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Admissions Overview

Everything you need to know to apply and study design in one of Dubai's most prestigious design universities.

DIDI Dubai welcomes all students ready to challenge the status quo with their talent, creativity, and curiosity. While selected students come from various academic backgrounds and nationalities, they all share a common passion for design, creation, and innovation.

Apply now

Process and Requirements

When to Apply

Fall academic intake commences in September
Spring academic intake commences in January

Admissions Policy & Rules

At DIDI, we welcome creative thinkers who are ready to challenge conventions and design the future. Our admissions process ensures applicants meet the academic and language requirements to thrive in our dynamic learning environment.

To apply for the Bachelor of Design degree in Product Design, Multimedia Design, Fashion Design, or Strategic Design Management, candidates must complete 12 years of schooling and submit all required supporting documents.

Required Documents

To complete your application to DIDI, please prepare and submit the following:

Completed online application form
High school transcripts or exam certificates from the last three years of high school
English Proficiency Test score (Academic IELTS or TOEFL iBT) unless exempt*
Personal statement (500 words) outlining your academic interests, motivation for studying design, any previous design experience, extracurricular activities, and career aspirations
UAE Ministry of Education Equivalency Certificate (required for all applicants upon high school graduation)

*Applicants are exempt from the English Proficiency Test if their language of instruction was English and their final Grade 12 English subject average is 70% or above.

English Proficiency Test Score Requirement

Applicants whose language of instruction is English are exempt from taking an English Proficiency Test if their final Grade 12 English subject average is 70% or above.

English Proficiency Test Scores are assessments that measure a person's ability to communicate effectively in the English language. These tests evaluate a person's skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English, and provide a standardized score that indicates their level of proficiency. English proficiency test scores are often required by academic institutions as a means of ensuring that individuals have the necessary language skills to function effectively in English-speaking environments.TOEFL and IELTS score reports are valid for two calendar years.

English Proficiency Test type	Required Score
TOEFL iBT (Internet Based)	61
IELTS Academic	5.0

Entry Requirements

UAE (Thanawya Ammah) Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

Original graduation diploma and Attested 10,11,12 transcripts
Original transcript (10,11,12) with a minimum of 70% and above.

American Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

Graduation diploma
Original transcript (grade 10,11,12) with a minimum of C or 65% and above. (Only subjects classified as academic are considered in the calculation of the CGPA)
Student should pass 5 (five) subjects successfully (Arabic & Islamic Studies are excluded). The subjects must be within the approved lists of courses.
Pass the SAT Math test as required by the MoE for High School Certificate Equivalency

British Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

Applicants must complete Year 13 of schooling (equivalent to American Grade 12). And must provide a Sequencing Certificate (Certificate of School Registration History), the last year of schooling should show year 13.
Successfully complete 5 (five) Ordinary Level, GCSE or IGCSE subjects with an average grade of D and above (Arabic & Islamic Studies are excluded) AND
Successfully complete 2 (two) Advanced Subsidiary Level subjects with an average grade of ‘D’ and above OR
1 (one) Advanced Level subject with a grade of ‘D’ and above.
The subjects must be within the approved lists of courses.
The required attested certificates are the final IGCSE/GCSE/GCE grade reports (issued by the Board(s)), NOT the statement of results or the provisional results.

British Curriculum (BTEC Level 3 Diploma): MoE Equivalency

Attested BTEC Level 3 Diploma is equivalent to a vocational high school certificate.
BTEC Level 3 Diploma
Minimum of 120 credits
PP grade or higher

One of the following:

Attested GCSE/IGCSE certificate: Complete five approved GCSE/IGCSE subjects with a minimum average grade of D or 3 OR
Attested IB Middle Years Program (MYP)

International Baccalaureate (Ib): MoE Equivalency

Successfully complete grade 12 or its equivalent in either of the two following tracks:
Track 1: IB Diploma (Attested)
Obtaining the International Baccalaureate Diploma without counting the Islamic Studies subject as one of the required subjects to obtain the diploma.
Minimum overall points required is 24.
A minimum of 3 Higher Level (HL) and 3 Standard Level (SL) courses with a minimum grade for each subject is 3 and above. The subjects must be within the approved lists of the International Baccalaureate Organization.

Track 2: IB Certificate (Attested)

Student must pass 6 subjects from the International Baccalaureate subjects (IB Subject Certificate) excluding the Islamic Studies as one of the required subjects and according the following conditions:
Minimum grade required for each subject is 3.
Minimum overall grade required is 21.
To pass the core subjects (English, Mathematics, and a science subject) within the 6 required subject in the High Level (HL) or Standard level (SL)
The subjects must be within the approved lists of the International Baccalaureate Organization.

International Baccalaureate (Ib) Career-Related Program: MoE Equivalency

The International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme can be equivalent to both a technical and general high school certificate For Vocational High School Certificate Equivalency

BTEC Level 3 Diploma

Minimum of 90 credits completed PP grade or higher
PP grade or higher
IB Subject Certificate
Complete two HL/SL subjects with a minimum grade of 3 in each subject For General High School Certificate Equivalency
Attested BTEC Level 3 Diploma Minimum of 120 credits completed PP grade or higher
Attested IB Career-Related Program: Complete two HL/SL subjects with a minimum grade of 3 in each subject

One of the following:

Attested GCSE/IGCSE certificate.
Complete five approved GCSE/IGCSE subjects with a minimum grade of D or 3
Attested IB Middle Years Program (MYP)

Indian Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

The student must pass grades (10, 11, and 12), and the lower end of passing in each subject must not be less than D or 60%. The subjects must be within the approved lists of courses.
Attested academic transcript(s)/Board certificates for grades (10 & 12).

