The Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering trains students to be design engineers and product developers with a marked transdisciplinary profile, able to conceptualise, design, develop and produce a product, system or service that brings value to industry, society and the planet we live on.

Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering
With the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering you will be able to design and develop products, systems and services that bring value to industry, society and the environment, making use of the latest technological advances in the field.
Presentation and objectives
You will learn to dominate tools for digital and physical modelling, enabling you to represent and simulate the behaviour of a product to then select the most suitable materials and processes. To this end, you will consider the technical, functional, usability, process-related, environmental, aesthetic and communicative requisites for the optimisation of product manufacture and sale.
You will learn to detect innovation and market opportunities, as you become more familiar with the world of entrepreneurialism and new business models. You will learn to use the scientific and technical knowledge related to engineering to innovate sustainably and intelligently, with a view to the future, considering environmental, social and economic impacts.
Through our methodology, based on the concept of learning by doing, you will develop real and innovative projects in collaboration with companies to bring value to and help regenerate industry and society. Right from the first year and intensively throughout the degree, this approach will strengthen your technical and creative capacities and favour your entry into the professional sphere.
This will enable you to innovate:
- During the conceptualisation process (experimenting with materials, laboratory tests and formal definitions).
- In the design phase (3D modelling, structural analysis and production process optimisation).
- In the use experience (information management, digital interactivity and new business models).

Study Industrial Design Engineering in Barcelona
Industrial design engineering arose from an industry need for a profile that integrates the creative and aesthetic knowledge associated with design with the scientific and technical knowledge of industrial engineering. At Elisava this programme came into being twenty-five years ago to train students to work on increasingly complex design projects, which require a profile that can participate in the different phases of the planning process: product engineering, technical development, project management and regulatory compliance.
According to the Spanish Engineering Observatory, “in ten years over 200,000 engineers will be needed to cover company needs, both in the industrial and service sectors”.
“The profession is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, requiring other skills in the area of management and personal competencies”.
A nurtured network of partners (companies, institutions, start-ups, research centres, design studios), which share Elisava’s identity, viewpoint and ethical, environmental, social, technological and economic commitment.
Our methodology is based on “learning through projects”, applying all theoretical and practical concepts right from the start in order to design and develop the best solutions. The syllabus is organised so that each day you study a single subject, putting into practice the knowledge learnt in the same day.
The Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering is a programme for which scientific experimentation is key. A large number of the classes, therefore, take place in our laboratories and workshops. These spaces are open all day thereby allowing you to experiment and develop your projects freely. As well as the facilities in the building on La Rambla, we have agreements with various centres, such as the TMDC industrial workshop, the Ateneu de Fabricació (Fab Lab), and technological and research centres like Eurecat to enable you to develop everything the degree proposes, with total freedom and no limits.
Industrial design engineering is a profession in constant evolution which adapts to the latest technological advances. That is why we have updated the content of the degree and proposed new educational methodologies in direct connection with the industrial context and needs of the market.
We offer a high number of teaching hours in groups of a maximum of 25 students and monitor your university experience and wellbeing through the Tutorial Action Plan.
We personalise the search for your work placements based on your interests and what is on offer. In our internship and employment programme, we receive more than 300 placement and job offers.
You will work with different horizons in mind, with an understanding of the current market and looking to the future, working on application contexts, tools and innovative materials.
You will acquire the skills needed to make you an engineering professional, someone who understands innovation as a means and not an end, and who makes creative use of science and technology. You will study alongside students from the Degree in Design and Innovation, masters and other programmes, enriching your training.
The Spanish Engineering Observatory considers the incorporation of women into the profession as key, currently only accounting for 20% of all engineers in the country. Elisava has worked for many years towards promoting the presence of women in STEM careers. Currently, half of our students on the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering are women.
Study plan of the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering
The first year of the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering comprises subjects that provide an understanding of industrial design engineering and take a closer look at its transdisciplinary profile.The “Fórum” project is a learning space in which you can explore cross-cutting themes in the different subjects, like form, communication and sustainability.
