CEPT University: Faculty of Design

CEPT University in Ahmedabad traces its origins to 1962, when it was founded as the School of Architecture. Over six decades it has grown into a university with faculties covering architecture, design, planning, technology, and management. The Faculty of Design, while younger than the architecture programmes, benefits from the institution's deep rootedness in Ahmedabad's design and built-environment culture.

The B.Des programme covers interaction design, communication design, industrial design, and furniture and interior design. The teaching approach draws on CEPT's broader interdisciplinary environment: design students regularly interact with architecture and planning students, and projects frequently engage with the city itself. Ahmedabad, a UNESCO World Heritage City, provides an exceptional urban laboratory for design education.

CEPT's Material Library and Workshop Studios are widely regarded as excellent facilities for material exploration and hands-on making. The proximity to NID Ahmedabad also means students benefit from a city that takes design seriously at a cultural level, with events, exhibitions, and professional communities that extend well beyond campus.

Graduates have gone into interaction design, brand communication, product development, and spatial design. Some have pursued M.Des at CEPT itself or at institutions abroad. The alumni network is well connected within the Ahmedabad and Mumbai design industries.

Admission to B.Des is through CEPT's own entrance test, not UCEED. This is an important distinction: students who do not appear for UCEED can still apply to CEPT. B.Arch admission uses NATA scores. Apply directly at cept.ac.in; check the university website for current application timelines and test formats.