Pakistan Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

Minimum average of 70% in the Senior Secondary School Certificate (12th Standard), or 65% or more in the best two of the last three years.
Diploma certificate + transcript of grades for three years attested (all attestations)

CIS Countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, etc.): MoE Equivalency

Recognized high school certificate that follows the 11-year education program.
Average of 3/5 (a minimum score of 3.0 in the final year (grade 11), or a minimum score of 3.0 in the best two years of the last three years).
A copy of the attested graduation certificate & an attested copy of the academic transcript for the last 3 years of study (OR) An attested copy of grade 9 certificate + an attested copy of certificate for the last 2 years of study

Australian Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

Successful completion of Year 12 with 70% or Credit(B). The final graduation diploma must be issued from the province that accredits the school.
The student must pass grades 10, 11 & 12 according to the curriculum and study plan of the Australian state or the province.

Iranian Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

New system: Graduation certificate (تحصيلات دوم دوم متوسطة)
Current System: Graduation certificate (تحصيلات متوسطة)
Old System: Graduation certificate (بيش دانشكاهي) and transcript for 1 year
Transcript for 3 years after grade 9 with a minimum score of 14 points in the pre-university certificate, or a minimum average of 70% or its equivalent in the best two years of the last three years.
Copy of graduation certificate and transcripts translated (if not in English) and attested.
Note: Certificates issued by a system outside Khushur (Ryan Kashiha + Saba) by an Iranian educational center outside the issuing country will not be recognized by MOE, if they are not accredited by the issuing body in the issuing country.

Canadian Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

The student must pass grades 10, 11 & 12 (and have all documents attested) according to the curriculum and the study plan of the province and with a minimum of C or 70% and above.
The final graduation diploma must be issued by the province that accredits the school.

Nigerian Curriculum: (WAEC/NECO) MoE Equivalency

Successful completion of Senior Secondary School Certificate from West African Examination Council (WAEC) or National Examination Council (NECO).
Minimum of 7 subjects with 5 grades at C5 (Credit level) or an average equivalent to 75% or more in the WAEC or NECO results.

SABIS Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

B- (70%) in the final year, or B- (70%) average in the best two years of grades 10, 11, and 12.
For UAE Resident applicants, they are required to obtain a minimum SAT 1 Math test with a minimum score of 450 in mathematics

Chinese Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

To obtain a high school diploma, students must meet a minimum requirement of 144 credits and pass a national graduation examination.
Minimum of 70% or more or its equivalent in the final year national exam, or a minimum of 70% or more or its equivalent in the best two years.

German Curriculum: MoE Equivalency

The grading scale in the upper-secondary stage at Gymnasiums is a 15-point scale that is different from the grading scale used at other stages and types of schools.
Minimum score of 7 (seven) in the final year or an average of 7 (seven) or above in the best two years of the last three years.
While there are no centralized graduation exams at the end of the lower-secondary stage, the certificate of completion of grade 10 is usually officially equivalent to completion of middle maturity.

Transfer
Students

DIDI considers transfer students' applications coming either from regionally accredited universities or universities accredited by their country’s national educational authorities, and that has also been approved by the UAE’s Ministry of Education, as long as their courses align with DIDI’s curriculum and coursework.

Learn more

Finance and Tuition

For the detailed Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation fees, please download the Finance and Tuition Fees

Finance and Tuition Fees 2025/2026

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the admission team for more details on the eligibility criteria or to submit a scholarship request.

Contact Admissions Team

FAQs

How do I apply to DIDI’s Bachelor of Design degree?

To apply, create an account on https://admissions.didi.ac.ae/. You will then receive an email to verify and activate your account, noting that you will need a valid mobile number. Once the account is verified, you can proceed with your application.

How do I pay my seat reservation fee?

To guarantee your seat, you should follow these steps:

Accept your conditional offer by logging in to your application on the following link: https://admissions.didi.ac.ae/ and clicking accept
Pay a non-refundable deposit of AED 5,000 within ten working days from receiving your conditional offer. Deposits can be paid by cash, check, or bank transfer (DIDI’s bank account details are available in your conditional offer).
If you need further information, kindly reach out to the admissions team by email at admissions@didi.ac.ae‍

Will my application be considered without my TOEFL, IELTS, EmSAT, or SAT score?

If the required SAT score or the English Proficiency Language (EPL) test score (Academic IELTS, TOEFL iBT, or EmSAT English) are not yet available, you can still proceed with your application. However, your admission will remain conditional until you submit the missing scores or documents.

Where can I find and follow up on my application status?

All updates and information regarding your application’s status will be sent to you by email, please make sure you regularly check your inbox.

The best and preferred means of communication with the Admissions Office is by email admissions@didi.ac.ae‍

Can I make changes to my application?

You can only amend your application before you submit it. Once submitted, any change requests should be communicated to the DIDI Admissions staff. Change requests can be submitted by email to admissions@didi.ac.ae

When will I receive an admission offer?

Admitted applicants will receive an official Admission Letter by email within seven days after submitting the completed application. Make sure to regularly check your email to follow up and be informed of any eventual pending or additional requirements.

What are the tuition fees?

DIDI Dubai is a leading design institute in the region and offers the best value for money. For the detailed Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation tuition fees, please click here

What is the minimum high school average to apply?

To be eligible to apply to DIDI, a candidate must have completed 12 years of schooling and hold a recognized secondary school certificate with a minimum of 75% or more (or its equivalent) in the final year.

Does DIDI accept transfer students?

Yes. DIDI encourages and welcomes applicants who meet the admissions requirements to transfer to DIDI.

If you need further information, kindly reach out to the admission team by email at admissions@didi.ac.ae‍