In the second year, we’ll give you a global vision of the future of the profession. You can experiment with the latest emerging technologies, from the automation of production processes to the use of living materials.
The third year is the year for innovation, when you apply the knowledge you have gained in the product, system or service design and development process of your specialisation. Or, if you would like to create your own profile, you can choose different elective subjects from other specialisations, including from the Degree in Design and Innovation. As of the third year, you can undertake extracurricular placements and/or go on Erasmus and study a semester in a university abroad.
The fourth year is a year for professionalisation. During this year you undertake your Final Degree Project (TFG) in a company or institution, in which you will demonstrate your own personal stance. You undertake your curricular placements (24 ECTS) in leading companies, institutions or research centres in the sector, thereby ensuring your smooth incorporation into the professional sphere.
- Development and Simulation
- Management and Data
- Design and Materials
Matter
General and scientifically based introduction to materials in engineering, based on basic atomic and molecular models. Study of the main families of materials (metals, polymers, composites, ceramics, biological materials) and their properties. Deepening of concepts such as bioengineering, circularity and the sustainability of materials.
Algebra and Calculation
Fundamental mathematical concepts and calculation tools applicable to engineering. Computational application of mathematics as a design tool. In algebra emphasis is placed on geometric vision and transformations in space. In calculation, in the representation of curves and surfaces, and in the applications of derivatives and integrals.
Programming Fundamentals
Programming languages in industrial design engineering: creation of variables, conditional statements, control structures, definition of functions and object orientation. Programming applied to engineering: examples in different fields such as mathematical resolution, tangible programming, robotics, movement analysis, data visualization and app programming.
Artistic Expression
Basic graphic communication skills through drawing, photography and graphic design work to structure and communicate engineering projects.
Design Methodologies
Methodological basis of the design process in engineering, to enhance research, experimentation, design and communication capacities. Basic knowledge of systemic analysis and the scientific method to investigate and reason a product design and development process.
Material Physics
Learn the physical properties of materials, mainly mechanical, to make a correct and optimal selection of materials for the development of sustainable products in industrial design engineering. In the science lab, students will experiment with metallic, ceramic, polymeric, and composite materials.
Mechanics
Calculation and simulation of the optimization of a product at a structural level and mechanical operation. Study of the statics of mechanical systems, bases of the kinematics and dynamics of mechanisms and the application of the balance of power to solve mechanical systems and specific technical problems.
Computer Aided Design
Introduction to 3D parametric modeling for product design and development and its communication. It focuses on 4 key aspects: recognizing and shaping the two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometric shapes of a product using 3D parametric software; propose different strategies in parametric modeling; troubleshoot 3D assembly modeling and joints; and organize the different components of the representation of a product in 2D and 3D (ENG).
Electrical and Electronic Technology
Observe and understand the different technologies associated with electrical and electronic circuits, magnetic phenomena and the different types of motors. The theoretical base will be combined with practical cases of tangible programming, applicable to the different stages of development of products, systems and services.
Aesthetics and Design
Understand objects from the culture of form, acquiring the necessary knowledge for the historical, social, cultural and formal analysis of an object or design. By carrying out two projects, this knowledge is integrated into the process of designing, developing and prototyping everyday objects with technological elements.
Industrial Processes
Introduction to the manufacturing processes for the different families of materials: ceramics, metals, polymers and compounds. From molds to additive manufacturing, through machining, injection or cold forming. It delves into the technological aspects of the design and development process of a product and the technical decisions of a product, defining the materials that compose it and the manufacturing processes (ENG).
Structural Calculation
Sizing structural elements subjected to combined efforts, analyzing mechanical systems (products) and evaluating the loads that act and the efforts they cause. You will learn to calculate stresses and deformations in an elastic regime and to size elements with the appropriate safety factor, applying the failure criteria corresponding to each material.
