualifications are not evaluated.
- UK and Canada: an Honours degree or equivalent, with a university letter if the certificate does not say so.
If your average is below the minimum for your country, PoliMi does not evaluate the application. [4]
What this means for your transcript
The board looks at the subjects on your transcript and at your design work, not just the title of your degree. As a guide, based on the rules above:
- Usually a fit: a four-year B.Des in Product or Industrial Design, with an average that meets your country's minimum.
- Check carefully: a B.Arch, a four-year B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical, Production or Industrial Engineering, or a B.Des in another specialisation. These match the listed fields, but the board checks how much product design and drawing you covered and may set extra credits.
- Often short: a three-year B.Sc. without Honours, BCA, B.Com, BBA or BA from India, which does not meet PoliMi's four-year rule, a 2+2 degree from Pakistan, or a degree outside design, architecture and engineering.
English and Italian
Applicants with a foreign degree must show adequate English, certified with a test recognised by PoliMi at its minimum score. [1][2] Accepted results for 2027/28 include: [4]
- IELTS Academic or General Training 6
- TOEFL iBT 78 for tests taken until 20 January 2026, or 4.5 for tests taken from 21 January 2026
- Cambridge B2 First at grade B, or C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency at grade C
- PTE Academic 59
- Trinity ISE II, or LanguageCert B2 Communicator
If English was the medium of instruction for at least three years of your bachelor's, a university document confirming that at least 75% of your courses were taught in English replaces the certificate. [4]
The School of Design asks for the certificate within the application deadline, while PoliMi's admissions office lets foreign-qualification applicants add it later, before the admission letter, visa and enrolment. We make sure it is in your file when you apply. [1][4]
Italian is needed at entry only if you choose a section taught in Italian. International students admitted to English-taught master's programmes enrol with an Italian language obligation and must certify their Italian before the graduation exam. [2][9]
Selection and places
There is no entrance test. Admission depends on an assessment of your individual preparation and a qualifying position in the merit ranking. The assessment looks at your project portfolio, CV, motivation letter and extra-curricular study and work experience, plus your weighted average if you hold an Italian degree. [1]
The portfolio is mandatory for Design programmes and can be at most 20 MB. If you come from a non-design background, an abstract of your thesis or a report on internship experience can replace it. [4][8]
For 2026/27, the regulations set 100 places, 20 of them reserved for non-EU students. [1]
Deadlines for the September 2027 intake
Design programmes admit students only in the first semester, which starts in September. [5][8] For the September 2027 intake, non-EU applicants living abroad have one general call: [5]
- Application period: 1 October 2026 to 28 January 2027, 11.59pm CET.
- Early bird: apply by 1 December 2026 for the €50 fee. From 2 December the fee is €150.
- Outcomes: by the end of May 2027.
A further call from 1 to 18 March 2027 is only for EEA students and non-EEA students resident in Italy with certain permits. You can apply once per semester, to at most two programmes. [5]
Documents and non-EU steps
The online application needs your degree certificate (or, if you have not graduated yet, an enrolment document confirming you are in your final year), your academic transcript, a cumulative GPA statement with the grading scale, a CV of at most two pages and your portfolio. Documents cannot be changed after you pay the application fee. [4]
The regulations list a motivation letter among the documents for this programme, so we include one. A recommendation letter and course descriptions are optional extras that can strengthen the file. [1][4]
Your degree must be obtained before enrolment. To enrol you need a Diploma Supplement, a declaration of value or a CIMEA statement of comparability, and PoliMi may ask for one at any stage of the evaluation. [3][4]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- Politecnico di Milano, School of Design. Academic regulations, Master's degree in Integrated Product Design (class LM-12), academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Integrated Product Design programme page: eligibility for students with a non-Italian degree, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Admission to Master of Science programmes with a foreign qualification: requirements and country-specific rules, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. List of documents required by the Admissions Office for Master of Science applicants with a foreign qualification, accepted certificates updated for 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Application deadlines for Master of Science programmes with a foreign qualification, September 2027 intake. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Tuition fees for Laurea, Laurea Magistrale and single-cycle programmes, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Call for DSU financial aid benefits, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano, School of Design. Admission to Master's degrees, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. English language requirements for Laurea Magistrale programmes, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Integrated Product Design is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-12, Design, worth 120 ECTS and run by the School of Design at the Milano Bovisa campus.
The degree runs in two sections: section 1 mixes Italian and English, while section 2, Integrated Product Design 2, is taught in English and is the route for international students.
The degree website presents the master's as the step that prepares students to shape the global design industry from initial concept to future contexts, moving from technical product skills to advanced innovation strategies.
The 2026/27 regulations describe a systemic approach: the product is designed together with the services, communication and distribution around it, with special attention to the early, problem-framing stage of innovation, the so-called fuzzy front end. [1]
It suits graduates who want to lead the development of a product from concept to prototype.
What you will study
In the English section, the first year combines a product development studio with integrated courses on materials, manufacturing and design culture. The second year is built around a final studio, electives and a traineeship. Units taught in English in the 2026/27 course list include:
- Product Development Studio (section 2)
- Strategic and Service Design (section 2)
- Materials and Manufacturing for Design
- Life Design
- Design Futures and Innovation Cultures and Theories
- Concept Design Studio (Green and Smart editions)
- Final Synthesis Studio, Section 2
How the programme is taught
Most of the core happens in design studios (laboratori), where you develop products from concept to prototype.
The common list of electives is long and mostly in English, from Virtual and Physical Prototyping, Design and Robotics and Smart Wearables Design and Prototyping to Circular Economy Business Models, Venture Design and Sustainability Strategies and Design.
