POLI.design Milan: Master's programs in Design at Politecnico
POLI.design, a consortium company of Politecnico di Milano in the Bovisa Campus, offers over 25 Master's programs and just as many advanced training courses. Part of Politecnico's Design System, among the world's best for Art & Design in the QS World University Rankings.
About POLI.design
POLI.design is the consortium company founded by Politecnico di Milano dedicated to postgraduate education in design, based in the Bovisa Campus, a former industrial area converted into a university hub north of central Milan. Together with the School of Design and the Design Department of Politecnico, POLI.design forms the so-called Design System of the Milan university, today the largest international university for training product, communication, interior and fashion designers by number of students and faculty.
The institution offers over 25 first- and second-level Master's programs and over 25 advanced training courses, totaling around 80 educational projects, organized around seven thematic areas and five innovation pathways. POLI.design is open to both Italian and foreign graduates and collaborates with international universities, institutions and companies, maintaining a close relationship with the Milanese and Italian design production sector.
Main academic areas
Postgraduate Master's programs in Product, Interior, Communication and Fashion Design, a Politecnico di Milano consortium
POLI.design statistics and indicators
Politecnico di Milano (the reference institution) is among the world's best for Art & Design in the QS World University Rankings by Subject. Employability: aggregate figure not published. Courses mainly delivered in Italian, with some modules/Master's in English.
POLI.design's history
POLI.design was founded in 1999 by Politecnico di Milano, with the goal of creating a structure specifically dedicated to postgraduate education in design, able to draw on the extensive multidisciplinary expertise of Italy's oldest and most important technical university. POLI.design's founding came at a time of strong growth for Politecnico's School of Design, which during the 1990s and 2000s was establishing itself as an international reference point for education in the sector.
Together with the School of Design and the Design Department, POLI.design helped build what is known as Politecnico di Milano's Design System, an ecosystem of resources, expertise, labs and infrastructure now considered among the most important in the world in its field. Over more than twenty-five years of activity the consortium company has progressively expanded its academic offer, coming to offer more than 25 Master's programs and just as many advanced training courses, always maintaining a strong tie to the Italian design production world and developing international partnerships with universities and companies worldwide.
What people say online about POLI.design
Reviews on EDUopinions are mixed regarding organizational clarity, but generally positive on teaching quality.
A student describes their program as "the most enriching experience" of their studies, calling it probably the best specialization in fashion design, while noting a start that felt chaotic.
Another student admits never clearly understanding the school's formal name ("Poli Design or Scuola of Design"), reflecting some perceived confusion about the articulated structure of Politecnico's Design system.
- Strong positioning of Politecnico di Milano in the QS Art & Design rankings (5th worldwide in 2021)
- Teaching quality generally highly appreciated, with specializations described as "most enriching experience"
- Design campus described as the best in Politecnico for green and outdoor spaces
- Faculty made up of professionals active in the workforce, with direct and ongoing connection
- 80 total educational projects, among the widest postgraduate design catalogs in Italy
- Organizational structure sometimes perceived as complex to navigate, especially regarding the distinction between School of Design, POLI.design and Design Department
- Campus described as overcrowded during breaks
- The start of the program perceived as chaotic by some students
FAQ — POLI.design
POLI.design embodies the postgraduate component of Politecnico di Milano's Design System: an educational ecosystem that leverages the academic prestige of Italy's most important technical university to build highly specialized pathways, with faculty rooted in the design production world.
