Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Study Industrial Design

Industrial design develops creative solutions for products and their applications. Our comprehensive design teaching provides you with a technical, artistic and theoretical foundation. We negotiate design from the perspective of sustainability and social responsibility.

application infomation
Foyer
Foto: Florian Hammerich/OTH Regensburg

Content

What is the Industrial Design degree programme about?

Our aim is to enable you to work as a professional designer: while you acquire skills and expertise in applied artistic and academic modules, your creativity will also be cultivated and stimulated throughout your degree. As a graduate, you will be skilled in the conception, presentation and technical-economic development of industrial design projects. You will be able to work independently or as an employee in a design studio, or in the design or product development department of a company and will have qualified for a Master's degree in the broader field of industrial design. With an awareness of sustainable design, you will assume responsibility for society and the environment.

Teaching is divided into the four areas of design, theory, technology and electives:

  • Design training takes first place for the entire duration of the degree. In the Design and Product Design modules, artistic-technical design methods and their application are practised through project work. The Experimental Laboratory offers freer tasks. Students come into contact with artistic work in the Light and Colour, Drawing and Sculptural Forming modules and during the Immersion Workshop Week. The "teachable" components of design include the basics of form-finding in image creation and editing with 2D and 3D programmes in the Digital Tools module, as well as analogue and digital practice in Model Making and Prototyping. These technical and methodological skills are needed to adequately communicate ideas in a professional manner and to be able to work independently or in an executive capacity later on. The final semester is used for applied academic research in the Bachelor's Seminar, where students develop their own theories, finally culminating in the Bachelor's Thesis.
  • In the theory modules, design is studied through the lenses of history, perceptual psychology, sociology, culture and philosophy. In the Design History module, Students encounter ideas which focus on different aspects of design: material (things), social (people) and environmental (nature). This orientation in the multidisciplinary context of design enables students to express themselves critically and constructively on design topics. In the Design Theory modules, academic skills are taught successively, building on each other. Design Management introduces students to structured entrepreneurial behaviour.
  • A fundamental understanding of material sciences, as well as the principles of design and manufacturing methods, form the focus of the technical modules. The Mechanics, Statics and Strengths of Materials module uses the interfaces between the faculties of Mechanical Engineering and Architecture to provide the theoretical foundations for this and introduces future industrial designers to the engineering mindset. The Human Machine Interface module deals with meeting human needs through ergonomic product design. Students spend the practical semester in a design studio, in the design department of a manufacturing company or in public institutions such as research institutes or theatres. This hands-on experience in a professional environment introduces students to the many practical applications of industrial design. The internship can also be completed abroad. In the subsequent Directed Studies Research seminar, the students compare notes on their practical experiences and consider their individual career goals.
  • Elective Modules allow room for specialisation according to personal inclination within the otherwise highly-structured curriculum.

The structure and composition of the degree programme are subject to continuous change. Feedback from students and the teaching staff feeds into the further development of the module plan, as do changes in design concepts and professional practice.

Structure and modules

How is the degree programme structured?

The Bachelor's in Industrial Design is a full-time course lasting sevensemesters. The programme consists of six theoretical semesters and one practical semester. Elective modules allow for individual specialisation.

  • Industrial Design is an interdisciplinary degree programme. The first year lays the foundations of the various subjects.

    Modules:

    • Design I & II
    • Immersion Workshop Weeks I & II
    • Digital Tools I & II
    • Light and Colour
    • Design History I & II
    • Mechanics, Statics and Strengths of Materials
    • Material Sciences I & II
    • Drawing
    • Manufacturing Methods

    For further information see: Study and examination regulations, curriculum and modulehandbook in the downloadarea.


  • In the second stage of your studies, you will increase your creative and design potential and take modules spanning artistic design theory, cultural studies, economics and engineering.

    Modules:

    • Product Design I & II
    • Digital Tools III & IIII
    • Sculptural Forming
    • Design Theory I & II
    • Engineering Design
    • Product Design III
    • Model Making and Prototyping
    • Experimental Laboratory
    • Practice, Management and Portfolio
    • Human Machine Interface

    For further information see: Study and examination regulations, curriculum and module handbook.


  • The curriculum stipulates an internship in the sixth semester. The aim is to introduce students to the many practical applications of industrial design through hands-on experience in a professional environment. These applications are primarily found in design studios, but also in the design departments of planning or design offices, the design or product development departments of manufacturing companies and occasionally in public institutions such as research institutions or theatres. The knowledge acquired so far in the degree should be tested and applied in practice. The internship may also be completed abroad.


