Course overview and planning

The programme comprises 30 ECTS credits, starting September 22th 2025, structured as a half-time programme.

On-site courses: Classes take place one day per week, on Monday.
Personal workload: An additional day is reserved for preparing courses and working on projects.
Internship option: In the second semester, participants can opt for a half-time internship, increasing the total credits to 45 ECTS (fee not included).
International students: For those requiring a visa (minimum 54 credits), additional elective courses can be taken through the Faculty of Design Sciences (fee not included).

Planning

The programme follows the academic calendar of the University of Antwerp, starting the last week of September. The second semester starts early February.

Two mandatory introduction days are held near Antwerp in September, prior to the start of the academic year.
On-site course days are structured as follows: two hours of theoretical background, two hours of applied theoretical insights and half a day project work, including consultation and feedback sessions.
Peer reviews and discussion are regularly scheduled to foster collaboration and shared learning. 
The two main challenge-based projects span an entire semester and concludes with a presentation of results. The service design challenge is conducted in semester 1. The systemic design challenge in semester 2.
The individual self-development track runs throughout the entire academic year.
No exams are held; assessment is based on continuous evaluation, peer evaluation and jury evaluation.

Location

Stadscampus of the University of Antwerp, in the building O of the Department of Product Design and Development, Paardenmarkt 94, 2000 Antwerp.