Online application website opens	24 March 2026
Last date for submission of online applications	25 May 2026
Entrance test	14 June 2026
Date of Interview	TBD
Announcement of Merit List	TBD
Last date for fees payment for confirmed candidates in first round	TBD
Announcement of Confirmed and Waitlisted Admissions	TBD
Registration and document verification at DAIICT campus for confirmed candidates (Tentative)	14 July 2026
Orientation Program	15-17 July 2026
Commencement of classes	20 July 2026

Master of Design (Intelligent User Experience Design) – M.Des. (IUxD)

The M.Des. in Intelligent User Experience Design (IUxD) at Dhirubhai Ambani University is India’s first M.Des program that fuses Intelligent Technology with Human-Centered Design. This two-year, full-time program is built for the next generation of Designers who will shape how people interact with smart technologies like AI, AR/VR, and connected devices. This program prepares the future Designers to be the bridge between complex systems and real human needs—making innovation accessible, inclusive, and impactful.

Graduates will be equipped to work across industries like Technology, EVs, Retail, & Smart products, driving the future of intelligent experiences.

• India's one of the first M.Des with focus on Technology and AI in Design.
• Interdisciplinary curriculum blending UX, AI, HCI, AR/XR and Technology
• Studio-based, hands-on learning with real-world design challenges.
• Career paths in Interaction Design, UX Research, phygital and immersive design.
• Small batch of 25-seats ensures personalized mentorship and guidance.

M.Des. (IUxD)

The MDes (IUxD) is a full-time two-year program, which is divided into four semesters. This Program extends traditional UX, UI, and interaction design principles to enable intuitive interactions with smart and autonomous systems, ensuring that the user experience remains meaningful and effective in an increasingly intelligent technological landscape. The program also includes conversations and debates on the ethics, challenges and uses of ‘intelligent technologies’ to create sensitive designers who can visualize, leverage and integrate products and services in a socially and culturally sensitive manner.

The detailed course structure consisting of both core courses and elective courses can be found here

The program brochure can be found here.

Placement Statistics for the Last Three Years - Postgraduate Programs:

Top Recruiters:

M.Des. (IUxD)

Total seats: 25

Educational Qualification

A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent from a statutory university in the fields of Design, Science, Engineering, Technology, Humanities, Social Sciences, Fine Arts, Applied Arts, Architecture and Performing Arts. Professional Diplomas from nationally recognized institutions such as NID, NIFT, CEPT, IDC will also be considered for eligibility. Candidates must have 55% marks or equivalent in the last qualifying degree/examination and are required to submit the provisional Degree certificate or proof of completion of Degree before 30 October 2026 failing which their admission is liable to cancellation.

The decision of the concerned authorities of DAU (Formerly DA-IICT) regarding eligibility of any candidate shall be final.

Age:

There is no age limit applicable to this program.

At the time of admission an amount of Rs. 1,75,000/- (Rs. 1,50,000/- towards Tuition Fee for the First Semester and Rs. 25,000/- towards a Caution Deposit) is to be paid. The registration fee is payable at the time of registration and hostel rent on allotment of the hostel room.

Tuition fee	Rs. 1,50,000 per Semester
Registration Fee	Rs. 2,500 per Semester
Caution Deposit	Rs. 25,000 (Refundable at the end of the program)
Hostel Rent	Rs. 37,800 per semester
Food	On Factuals. There are multiple food options available on the campus. (The expenses will be approximately Rs. 5,500 per month)

Subject to revision every Academic Year from 8 to 10%.

Education Loan

The Institute will facilitate the students to avail educational loan from selected Banks. The bank officials will be present on campus at the time of registration of admitted students so as to enable the students to obtain details on procedures and terms and conditions of the loan. The students can also avail loan from banks of their choice and in either of the case; the Institute will extend support in completing the loan documentation process

Refund Policy

The refund policy for the withdrawing candidates will be in accordance with the UGC rules.

M.Des. Program follows a 3-step system for admission

• Step 1: Admission form and Statement of Purpose
• Step 2: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by DAU MDes Program. Currently students who have qualified for CEED is exempt from taking DAT.
• Step 3: Interview

All candidates for this programme must appear for a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) to be conducted by DAU and on securing minimum 40% score will be selected for interview. Design Aptitude Test (DAT) may be conducted at selected centers all over the country or online. The tentative list of centers is: DAU (Formerly DA-IICT) Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Benguluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur, Bhavnagar, Bhilai, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Jammu, Kochi, Lucknow, Pant Nagar, Porbandar, Ranchi and Vijayawada.

The final selection will be based on the combined scores attained in the DAT and the interview. The DAT will constitute 60%, and the interview 40% of the overall marks assigned to the admission test.

The candidate should secure a minimum of 40% in the exam to be considered for the interview process.

Currently students who have qualified for CEED is exempt from taking DAT. Their CEED score will considered in equivalence to DAT score.

Note:

• The decision of the Competent Authorities of DAU regarding eligibility and selection of any candidate shall be final.

Application form and Statement of Purpose

All candidates will have to submit their Statements of Purpose online, along with their applications. Applications without an SOP will not be considered. Candidates will have to relate the curricular content of MDes (IUxD) specialization to their own interests and aptitudes and explain how they can learn and contribute to the specialization in their own way.

Design Aptitude Test (DAT):

M.Des. (IUxD) - Design Aptitude Test (DAT):

The Design Aptitude Test for MDes Intelligent User Experience Design (MDes IUxD) will have the following 3 parts, each bearing 20 marks each

• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 1: This test will evaluate the candidate’s ability to think creatively and test problem-solving skills in the context of human centric design.
• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 2: Will assess the candidate’s understanding of digital product design and human-computer interaction related challenges.
• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 3: The candidates will be asked to write a subjective response to a user experience design brief, demonstrating their design thinking skills.