A few electives are taught in Italian, so international students pick the English options.
Attendance is full time. Alongside studios and lectures, the plan includes one-week workshops led by an international visiting professor, a professional or a partner company, and 12 credits of free electives, one per year. You are assigned to a section when you enrol and stay in it until you graduate. [1]
The second year centres on the 18-credit Final Synthesis Studio, a compulsory internship of at least 280 hours (14 credits) at a company, design studio or the university, and the thesis. The thesis is written in Italian or English, and an English thesis must include an extract in Italian. You can also join a double degree, with partners such as Les Écoles Centrales in France, Tongji and Tsinghua universities in China, the University of São Paulo in Brazil and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. [1]
The study plan also offers an Erasmus Experience option. Some electives, such as Advanced User Interfaces and Design and Implementation of Mobile Applications, are held at the Milano Leonardo campus.
Career paths
The course list points to roles where product design meets engineering, strategy and new technology:
- Product design and product development
- Strategic and service design for companies
- Materials and manufacturing choices in design teams
- Smart products, wearables and interaction
- Sustainable and circular product design
The 2026/27 regulations name roles such as freelance designer, product design consultant, project manager, design manager and technical office staff responsible for product development, in sectors from consumer goods and transport to furniture and product-service systems. [1]
Fees and scholarships
There is no separate fee for Integrated Product Design. PoliMi sets fees by family income (ISEE), but for 2026/27, international students in the reserved non-EU category admitted with a bachelor's from abroad pay the maximum fee unless they hold a PoliMi, DSU or other scholarship. For a standard study plan of 46 to 74 ECTS, the maximum is €3,943.04 a year. The details are on PoliMi's tuition fees page. [6]
Politecnico di Milano runs the DSU right-to-study scholarship itself, based on income and merit. If a first-year scholarship is confirmed, both fee instalments are refunded apart from the administrative fee, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. The university decides the awards. [7]
How to apply from outside the EU
The English-taught section to apply for is Integrated Product Design 2. The School of Design asks every applicant with a foreign qualification to submit an application for evaluation, and admission is only possible in the first semester.
Applications go through PoliMi's international admissions process. Under the foreign-qualification requirements you need a degree giving access to EQF level 7, related subjects, the minimum grade set for some countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, a project portfolio and English proof. [3][4]
For the September 2027 intake, the general call for Design programmes runs from 1 October 2026 to 28 January 2027, with the €50 early bird fee until 1 December 2026, and outcomes are due by the end of May 2027. [5] Admitted students complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment and a type D visa application, and provide a Diploma Supplement, declaration of value or CIMEA statement before enrolment. [3]
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your transcript against PoliMi's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application with your portfolio, transcripts and English certificate, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your Politecnico di Milano DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
What bachelor's degree do I need for Integrated Product Design at PoliMi?
A bachelor's or equivalent in product design, architecture or engineering that PoliMi's Programme Board judges suitable. Italian degrees outside industrial design need at least 36 credits in industrial design and drawing. From India, the degree must last at least four years, with an average of at least 70 out of 100. [1][2][3]
Is there an entrance exam? Do I need a portfolio?
There is no written test. PoliMi assesses your preparation from a project portfolio, CV, motivation letter and academic record, then ranks applicants on merit. The portfolio is mandatory for Design programmes, but applicants from non-design degrees can replace it with a thesis abstract or an internship report. [1][4]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
You need a PoliMi-recognised English certificate, such as IELTS 6, TOEFL iBT 78 (4.5 for tests from 21 January 2026), Cambridge B2 First at grade B or PTE Academic 59. A bachelor's taught at least 75% in English for three years can replace the certificate. [4]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For the September 2027 intake, Design programmes have one general call, from 1 October 2026 to 28 January 2027. Applying by 1 December 2026 costs €50 instead of €150. Outcomes are due by the end of May 2027, and admission is only in September. [5]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. You can apply in your final year with an enrolment document from your university confirming that you are in your last year, as long as you hold the degree before you enrol at PoliMi. [3][4]
I have a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering or a B.Arch. Can I apply?
Possibly. Engineering and architecture are among the fields PoliMi lists for foreign degrees, and the B.Tech and B.Arch are named among accepted four-year Indian degrees. The Programme Board checks how much product design and drawing your degree covers and assesses your portfolio. [2][3]
Is the programme taught in English?
Partly. You are assigned to a section when you enrol and stay in it. Section 2, Integrated Product Design 2, is taught in English, while section 1 mixes Italian and English units. Italian is needed at entry only if you choose a section taught in Italian. [1][2]
How many places are there for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, the regulations set 100 places in Integrated Product Design, 20 of them reserved for non-EU students. The 2027/28 figures were not yet published when we reviewed this page. [1]
Can someone handle my whole application to Integrated Product 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 Integrated Product Design?
PoliMi accepts Indian bachelor's degrees of at least four years, such as a B.Des, B.Arch or B.Tech, with an average of at least 70 out of 100, and considers a three-year B.Sc. only if it is Honours. Your degree should fit product design, architecture or engineering, and you need a portfolio and English proof such as IELTS 6. The steps are the online application, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [2][3][4] 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 Integrated Product 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 Integrated Product 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'm applying from the UK, US, Canada, Singapore or Malaysia. Is anything different?
The academic rules are identical. Non-EU applicants who live abroad, including citizens of these countries, follow the same route: online application with a project portfolio, PoliMi's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa. Read our guides for London, New York, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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