Graphic Design Admission: Eligibility, process, Top Colleges

Although no formal education is required to become a graphic designer, having some kind of training in graphic designing helps. One can gain better job opportunities and have a stronger grasp on the subject. The candidates must be aware of the famous colleges that offer graphic designing courses in order to take admissions in them. Many of these graphic design colleges in India conduct entrance examinations in order to select the candidates for graphic designing courses. Once the candidate has qualified the entrance exam, he or she can verify the required documents and pay the fees to get a seat in the specific college.

Types of Graphic Design Courses in India

In India, there are several types of graphic design courses that a student can choose based on his or her financial conditions and the amount of time he or she wants to invest in education.

• B.Des: Bachelor in Design is one of the most commonly opted graphic designing courses after class 12th. The course duration is 4 years, and the students must have qualified their 10 + 2 or equivalent exam to take admission in the colleges.

• M.Des: Master of Design specialised in graphic designing is a two-year post graduate course. Candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible for this course. Students who want to change their career can apply to this course.

• Diploma in Graphic Design: Students who want to gain the idea about graphic designing can join a diploma course in graphic designing which is relatively shorter than the bachelor’s course and provides a beginner’s level of knowledge to the candidates. The eligibility criteria of such courses is either a 10 + 2 or equivalent or sometimes even 10th class is fine. The duration of this course can vary from one to two years.

• B.Voc in Graphic Design: Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc) in graphic design is a three year undergraduate program that aims to teach the students practically to face the real life problems of graphic designing. The B.Voc course syllabus usually includes subjects which can help in learning designing as well as building a job profile.

Graphic Design Admission: Selection Process

Aspirants aspiring to become graphic designers should enrol themselves in a course of graphic designing. However, before taking graphic design admission, candidates must know the best colleges across India to make an informed decision. As a part of graphic design admission, most of the colleges test the candidate’s aptitude and design skills through graphic design entrance exams and select the best out of them. The candidates need to apply for several entrance exams and after qualifying these exams they can take admission by joining the counselling process and paying the fee required. However, there are several colleges offering direct admission to graphic design courses.

How to get graphic design admission?

The students must know how to take admission into their dream college for pursuing graphic designing. Here is a step-by-step process that the students can expect while taking admission into graphic designing colleges in India.

Step 1: Check out the Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility criteria are the first and most important step that a student must check before applying for any colleges. Although each college has a different eligibility criterion the students must know these criteria which is common in almost all colleges:

Educational Qualification

• For B.Des the candidate must have passed 10 + 2 or equivalent exam. Most of the colleges do not require a minimum aggregate to select the candidates however having 50% or above could help the candidate have a safer position.

• Most of the colleges can accept candidates from any stream as there is no restrictions. However, some colleges like a few IITs require science stream or even maths as a compulsory subject.

• Candidates must appear the entrance exam when required by the college in order to get a seat.

Step 2: Entrance Exams

Graphic designing is an in-demand career and several colleges intake the students by filtering out through entrance exams. if you are the famous entrance exams that a graphic designer aspirant can appear are:

• NID DAT: The NID Design Aptitude Test is conducted once a year to choose the best candidates for admission in NID Ahmedabad and other campuses. The exam consists of both objective and subjective type questions that test a student’s aptitude. The exam also has a drawing and sketching test where the students need to showcase their creative skills. Followed by this there is a studio test for those who qualify the prelims of the exam.

• UCEED: The UCEED exam is conducted by IIT Bombay. The paper consists of two parts- Part A and Part B. UCEED paper A consists of three sections- numerical answer type (NAT), multiple select question (MSQ), multiple choice question (MCQ). Part B consists of two questions which evaluates the student's sketching and design aptitude.

• Pearl Academy Entrance Exam: Pearl Entrance is conducted by the Pearl Academy for graphic design aspirants. The students need to appear for the GPT and DAT exams which tests the student’s aptitude and drawing skills. This is accompanied by an interview round. This exam is conducted five times every year.

• SMEAT: Conducted by Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology (SMI) this exam is meant to choose the students who are candidates who are creative enough to become graphic designers. This entrance exam is also conducted five times a year.

• CUET: Common University Entrance Test is conducted by NTA (National Testing Agency) every year to grant students admission to central universities across India. The exam is conducted across various subjects the students need to choose their preference while filling in the entrance application form.

Step 3: Graphic Design Admission Form

To apply for an entrance exam, students should visit the official website and register with their email or phone number. Students must fill out the application form with their correct details and upload all valid documents in original. Then the students need to pay the application form fee. The students must be careful about the last date of the application forms in order to avoid last minute haste or fine.

Step 4: Preparing for the Entrance Exam:

Students must prepare themselves for the entrance exam beforehand to ensure that they do not lose marks with silly mistakes. Most of the colleges have similar exam patterns and test the candidate on similar things. The students must prepare for the aptitude exam by practising their logical abilities, quantitative abilities, and being updated with the general knowledge. For the second part of the examination which tests the candidates’ creative abilities, the students must practise sketching every day must develop their creative abilities and have a good grasp on the topics like perspective and colour theory. Solving the previous year question papers can help the students in getting an idea of the type of questions asked in the exam and also preparing for the time management in the exam.

Step 5: Downloading the Admit Card

After filling the application form the students must regularly check the website for an update about the admit card. Students must download the admit card when it is available on the website and check it immediately for avoiding any discrepancies. In case of any discrepancies the candidate can contact the authority and appeal to them to correct it.

Step 6: Appearing the Graphic Design Exam

The students must check the centres and time slot and be prepared for the examination beforehand. We must carry all necessary documents such as a hard copy print out of the admit card, a valid identity proof, passport size photos if required, pens and any other stationaries required in the exam. The students must appear the exam calmly and try to attempt as many questions as possible within the stipulated time. The students must refrain from using any kind of unfair practices which will bar them from further attempting the exam.

Step 7: Counselling Process

The students must regularly check the official website for an update about the counselling process after appearing the exam. The students who qualify the exam Need to register for the counselling process. During the counselling process the authorities will verify the documents and the candidates need to pay the fees required by the College in order to grant them a seat.

Also Read: Top 10 Popular Indian Graphic Designers

Graphic Design Admission: Top Colleges

Several top colleges in India offer graphic designing courses that the students can pursue to become graphic designers. Some of the most famous colleges are listed down.

• IITs: several IITs offer a B.Des specialised in graphic designing. IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Hyderabad are the top choices for graphic designing aspirants. A few other IITs have specific eligibility criteria that the students must check before applying to them.

• NID: National Institute of Design is one of the best institutes for learning designing. NID offers graphic designing courses that students can opt for. The students can apply for the NID DAT entrance exam to take admission here.

• Pearl Academy: One of the most famous private institutes in design studies is Pearl Academy. It offers graphic designing courses and students can apply through the Pearl entrance test. . It offers good placements in the field of design.

• SMI: Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology is a college under Manipal University that offers world class education in graphic design and has good placement opportunities. It offers a B.Voc in graphic design course.

• World University of Design: A B.Des degree in graphic and communication design is offered to the students here.