Designing courses after 12th - Course Options, Admission Process, Job Prospect
If you intend to do a design course after 12th, you must know the best colleges, admission process, career options, etc. Here we bring you all the information on a platter. So, read on!
Design as an academic program has gained momentum in recent years. Just take a look at the top colleges, like the IITs (including IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Guwahati), which have introduced design courses. This indicates that design is no longer a fringe course but is on track to fast becoming a mainstream course. If you are also interested, then the best time, of course, is after 12th to pursue a design course.
And speaking of design courses after 12th, B.Des is the most popular. But there are also other courses like B.F.Tech that the candidate can consider.
Admission to design courses offered by institutes like the NIFTs and NIDs done through entrance exams like NIFT and NID DAT.
Explore colleges based on UCEED
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Meanwhile, admission to the B.Des course offered by the IITs and a few other participating colleges is done based on UCEED scores.
Here we discuss in detail everything you need to know about designing courses after 12th.
Q: Is there any age limit for appearing in NIFT 2025?
In case of the B. Des and B.FTech programmes, the candidates should be less than 24 years as on July 1 of the admission year. There is relaxation of 5 years for candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories. However, there is no age limit for applying to the postgraduate programmes at NIFT. When applying for admission to design courses at the NIFTs, the candidate must also carefully go through the academic requirements. Note that even if a candidate qualifies the NIFT Entrance Exam but doesn't meet the prescribed eligibility criteria, he or she will not be considered for admission.
Q: Is Maths required for NIFT?
It is not compulsory to have studied Maths in Class 12 to appear for NIFT Entrance Exam. However, some questions from Mathematics are asked in the NIFT GAT section. Therefore, it is always beneficial to have some knowledge about the subject. The NIFT question paper for GAT will include questions from sections like logical and analytical reasoning, general awareness, verbal reasoning, and English . General knowledge questions may include topics like fashion industry, both local and global, and news of political and economic importance. The GAT paper will be conducted in a computer-based mode and will be for 120 minutes.
Q: What is the eligibility criteria for NIFT 2025?
The eligibility criteria may differ depending on the course opted by the candidate. For instance, candidates seeking admission to the B. Des course needs to have passed 10+2 exam from a recognised institute and should be less than 24 years as of August 1, 2025. Relaxation of 5 years in the upper age limit applies for candidates belonging to SC, ST and PwD candidates.
Design courses after 12th - Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria may differ from institute to institute. So, we intend only to give the candidate only a general idea about the minimum requirements.
Also, at the 10+2 level, B.Des and B.F.Tech are the most popular courses. So, we discuss the eligibility criteria for these courses.
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| Program |
Eligibility Criteria for admission to design courses after 12th |
|---|---|
| B.Des |
10+2 exam from any recognized institute. Age limit - The candidate should be less than 24 years as of 1st August of the admission year. |
| B.F.Tech |
10+2 exam from any recognized institute. Age limit - The candidate should be less than 24 years as of 1st August of the admission year. |
Entrance exams for admission to design courses after 12th
If the candidate is seeking admission to a B.Des or B.F.Tech program at any of the top institutes, say the NIFTs, then they will have to appear in an entrance exam.
Some of the popular entrance exams for B.Des admission include NIFT, NID DAT, UCEED, and SEED.
The NIFT exam includes the written exams - CAT and GAT - followed by a Situation Test. The final merit list will be prepared by giving weightage to GAT, CAT, and the Situation Test.
Meanwhile, the NID DAT exam includes DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. DAT Mains will comprise a Stutio Test.
Q: What are the eligibility criteria I need to meet to apply for UCEED 2025?
To apply for UCEED 2025, candidate must the following THREE criteria:
Criterion 1 – Age limit: The candidate must be born on or after October 1, 2000, if belonging to the OPEN/EWS/OBC-NCL category and born on or after October 1, 1995, if belonging to the SC, ST or PwD category.
Criterion 2 – Number of attempts: The candidate is allowed to attempt UCEED a maximum of two times, and that too in consecutive years.
Note that the UCEED score is valid for one year and only for admissions in the same corresponding academic year.
Criterion 3 – Qualifying examination: The candidate should have passed all subjects in the qualifying examination (Class XII or
equivalent) in 2024 or should be appearing for the qualifying examination for the first time in 2025. Students from ALL STREAMS (Science, Commerce, and Arts & Humanities) are eligible.
Those who appeared for the first time in their qualifying examination (Class XII) in 2023 or earlier are NOT eligible to appear in UCEED 2025.
Q: How many candidates appear for NID DAT?
There is no official notification on the number of applicants for NID DAT 2024.
However, as per unofficial sources, around 15,000 applicants appeared in the NID DAT 2024 (Prelims) exam. Note that only shortlisted candidates were eligible to appear in DAT Mains. The DAT Prelims was held on December 24, 2023.
If the National Institute of Design releases the exam statistics for the NID DAT exam, the details will be updated here. Note that the current session of the NIFT exam is conducted by the NTA. Now considering the NTA releases the exam stats, including the number of applicants registered, appeared, qualified - it is likely the details will also be released for the NIFT 2024 exam.
Q: What is the eligibility criteria for UCEED 2025?