  • The final semester is intended for specialisation and research. Students develop their own theories, which ultimately find expression in the Bachelor's Thesis.


Arbeitsbereich
Foto: Florian Hammerich/OTH Regensburg

Studies and organisational matters

So that everything runs smoothly

When and where do lectures take place? Which legal regulations must be observed? Who can you ask?

Answers to these and other questions about studying Industrial Design can be found here.

  • Lectures take place mainly on the main campus of the OTH Regensburg in the Faculty of Architecture buildings:

    Building L
    Galgenbergstraße 32
    93053 Regensburg

     


Faculty strengths

Laboratories and workshops

In addition to our digital laboratories, a great strength of the faculty lies in its well-equipped workshops, model workrooms and the faculty's own "Fab-Lab". In addition to an extensive woodworking workshop, the faculty has a metal workshop, a plaster and ceramics laboratory, a material science laboratory, a photo laboratory, a surveying laboratory, a design laboratory, a lighting laboratory, an assembling studio and a Fab-Lab with paper cutter and 3D printers working in plastic, synthetic resin and plaster. In the model workrooms, students can assemble moulded parts, most of which they produce themselves. A unique research facility at the Faculty of Architecture is the renowned Friedrich Mielke Institute for Scalalogy, an independent institution for staircase research, globally known and recognised in professional circles well before the 2014 Architecture Bienniale in Venice. The laboratories and workshops are actively used by students from all degree programmes and are being expanded in the new building to include a lighting laboratory and an assembling studio.

Application info

1. Please register in the  OTH Regensburg application portal. It is not necessary to register with “Hochschulstart” for this degree programme.

2. The application process is entirely online. Please complete the online application and upload all required application documents. This includes as a minimum your university entrance qualification. An important part of the application is your digital portfolio. Without it, your application is not valid. If further documents are required, they will be requested in the application portal.

3. Make sure you regularly check your status in the application portal. Here you can also see whether any documents are still missing. You can upload missing documents before the deadline for late submission of certificates. If you upload the required documents, your status will change.

4. You will automatically receive email notifications via the application portal when your application status changes.

 

5. After your application has been processed, you will receive an e-mail with further information from the Admissions and Organisation Office of the OTH Regensburg as confirmation of receipt.

6. After the application period has ended, all valid application documents are checked by the examination committee. You will then receive either an invitation to the aptitude test or a notice of non-acceptance from the faculty. Please note that it is no longer possible to apply after the application deadline. 

7. So what comes next? You can find all the information you need in the section under "Admissions and enrolment".

 

For winter semesters:

Application period for first semesters: 1 May - 15 June. Final deadline for late submission of certificates: 27 July.

Application period for higher semesters: 01 May - 15 June (no late submissions)

For summer semesters:

(No start of studies, therefore an application is only possible for a higher semester. This requires creditable achievements from a relevant programme of study).

Application period for higher semesters: 15 November – 15 January (no late submissions)

Portfolio

In order to pre-select the candidates for the aptitude test, we require you to submit a digital portfolio which you should upload in the admission portal together with the other application documents. The portfolio should not exceed a maximum of 20 MB. The following documents must be uploaded individually:

  1. Curriculum vitae (max. one DIN A4 page).
  2. A signed declaration (= declaration of authorship) that all work has been produced independently (max. one DIN A4 page).
  3. A letter of motivation (max. one DIN A4 page); Industrial Designers at the OTH Regensburg speak and write in German, but also in English. You can write your text in German or English. Let the following questions guide you when writing your letter of motivation:

    - Why do I apply for studying Industrial Design?

    - Which object in my personal environment inspires me in terms of its design and why?

    - What do I want to learn at OTH? What role do teachers and fellow students play in this?

    - How and where will I contribute to addressing relevant social questions with my designs in my career?

  4. Portfolio: cover page / title page with your full name, your complete address and your application number.

Information about the portfolio

Your portfolio should contain 10, maximum 15 different works. What kind of works should they be? It is desirable that part of your work is related to industrial design. Drawings, colour works, artistic photos, images of three-dimensional works - whatever you submit, quality is more important to us than quantity. Whether you are showing design sketches, drawings from your personal environment, free works, digital art or paintings - we are interested in the depth of your creative exploration, your curiosity, the urgency of your creative concern and your skills. Select your best work and ensure a certain variety in the different subjects and techniques. The sooner these documents arrive, the easier it will be for us to judge your work. The portfolios will be evaluated by examiners of the faculty on a point scale of 1-50 points. Results will be announced promptly by e-mail. Please refrain from inquiries and please don't contact us for advice on portfolio design. 