Statistical Methods
Methodology to perform statistical calculations in the descriptive and inferential area. Properly apply data collection methods, work with random variables and be able to define probability distributions. Creation of confidence intervals to guarantee the reliability of the data, linear regression techniques and correlation to make hypotheses from the collected data.
Graphic Expression
Bases for graphic communication with drawing techniques in sketches and CAD programs. Starting point to achieve the knowledge of graphic representation in engineering through the creation of industrial assemblies and the breakdown of their components, including the representation applying the regulations by manufacturing plans, tolerances and finishes.
Design and Experimentation Project
Introduction to the project from the most exploratory and experimental side, with scientific knowledge as the starting point of the investigation. The role of technical documentation of scientific research for the justification of the decisions made will be deepened. A briefing or problem to be solved is proposed to implement project techniques and methodologies that allow reaching a solid value proposition.
Materials Technology
Study and understand the principles that govern the behavior of matter from an optical, thermodynamic and fluidic point of view. Analysis of optical phenomena such as reflection and refraction, dispersion and polarization with existing materials. Heat transmission: conduction, induction, convection and radiation, as well as the fundamental notions of fluids and their behavior on a micro and macro scale.
Computer Aided Manufacturing
Design of products for their manufacture and assembly: design of parts for the production process, solving the systems of unions and mechanical assemblies of the product. Generation of the corresponding technical documentation. Industrial technologies and digitization systems for manufacturing will be studied in depth.
Technology and Interaction
Technology and user experience. Methodologies for concretion of the architecture of interactive products, systems and services, to attend to the entire life cycle: usability, functionality, manufacturing, distribution and rejection. User experience techniques to make design decisions, adapting the product to the different cultural, social, economic, ethical and gender perspective (ENG) realities.
Management of Technological Projects
Learn different business models, ways of managing a project and market research. Techniques for managing teams and leading departments. Tools and resources to delegate tasks and monitor objectives. Emphasis on management with a gender perspective.
Development and Sustainability Project
Introduction to industrial ecology projects through the application of sustainable, economic and social analysis techniques, applied in the life cycle of a product, system and/or service. Study of existing methodologies and current regulations, and preparation of documentation for technical feasibility.
Advanced Materials
Study of the different families of materials (ceramic, metallic and polymeric) within a framework of sustainability and circularity of materials. Design and development of circular technical materials through the revaluation of waste. Creation of new materials suitable for additive manufacturing or the creation of composites.
Simulation
Optimization of the mechanical behavior of a product with simulation tools. Analysis of complex mechanical mechanisms and systems, dimensioned for their function and to comply with the corresponding safety factor. Definition of the boundary conditions and material properties with simulation tools, to obtain the
product stresses and displacements.
Mechatronics and Robotics
History of robotics. Definition of the technologies associated with robotics, as well as the different types of robots, and domestic and industrial applications. Knowledge of complex mechanisms, analysis of forces, speeds and degrees of freedom, analysis of critical positions, optimization of mechanisms and technical redesign applied to robotics.
Elective
To choose 1 subject (see the end of the study plan)*
Electives
To choose 4 subjects (see the end of the study plan)*
Design Research
Introduction to research through design, scientific research techniques and tools applicable to the design and development of a project. Search methodologies of the design process taking into account the different cultural, social, economic, ethical and gender realities. The context of application will be the previous investigation of the Final Degree Project with the aim of guiding the first explorations and reaching a value proposition (ENG).
External Intersnships I and II
Application of the knowledge and skills obtained during the degree in a professional environment, whether in institutions, companies, or technological and/or research centers. Development and reflection on professional identity in a practical way and in context.
Elective
To choose 1 subject (see the end of the study plan)*
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Definition and development of a business plan for the Final Degree Project or any other project created at school or personally. Analysis of its life cycle, assessing its industrial, business organization, financing and profitability implications in the current legal-fiscal framework, to achieve a successful situation (ENG).
Communication & Academic Writing
Tools and strategies for visual, oral and written communication of a project, aimed at the scientific community and society in general. Application in the Final Degree Project or any other project to be developed, both at an academic and business level (ENG).