A sample question paper can be found here (pdf)

• Please submit the online application along with the Statement of Purpose (SOP) by clicking on the link given below. Application fee (non-refundable) is Rs. 1500/- plus GST@ 18%. (Total: Rs. 1770/-).
  Click here to Apply Online
• The Candidate has to satisfy the eligibility criteria in order for her/his application to be considered for final admission.
• Eligible Candidates have to appear for Entrance Test conducted at selected centers in the country.
• The online application procedure will guide you through the necessary steps for application fee payment, submission of statement of purpose, registering for design aptitude test and appearing for personal interview. Candidates with valid CEED score are exempted from DAT Test.
• The short-listed candidates will be offered admission (confirmed/waitlisted) in order of their merit. Counseling will be done online. Applicants are advised, from the date of announcement of first merit list, to check for website to know about the steps they need to take to continue with the counseling process.

The Candidates who have accepted admission offers will be notified to appear for registration, followed by counseling, document verification, payment of fees and on confirmation of admission, the orientation program.

Interview and Admission Offer

Final merit list of confirmed and wait-list candidates based on entrance test and interview performance will be posted on the website of the Institute.

The offer letter for admission will be sent by the Admission committee through post or email to candidates.

In case of a tie, years of experience, marks in 10+2 and 10th examination or age will be considered in order to break the tie.

How many specialisations are offered under M.Des.?

There is only one specialization offered as follows for AY 2026-27:

• Intelligent User Experience Design (IUxD)

Please give me the program overview for specialization - Master of Design (Intelligent User Experience Design) – M.Des. (IUxD)

The MDes (Intelligent User Experience Design) is a 2-year post-graduate degree that offers specializations in user experiences and Interaction design. This distinctive transdisciplinary program prepares students to pursue careers in the fields of HCI Design, Design for Smart wearable/IoT, UX Research, Product Interface and Interaction Design, UIUX, Academics and entrepreneur.

What is the selection criteria for M.Des.?

M.Des. Program follows a 3-step system for admission

• Step 1: Admission form and Statement of Purpose
• Step 2: Design Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by DAU MDes Program. Currently students who have qualified for CEED is exempt from taking DAT.
• Step 3: Interview

The final selection will be based on the combined scores attained in the DAT and the interview. The DAT will constitute 60%, and the interview 40% of the overall marks assigned to the admission test.

The candidate should secure a minimum of 40% in the exam to be considered for the interview process.

Currently students who have qualified for CEED is exempt from taking DAT. Their CEED score will considered in equivalence to DAT score.

What is the eligibility/educational qualification required for M.Des.?

A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent from a statutory university in the fields of Design, Science, Engineering, Technology, Humanities, Social Sciences, Fine Arts, Applied Arts, Architecture and Performing Arts. Professional Diplomas from nationally recognized institutions such as NID, NIFT, CEPT, IDC will also be considered for eligibility. Candidates must have 55% marks or equivalent in the last qualifying degree/examination and are required to submit the provisional Degree certificate or proof of completion of Degree before 30 October 2026 failing which their admission is liable to cancellation.

What is the total intake of M.Des.(Intelligent User Experience Design)?

Total seats: 25

What is the program structure for M.Des. (IUxD)?

The MDes (IUxD) is a full-time two-year program, which is divided into four semesters. This Program extends traditional UX, UI, and interaction design principles to enable intuitive interactions with smart and autonomous systems, ensuring that the user experience remains meaningful and effective in an increasingly intelligent technological landscape. The program also includes conversations and debates on the ethics, challenges and uses of ‘intelligent technologies’ to create sensitive designers who can visualize, leverage and integrate products and services in a socially and culturally sensitive manner.

The detailed course structure consisting of both core courses and elective courses can be found here

Is an educational loan available for the M.Des. program?

The students can also avail loans from banks of their choice and in either of the case; the Institute will extend support in completing the loan documentation process.

What is the refund policy for M.Des. program?

The refund policy for the withdrawing candidates will be in accordance with the UGC rules.

What is the DAT test?

Design Aptitude Test consists of 3 parts, each bearing 20 marks each. The candidate should secure a minimum of 40% in the exam to be considered for the interview process.

M.Des. (IUxD) - Design Aptitude Test (DAT):

The Design Aptitude Test for MDes Intelligent User Experience Design (MDes IUxD) will have the following parts:

• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 1: This test will evaluate the candidate’s ability to think creatively and test problem-solving skills in the context of human centric design.
• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 2: Will assess the candidate’s understanding of digital product design and human-computer interaction related challenges.
• M.Des. (IUxD) Part 3: The candidates will be asked to write a subjective response to a user experience design brief, demonstrating their design thinking skills.

What is the selection procedure in case of tie, after the final merit list for M.Des.?

In case of a tie, years of experience, marks in 10+2 and 10th examination or age will be considered in order to break the tie.

Is there any management quota in M.Des. Program?

No. Admission to M.Des. program is completely based on merit.

I have completed my diploma from NIFT, am I eligible to apply for M.Des. program?

Professional Diplomas from nationally recognized institutions such as NID, NIFT, CEPT, IDC will also be considered for eligibility. For details please check the eligibility criteria

Can we withdraw our Application?

No. Application fees are non-refundable.

Do hostel rooms have A.C?

No, all the rooms in the hostels are Non-A.C.

Are distance learning courses available at DAU?

No, at present, we do not offer any distance learning programs.

Is there any certification program available at DAU?

No, we don't offer any certification programs.

Is MCA offered by DAU?

No, DAU does not offer the MCA.

Scholarships at DAU