Application status

If your application status is „Temporarily excluded“, this is because you have not submitted a suitable university entrance qualification (higher secondary school certificate or similar). This status is not related to your portfolio or the aptitude test. If you upload a university entrance qualification certificate which fulfils our requirements, your status will change. Please read more about your status.

Aptitude test on 12.07.2024

The next step is taking the aptitude test at OTH Regensburg. You can find the Faculty of Architecture in building L in Galgenbergstraße 32, 93053 Regensburg. If your application is successful, you will receive an e-mail invitation to the qualifying examination at the latest one week before the date of the test.

Together with the invitation, you will receive a preparatory homework assignment, which you are requested to complete independently. Please bring the results of the homework assignment to the aptitude test. The homework will play a part in the interview.

The day of the aptitude test will be scheduled as follows:

  • 8:00 AM - 8.45 am   Registration (Please let us know whether you have registered for the aptitude test in Architecture as well = double application. If that is the case, we will consider this for our planning.)
  • 8:45 am - 9:15 am   Welcome speech
  • 9:30 am - 10:15 am   Rational-cognitive part
  • 10:30 am - 12:50 pm Artistic-creative part
  • 12:50 pm - 1:40 pm   Lunch break
  • 1:40 pm - ca. 6:00 pm   Interviews
  • from ca. 6:00 pm Conclusion with students of the faculty

The homework and the interview will be evaluated by examiners of the faculty using a point scale. The criteria will be evaluated as follows:

  • Artistic-creative part: 0 to max. 20 points
  • Rational-cognitive part: 0 to max. 20 points
  • Interview about the choice of study and professional goals: 0 to max. 10 points

Further assessment criteria:

  • Spatial imagination
  • Drawing skills
  • Descriptive and communication skills
  • Technical understanding
  • Perception
  • Creativity, imagination and originality
  • Information processing
  • Work behaviour
  • Ability to work in a team, commitment
  • Motivation

Results will be announced promptly by e-mail; verbal enquiries cannot be answered.

Legal basis:Study and Examination Regulations and University Statutes on the Evaluation of Applicants

General Information:

During the pre-study placement, practical ideas and knowledge are to be conveyed, i.e. no auxiliary activities should be performed. It is to be completed full-time ( which is normal in companies/institutions).
If you are attending the FOS/BOS, please do not enclose any internship documents, proof of activities, etc. Your school leaving certificate is sufficient, as it states the field of study.

Confirmation of pre-study placement:

- Submit one complete confirmation and not several partial confirmations.
- The number of weeks must be included in all pre-study placement confirmations; i.e. not only the period of time.
- If the previous pre-study placement was not completed in Germany, a certificate in at least English is required.

You are welcome to use our ”Praktikumsbestätigung” (pre-study placement confirmation) form as an aid and submit it to the company/institution for signature.

Special information for this study programme:

The pre-study internship requirement does not apply if the FOS/BOS certificate with the subject major design is uploaded with your application for admission. In all other cases, the following information applies:

Due date of the pre-study internship certificate:

With your application for admission, at the time of enrolment, at the latest by the beginning of your studies. Exception: Completion is not possible prior to the start of studies if this is due to the fulfilment of a public service obligation, which in individual cases ends less than 6 weeks before the start of the study period.

Duration:

6 weeks

Splitting up your pre-study internship:

The pre-study internship can be divided into two periods and two internships. The documents must be submitted once in full, not several times with partial confirmations.

Content:

The pre-study internship must include construction planning or design activities and can be completed in the following areas: Architectural or engineering offices, design departments, Design departments of industrial or craft manufacturers, in film, television and theatre, Industrial and craft enterprises focused on design or model carpentry, Advertising, PR and media agencies with a 3D department, Service companies and public institutions whose work focuses on the visualisation of products and services, art directorates, advertising agencies, design offices, companies in the field of furniture construction, shop fitting, trade fair construction, graphic designers, fashion design. The following professions are recognised: Toolmaker, precision mechanic, carpenter, lathe operator, model maker or similar.

During the pre-study placement, you should get to know job-related fields of activity in industrial design. These include: idea generating, model making, craft and industrial manufacturing methods, digital representation and processes, construction, material science, multimedia, media design, media planning and controlling, graphics/layout, screen design, image editing, designing trades, fairs and exhibitions, design management.

