Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD)

[alert_box style=”white” title=”Contents”][list style=”square”][list_item]About the School[/list_item][list_item]Advanced Courses in Industrial Design, Interior Design, Transportation and Car Design, Visual Design, Web Media Design [/list_item][list_item]Contacts[/list_item][/list][/alert_box]

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name: Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD)
Type: Italian private postgraduate school
Description: A private, non-denominational Institute, SPD was the first post-graduated school of its kind ever established in Italy (1954) devoted entirely to the study of Design. Over time, it gained a solid reputation both in Italy and abroad, obtaining accreditation as an educational body of the Regione Lombardia and forging interesting partnerships with other companies and universities. Its students’ work is displayed at the Biennale di Venezia, in Paris at the Carrousel del Louvre and at the Centre Pompidou.
SPD is one of the headquarters of MATREC, the first EcoMaterials Library dedicated to environmentally sustainable materials and to their use in industry, architecture and design. In addition to one-year courses, SPD offers innovative master’s, such as, for example, the one on Food-Design, launched in 2014 in collaboration with IULM, Pepsi and Pepsi-related products. The list of notable lecturers at SPD includes names such as Patricia Urquiola, Denis Santachiara, Ross Lovegrove and Chris Bangle, while it’s also the alma mater of several prominent designers including Aldo Cibic, Ferruccio Laviani, Christoph Radl, Cino Zucchi, Elio Carmi, Marco Ferreri, Maurizio Di Robiliant, Martì Guixé, Silvia Sfligiotti, Robin Rizzini and Lorenzo Damiani.
Interesting new talents from SPD include Cedomir Pakusevskij, Erasmo Ciufo, Alessandro Bonaguro, Jorge Manes Rubio, Alessandro Stabile, Isaac Pineiro, Rui Pereira and Salvatore Franzese.
Open since: 1954
Founder: Nino Di Salvatore, Italian painter and sculptor. He was among the first who joined the abstract art movement named MAC (Movimento Arte Concreta) and particularly interested in the research into geometry, forms and colours. His ambition was to apply his theories in the field of art education and so the School was established.
Partnerships: SPD signed an agreement with IULM University for the organization and validation of the Master’s degrees.
Other close collaborations are with professionals, brands and institutions, such as Volkswagen, Beiersdorf, Poltrona Frau Group, Microsoft, Heineken, Alfa Romeo, Alias and Pepsi.
Awards:
(1954) Golden Medal of the 10th Triennale, Milan
(1984) Benemerenza Civica (civic value) from the Municipality of Milan
(1994) Compasso d’Oro from the ADI for its educational activity
(2012) alumnus Alessandro stabile was selected by the Italian Cultural Institute of New York for an exhibition about the top ten young Italian designers
(2014) the Frame’s Masterclass Guide to the world’s leading graduate schools features the SPD Master in Interior Design in its selection
Memberships:
CUMULUS (International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media)
ADI (Italian association of industrial designers)
AIAP (association of Italian graphic designers)
ASFOR (Italian association for education in management)
Students’ Nationalities: Italian students are approximately 20-25%. International students come from different areas of the world, many of them are at their first study abroad experience.
Accommodation Service: the school has not a dormitory, however the SPD staff provides foreign students with assistance in finding a suitable accommodation in private apartments or residences.
Fees and Scholarships: scholarships and tuition waivers are offered to high potential candidates, sometimes in association with academic partners. Eg. in 2011 tuition waivers were granted by SPD and Volkwagen to a selection of applicants to the Master in Transportation and Car Design.

ADVANCED COURSES IN INDUSTRIAL, INTERIOR, VISUAL, WEB, TRANSPORTATION AND CAR DESIGN:

To become: specialized designer – transportation designer, car designer, web designer, digital designer, food designer, product designer and more.
Language of Instruction: English
Courses:
EU Master’s degrees, lasting over a year.
One year courses – introduction to design-related subjects (pre-Master’s courses).
Readers should check with the School for the availability of short courses (1 week), workshops, intensive specialization programs and technical training. Contact the School
Final Degree/Diploma: SPD master’s courses are organized in collaboration with IULM University and therefore students who pass the final test will obtain an Italian Master’s degree (“Diploma di Master Universitario di Primo Livello”), and the related ECTS credits.
Attendance: full-time attendance is always mandatory.
Mode and Assessment: project-based approach and weekly reviews by the students’ tutors.
In particular:
– Master’s courses: technical training, coursework, individual and group study, internship
– One (academic) year courses: project-based training, theoretical and operational teaching and the preparation of a final project
Study Abroad Programs: No
Internship Program: Yes and compulsory, only for the master’s courses. Students of the one (academic) year courses have no internship program.
Placement: work in class is often carried out in collaboration with leading companies, which is the best chance for students to get noticed.
Classes: around 50 students (maximum).
Places: limited
Entry Requirements: a university degree or a relevant professional background, intermediate English, CV and portfolio. The final step is a motivational interview (Skype platform is admitted). Only the one (academic) year courses are open to graduates in disciplines that are not relevant to the area of further studies.
Starting Dates: the main in-take is in October. For more information about other in-takes prospective students should contact the School.