Final Degree Project
Development of the Final Degree Project that starts from an own proposal or collaboration with institutions, companies or research centers. It will have a theoretical foundation, a research methodology, a formal and technical development, an economic feasibility study and a final documentation and exhibition.
Simulation Project
Management and development of a real engineering project through virtual validation of the product. Application of digital technologies used by the industry, and emerging simulation tools that support manufacturing, assembly and use.
Structural and Multiphysics Simulation
Design based on simulation and finite element analysis. Structural simulation as a validation and design tool. Design generation from topological optimization and multiphysics simulation.
Kinematics and Dynamics Simulation
Creation of complex kinematic connections of mechanical system. Evaluation of the technical requirements necessary for the design and operation of a product. Interpretation and evaluation of the results obtained in a kinematic and dynamic simulation of a mechanism. Optimization of the movement of a product.
Implementation and Technical Development
Management of the product life cycle during its development, technical validation and production through a practical case. Industrial implementation based on the development for the manufacture, function and assembly of components, under the standards of manufacturing processes and quality.
Data Project
Integration in the company of a process of innovation and control of the productive system to be competitive in the current changing context. Application of the processes to experiment and validation of the integration of innovation, in order to make the right decisions, implement them and organize human teams.
Manufacturing and Intelligent Systems
Digital technologies for the development, manufacture and distribution of a product, system and service. Application in the contexts of industry 4.0, the maker world and the new digital crafts.
Connected Ecosystems
Fundamentals of communication between devices (wifi, bluetooth or radio frequency communication). Creation of architectures for the management of data captured by sensors and processing of this information with basic artificial intelligence systems.
Data Analysis and Visualization
Tools for the analysis and correct visualization of the data, in a panorama in which there is more and more information. Creation of different visualizations and representations, with an artistic approach.
Materials Project
Design and development of a product (or applied technology) from a material and its properties. Creation of a functional prototype that integrates the investigated material, the integral communication of the investigation and the results in a scientific, cultural, social and economic context.
Design and Biomaterials
Study and experimentation with materials of biological origin and/or materials suitable for biological interaction (or biomaterials). Introduction to advanced biological materials, implantation in living systems, and tissue engineering. 3D and 4D printing for the digital fabrication of tissues and living systems. Natural microstructures and nanomaterials.
Sustainability and Regeneration
Holistic vision of sustainability and in-depth analysis of the life cycle of a product, system or service. Data interpretation of the ecological, economic and social impact of the design process. Manufacture and use of products, systems and services as a principle to regenerate the local economic, social and industrial fabric.
Hybrid and Sensory Materials
Exploration and creation of hybrid materials, combining organic and inorganic materials. Learning techniques such as screen printing, printed electronics, textiles and additive manufacturing. Exploration of outer layers with interactive properties on the body in the form of wearables and second skins.
Crossover Project
Development of transversal projects with teams of various specialties (ENG).
Graphic Design Project
Learning the structure of the phases of a graphic design project.
Product Design Project
Approach to speculative and technological product design.
Space Design Project
Development of methodologies that allow defining the design project of public spaces in its different phases.
Interactive Experience Design Project
Review of concepts and theoretical perspectives and tour of interactive projects.
Processes and Materials Workshop: Graphic Design
Advanced text composition, grid and font design.
Processes and Materials Workshop: Product Design
Theoretical-practical exercises to learn about and experience new industrial processes and materials and digital manufacturing technologies.
Processes and Materials Workshop: Design of Spaces
Details and construction systems, control of the sustainability of a project (environmental impact and well-being).
Processes and Materials Workshop: Design of Interactive Experiences
Conceptualization, design and creative programming of an interactive prototype.
During the 4 years of the degree you will have the opportunity to participate in academic projects, workshops and other activities in collaboration with more than 450 companies and institutions in our network.
At Elisava, we provide you with a network of national and international contacts to do internships and participate in real projects.