1. Please register in the application portal of OTH Regensburg .

2. You can now select the programme you want to apply for. Please go through the steps of the application, read the information carefully and upload the required documents when prompted. If you are applying for a higher semester, the most important documents are your university entrance qualification (for details please also check the tab „International“), certificates of language proficiency, official transcripts of records showing the courses you already completed, as well as a completed and signed application for credit recognition. Additional documents will be pointed out in the application portal.

Important!
You should only apply for a higher semester if you have already completed at least one semester in a similar university degree in terms of academic level (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree) and field of study. If you are currently enrolled in your first semester at university, you should not apply for a higher semester because you will most likely not receive your exam results before our application deadline (we do not accept any documents after the deadline).

To assess whether you have already completed creditable work, you should first read the study and examination regulations of the programme you wish to study, in particular which courses and modules are included in the curriculum. Further details of course content can be found in the programme’s module handbook. You can find these documents on the OTH Regensburg programme website. If you believe that you have already completed courses that are equivalent in terms of content and workload to courses from the programme’s curriculum at OTH Regensburg, you can make a proposal for recognition to the Admissions Board by listing these courses in the application for credit transfer. You also need to submit transcripts of records. Please combine these with course or module descriptions from your previous university. Instead of uploading the complete module handbooks, you should only upload the module descriptions of the courses you have completed. If the courses were taken at OTH Regensburg, module descriptions are not required. If you would be interested in studying the programme in the first semester as well, you should apply separately for the first semester (different deadlines or requirements may apply).

3. Please check the OTH Regensburg application portal regularly for updates on your status or missing documents. If necessary, you can upload any missing documents before the application deadline.

4. As soon as your application has been processed by the Admissions Office, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with additional information. Please note that receiving a confirmation e-mail does not imply that you will also receive admission.

 

For their application at the OTH Regensburg, international applicants need

  • a university entrance qualification
  • an adequate knowledge of German

 

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE QUALIFICATION

For an application for a Bachelor’s degree programme at the OTH Regensburg (university of applied sciences) international certificates, transcripts of your educational records and diplomas must first be recognized by uni-assist. Please request a so-called “preliminary review documentation” (in German abbr. VPD). (Exceptions are applications from the PR China and Vietnam. The recognition lies in the responsibility of the particular Academic Evaluation Center. However, if the APS certificate does not show a grade, a VPD is also required. Applicants from India need a certificate of the Academic Evaluation Center of India in order to request the VPD from uni-assist.)

 

GERMAN LANGUAGE SKILLS

German language skills on level DSH 1 are required. You have to upload your German language certificate either when applying or when enrolling via the online portal.

These certificates are recognized as an alternative to the DSH 1 certificate:

  • TestDaF: TDN 3 in all sections of the exam
  • Studienkolleg: Feststellungsprüfung „Deutsch“
  • DSD: Level II with B2 in all sections of the exam
  • Goethe: C1
  • telc: telc Deutsch C1, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule
  • ÖSD: C1
  • UNIcert® Deutsch III

Please read all texts and, if available, linked documents directly under Application Info!

 

If you need a visa to study in Germany, you should look into the visa procedure and (if necessary) register on the waitlist as soon as possible. Depending on your country, receiving a visa appointment can take a long time. On the other hand, our admission letters are only valid for one semester and admission cannot be deferred.

You can find more information for prospective international students (on visas or other issues) on the web pages of the International Office.

For prospective students with a master craftsman's certificate

With a master craftsman's certificate or an equivalent equivalent qualification, you can apply without restriction and have no subject restrictions, as you have a general university entrance qualification. In the application portal, you will be asked for your higher education entrance qualification. Please enter "Beruflich Qualifizierte Meister" (vocationally qualified master craftsman).

When applying, in addition to your complete certificate including grade point average, you must also submit documentary proof of an interview with the departmental advisor for course guidance. Please make an appointment as early as possible. The name and contact details can be found in the "contact" section of each degree programme. Your course guidance advisor will also provide you with documentary proof that the interview took place. Documentary records of academic counselling from other universities in Bavaria are recognised for the same or similar degree programmes and must also be uploaded in the application portal. Other documents specific to your chosen study programme can be found in the application portal.

Attending a preparatory course (including mathematics) is particularly useful for taking up a technical or engineering degree programme. The OTH Regensburg offers suitable preparatory courses for those with vocational qualifications.

If you would like to study part-time - i.e. parallel to your job - rather than full-time, we recommend that you visit the pages of the Centre for Continuing Education and Knowledge Management (ZWW).