To appear in the UCEED 2025 exam, the candidate needs to meet the following criteria:
Age limit: The candidate must be born on or after October 1, 2000. In the case of candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories, there is a relaxation of 5 years.
Number of attempts - A candidate is allowed to appear in UCEED exam for a maximum of two times and that too in consecutive years.
Academic requirements - The candidate must have passed 10+2 exam in 2024 or 2025. Those who appeared for the first time in their qualifying examination in 2023 or earlier are NOT eligible.
Q: What happens if I fail to qualify NID DAT 2025 (Prelims)?
The results of the DAT Prelims will include the qualifying status of the candidate. If the candidate fails to qualify in DAT Prelims, he or she will not be eligible to appear in DAT Mains.
Note that the Desing Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) has two sub-exams: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
Both the exams are mandatory.
Also, the final merit list is prepared by giving weighatage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. So, if a can candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims or doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, the candidate will be disqualified from the admission process.
Q: What is NIFT 2024 opening and closing ranks of NIFT Bengaluru for open category?
The NIFT Bengaluru admission cut-offs are now available for Round I, II, and III.
The cut-off has been released for all the 18 participating colleges.
To check the cut-off, you need to go to the https://admissions.nic.in/ portal.
Under eServices, select OR-CR.
The roundwise NIFT 2024 cut-off or closing rank (All-India Quota) for the open category for NIFT Bengaluru for the 3rd Round are given below:
- Round I - 29 (opening rank), 234 (closing rank)
- Round II - 208 (opening rank), 236 (closing rank)
- Round III - 256 (closing rank)
Designing courses after 12th - Career Options & Salary
Candidates who have completed a design course after 12th can take a multitude of job roles like, fashion designer, interior designer, or graphic, vastu consultant, or fashion columnist. And, depending on the job role, experience, academic merit, and skill set, the student will be compensated differently.
Here we bring you the various job roles and salary after designning courses after 12th
| Job Roles |
Average Salary (per annum) in INR |
|---|---|
| Industrial Designer |
4.3 lakh |
| Interior Designer |
5 lakh |
| Jewellery Design |
4 lakh |
| Textile |
5 lakh |
| Animator |
4.6 lakh |
| Interior Designer |
4.1 lakh |
As per various reports, fashion design is fast emerging as one of the go-to courses for candidates after completing their 10+2.
This is directly related to the emergence of new job opportunities across a multitude of sectors.
Important points related to the B.Des course
If you are planning to go for a design course after 10+2, you must defenitely consider the B.Des course. Here are a few points you need to know about the course.
- The B.Des is the go-to course for candidates planning to pursue a course in fashion design.
- The B.Des course is offered by almost all the top design institutes, including the NIFTs, NIDs, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, Symbiosis Institute of Design, etc.
- Since B.Des is a degree course, typically of 4-year duration, it is more comprehensive and deals with the subject matter in greater detail.
- Along with theoritical aspects, the B.Des course will also have practical sessions to drive home the key concepts related to the program.
- Research and critical thinking are key to the program.
- During the course, the student will learn about global fashion trends, and its relationship with ecology, environment, ethics, technology, aesthetics, and much more.
Also Read:
Top colleges to study design course after 10+2
The NIDs and NIFTs are often the first choice of candidates to pursue a design course after 10+2.
Here are some of the top design colleges in India
| Name of the College |
Design courses offered after 10+2 |
|---|---|
| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
|
| B.Des |
|
| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
|
| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
Diploma design courses after 10+2
We need to treat the diploma courses in design a bit differently. This is because diploma courses tend to be of shorter duration and may offer admission directly based on 10th class scores.
Note that 10+2 is typically not required for Diploma admission unless the candidate is pursuing, say, advanced Diploma.
This means you may not need to appear in any entrance exams.
| Name of the course |
Admission Process |
Where to study |
Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma, Advanced in Fashion Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 lakh onward |
| Diploma in Interior Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 lakh onward |
| Diploma in Textile Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 lakh onward |
| Diploma in Graphic Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 lakh onward |
| Diploma in:
Duration: 1 year. |
Direct admission based on merit of qualifying exam. Eligibility: 10+2 from a recognized institute |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
| Diploma in Jewellery Design Duration: 1 year |
Direct admission based on merit of 10+2 exam. Eligibility: 12th Pass |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
| Diploma in Jewellery Manufacturing and Production Duration: 1 year |
Direct admission based on merit of 10+2 exam. Eligibility: 12th Pass |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
| Diploma in CAD Duration: 6 months |
Direct admission based on merit of 10+2 exam. Eligibility: 12th Pass |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
Career opportunities after completing design course after 10+2
The student after completing their degree or diploma course in design have a plethora of career opportunities in front of them. Note that the most design schools also conduct placement sessions, wherein employers visit the campus and hire students directly.
Job roles after completing design course after 12th
- Fashion Designers
- Entrepreneurs
- Fashion Merchandisers
- Design Curator
- Quality Control Managers
- Academician
- Sampling Coordinator Fashion Designer
- Apparel Production
- Fashion Business Analyst
- Retail Industry
- Design Curator Quality
- Control Managers Academician
- Apparel Production
- Fashion Business Analyst
- Fashion Columnist
- Vastu Consultant
- Retail Showroom Designer
- Landscape Designer
- Exhibition Designer
- Lighting Designer
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