With the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering you will gain the knowledge and competencies needed to develop a creative attitude towards experimentation, with scientific and humanist criteria that are both relevant and innovative. You will learn to configure new realities and interpret the historical, social, cultural, economic and technological context, as well as to integrate formal sensitivity as part of a project’s process.
- Assess the properties of materials and their manufacturing processes for their selection and characterisation.
- Apply modelling and simulation techniques to take decisions in the development of a project.
- Understand and apply data, from the most abstract to the most specific.
- Apply techniques for graphic expression to be able to visualise and communicate the design and development of a product.
- Use the basics of economics and business to manage an organisation, whether as a freelance or in a company.
- Produce prototypes to communicate aspects of a project and ensure its technical rationale.
- Use scientific methods to integrate research sources into decision-making.
- Understand the current industrial reality to be able to work in a professional setting.
- Identify emerging technologies that can bring value to a project.
If you want to travel for a few months to study in another city, we have agreements with the most prestigious international universities in the world of design. We participate in exchange, cooperation and research programmes with more than 80 academic institutions.
On completing your Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering you can work in sectors like:
Design and development of vehicles and components for this sector (cars, motorbikes, bicycles and electric scooters, aeroplanes, autonomous mobility and urban mobility…).
Implementation of parametric and 3D tools (3D modelling, 3D visualisation, 3D printing). Use and development of additive fabrication-3D printing technologies in the field of industry, academia and research and development.
Design and development of products and electronic devices like mobile phones, tablets, electronic accessories and smart fabrics.
Integration of new materials and digital technology in fabrics and electronic accessories.
Design and development of websites, mobile apps, the Internet of things or augmented reality, virtual reality or artificial intelligence applications.
Design and development of products and clothing, footwear and accessories for improving and optimising sporting performance.
Design and development of accessories, such as footwear, which takes into account aspects from personalization through digital manufacturing to environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Design and development of containers and packaging (large-scale consumption, food, e-commerce or eco-packaging), considering formal and functional factors, relating technique and industry with the design of glass, plastic, metal, lamination, paper or cardboard packaging.
Design and development of solutions for hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry and the biomedical sector, in products like prostheses, laboratory tools, packaging machinery, medical devices, etc.
Design, development and science for the transition towards a circular economy, with a focus on material selection and the environmental design and assessment of products.
The following professional areas will be available to you:
- Private sector. You can work as an engineer in companies, studios, technical offices, research centres and technical, design, research, project-focused and new product development departments in any industrial sector.
- Entrepreneurship. You will be able to create your own business, company or start-up, for example, by building on your Final Degree Project or other project.
- Consultancy. You will be able to work as a consultant in industrial design and product, system and service development.
- Public or private teaching.
- Research, development and innovation. You will be able to work undertaking research in public or private centres (universities, public research bodies or technological centres) and in R&D&I departments in public or private companies.

90% of students find work in the following months of the end of the Undergraduate Degree. In addition, 80% would repeat the degree and the university. Source: AQU Catalunya.
More than 25,000 students have passed through Elisava, here we present some Alumni of the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering who have marked the school:
Elisava is the Faculty of Design and Engineering of the Universitat de Vic – Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC). Although UVic-UCC is a privately owned university, access to its undergraduate degrees is governed through the Generalitat de Catalunya’s university pre-registration system (two calls: June and September).
Students from non-EU countries can also access university degrees through the Foundation Year, which prepares international students who have completed secondary education in their home country.
Financing and scholarships
Here you can check all the information related to financing, payment methods and scholarships that we offer to access the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.
The academic quality at Elisava is demanding, and excellently recognized internationally. We are the first design school in Spain, we have been innovating for 60 years through a reference educational model.
You can write to students of the Undergraduate Degree in Industrial Design Engineering to find out more about their experience at Elisava (subjects, international mobility, internships, projects with companies, professional opportunities…). Click on their Instagram accounts below and write them a private message.
If you have any question or doubt, you can contact us through WhatsApp.