 

For prospective students with a vocational qualification certificate

If you have completed vocational training, it is possible to apply for a place at university with a specific subject in mind. Your vocational training and the degree programme you wish to pursue must have a subject-related connection. In the application portal, you will be asked for your higher education entrance qualification. Please enter "Beruflich Qualifizierte Gesellen" (vocationally qualified journeymen).

Please upload the following documents with your application:

1. Certificate of completion of vocational training including grade point average

2. Certificate of completion from a vocational school

3. Proof of subsequent full-time employment of at least three years relevant to the vocational training.

4. Other documents specific to your chosen study programme can be found in the application portal.

5. Documentary record of an interview with the departmental advisor for course guidance. Please make an appointment as early as possible. The name and contact details can be found in the "contact" section of each degree programme. Your course guidance advisor will also provide you with confirmation that the interview took place. Documentary records of academic counselling from other universities in Bavaria are recognised for the same or similar degree programmes and must also be uploaded in the application portal.

For full admission, applicants are still required to complete a two-semester probationary period, i.e. admission is tentative and subject to certain conditions.

Attending a preparatory course (including mathematics) is particularly useful for taking up a technical or engineering degree programme. The OTH Regensburg offers suitable preparatory courses for those with vocational qualifications.

If you would like to study part-time - i.e. parallel to your job - rather than full-time, we recommend that you visit the pages of the Centre for Continuing Education and Knowledge Management (ZWW).

Admission and enrolment

If your application has the status “Gültig” ("valid"), you can already be assured that you will be offered a place in a study programme at the OTH Regensburg. (This does not apply to Bachelor degrees in Architecture, Industrial Design and Midwifery). You can download the corresponding “Zulassungsbescheid” (admission letter) in the application portal. You can accept your offer of admission immediately in the application portal and enrol online.

Enrolment generally takes place in August for the winter semester and in February for the summer semester.
If you have also applied for a degree programme with restricted admission, please wait with your current enrolment until the allocation of places in study programmes has been decided. However, to be on the safe side, you should enrol by the end of the deadline at the latest.
If you cannot be admitted due to missing documents, you will receive a letter of rejection.

Documents

The following documents must normally be uploaded for online enrolment at the university:

  • “Antrag auf Immatrikulation” (Application for enrolment) along with other documents required, depending on the individual case. You will be able to download the application for enrolment after accepting the place of study online in the OTH Regensburg application portal.
  •     Signed “Einwilligungserklärung zum Datenschutz” (declaration of consent regarding data protection). You will receive this together with the application for enrolment.
  •     Copy of valid identity card/passport
  •     Digital notification of health insurance, see the following notes "I would like to enrol. What do I have to do?"

Semester fee

You will receive the transfer details for the semester fee with your application for enrolment.

I want to enrol as a student and have to provide proof of health insurance. What do I need to do?

  • If you have chosen public / statutory insurance, please contact your health insurance company and inform them that you are planning to enrol at Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg. Your health insurance company will then send us a digital notification known as M10. Please note that we cannot accept any insurance membership certificates in PDF or paper form. Our institution number is H0000048 (please provide this to your insurance company if necessary).

    If you have questions about public vs. private insurance, please check the website of the DAAD.


  • If the insurance from your home country is not accepted in Germany and you are over 30 years old, you may have chosen a private health insurance for Germany. In this case, please contact any public health insurance company in Germany with your insurance documents. Please inform them that you would like to enrol at Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg and remain privately insured. The health insurance company will then send us a digital notification of your exemption from public insurance. Please note that we cannot accept an insurance membership certificate from your private health insurance instead of the exemption. Our institution number is H0000048.

    If you have questions about public vs. private insurance, please check the website of the DAAD.


  • If you are already insured in another EU country, your insurance may be accepted in Germany. If that is the case, you need to apply from exemption from compulsory public insurance. To do that, please contact any public health insurance company in Germany, send them your insurance documents and inform them that you would like to enrol at Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg. The health insurance company will then send us a digital notification of exemption. Please note that we cannot accept any insurance membership certificates in paper form. Our institution number is H0000048.

    If you are coming from a non-EU country and/or are over 30 years old, you need to take on public or private health insurance which is valid in Germany. The website of the DAAD should help you better understand your options and choose the type of insurance which is best for you. After you have chosen your insurance, please ask your insurance company to send us a digital confirmation message of your insurance, or (if you have chosen private insurance) apply for exemption as instructed above.