{"id":88236,"date":"2019-05-28T13:21:39","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T11:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/?page_id=88236"},"modified":"2026-04-13T12:31:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:31:15","slug":"application-process","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/application\/ma-integrated-design\/application-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Application Process"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Master programme \u00bbIntegrated Design Research\u00ab welcomes design professionals with a research interest in a specific topic, problem, or challenge from an integrated and interdisciplinary perspective. This brings together experienced, open-minded and critical students from all over the world willing to contribute to a dynamic setting of learning, analysis, critical reflection and inquiry, conducting experiments and interdisciplinary research, in order to develop their specific design contributions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We invite applicants looking to immerse themselves in an integrated, research- and practice-based design process within our newly established thematic c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lusters:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Material Systems &amp; Lab Culture<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social &amp; Public Innovation<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Urban Intensities &amp; Resources<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual Cultures &amp; Politics<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The TH K\u00f6ln application portal will be open from <strong>April 23 until April 30, 2026, 12:00 pm CEST<\/strong> (pl<\/span>ease note possible time differences to your location).<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>International students:<\/strong> If you do not have German citizenship and\/or do not hold a German undergraduate degree that is related to the Master degree Integrated Design Research, you additionally must apply to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uni-assist.de\">uni-assist<\/a>. All details are listed below (see headline &#8220;For international applicants&#8221;).\u00a0Please note that this year\u2019s application period via uni-assist has ended on March 31, 2026. Applying via uni-assist will be possible again as of mid-February 2027.<!-- notionvc: 836081d2-ffac-488a-9cb9-e7c909512b6b --><\/p>\n<div id=\"subject\" class=\"accordion accordion--icon accordion--icon--left accordion--default\">\n    <div class=\"accordion__header\">\n        <a href=\"#subject\">\n\t\t\t<h3 >\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon accordion__icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\tRequirements\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"accordion__content\">\n        <p>\n<p>If you want to apply for the M.A. programme at KISD, an academic degree in design or a design-related field (B.A. or higher) covering at least 180 ECTS.<\/p>\n<p>The course language is English and applicants are required to provide proof of English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, or other). For TOEFL, a minimum score of 72 (Internet-based version) is required.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"subject\" class=\"accordion accordion--icon accordion--icon--left accordion--default\">\n    <div class=\"accordion__header\">\n        <a href=\"#subject\">\n\t\t\t<h3 >\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon accordion__icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\tApplication Documents\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"accordion__content\">\n        <p>\n<p>Your application documents must be submitted online and in English. Your portfolio, letter of Intent and letter of recommendation just need to be uploaded in CAMS\u2013the application portal of TH K\u00f6ln\u2013and not in uni-assist. Each of the submitted documents must be 4MB or less.<\/p>\n<p><b>Portfolio<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Choose projects and experiences that provide a good overview both of your fields of interest and your design\/design-related experience and qualifications. Works can be academic, professional, or free projects. The uploaded PDF file cannot exceed 4MB. Feel free to add links to the portfolio pointing to other websites to showcase your audiovisual projects.<\/p>\n<p><b>Letter of Intent\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The letter of intent is your reflection of the chosen Thematic Cluster. It should consist of 600-900 words, a maximum of five images and it should outline the direction you see for yourself and your studies. Relate to one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/kisd.de\/bewerbung\/ma-integrated-design-2\/application-process-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thematic Clusters<\/a> and position yourself and your research interest among the range of perspectives, explaining your previous studies, work, projects and engagements. Tell us what motivates you to apply or what led you to develop your specific interest.<\/p>\n<p><b>Curriculum Vitae<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Concisely list your educational and professional background. Include everything that qualifies you for an \u00bbIntegrated Design Research\u00ab M.A. programme.<\/p>\n<p><b>Letter of Recommendation<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Please send us at least one letter of recommendation from an academic or professional institution or organization.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A letter of recommendation is less a list of observed activities and more a personal assessment of the person to be recommended. It asks for a well-founded, realistic evaluation of the applicants\u2019 qualifications, in particular of the scientific and creative competences and research skills and interests of the applicant. The focus should be on competencies and potential as well as the personal suitability of the candidate from the author&#8217;s point of view. It is therefore important that both have gotten to know each other in advance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the applicants will upload the letter of recommendation to the TH K\u00f6ln portal themselves, it cannot be confidential.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, the letter of recommendation should contain the following elements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Letterhead of the issuer (name, position, organization, contact information)<\/li>\n<li>Subject line (containing applicant\u2019s name)<\/li>\n<li>Writing style in first-person<\/li>\n<li>Short self-introduction<\/li>\n<li>Description of how you know the candidate<\/li>\n<li>Professional recommendation<\/li>\n<li>Achievements<\/li>\n<li>Subjective recommendation<\/li>\n<li>Location, date and signature<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, it should not exceed 2 pages.<\/p>\n<p>Students who have graduated with a bachelor&#8217;s degree in \u00bbIntegrated Design\u00ab at KISD, please submit a letter of recommendation signed by two KISD professors. Usually, they would be the supervisors of your B.A. thesis.<\/p>\n<p><b>Proof of Language Sufficiency<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We recognize all B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and do not have a specific deadline for the amount of time that they need to be valid.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">List of major recognized tests and their corresponding B2 scores (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.efset.org\/cefr\/b2\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.efset.org\/cefr\/b2\/<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">):<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CEFR: B2 level<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EF SET: B2 level \u2013 51 to 60 Points<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IELTS: B2 level \u2013 5.5 to 6.0 Points<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TOEFL: B2 level \u2013 72 to 94 Points (internet-based version, UniAssist code: 2727)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cambridge: B2 level \u2013 160 to 179 Points<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Global Scale of English (Pearson): B2 level \u2013 59 to 75 Points<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Please note that all M.A. students should write a substantial research-based Final Thesis in English to complete the program. If you studied your Bachelor degree in English, you simply need to submit your transcript to prove that the courses were in English and write us a letter stating that your studies were in English and submit it along with your other application documents. If you are a native speaker just write us a letter or any other proof of native English proficiency and submit that along with your other application documents.<\/p>\n<p><b>Copies of Authenticated Certificates of Previous Study Course(s)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Include scans all of your degrees and certificates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Please note the following<\/b><\/p>\n<p>All documents should be adequately designed. We do not define a style sheet for the presentation of your application, so this is your opportunity to give us an idea of your skills and competence in presenting specific interests regarding our programme.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"subject\" class=\"accordion accordion--icon accordion--icon--left accordion--default\">\n    <div class=\"accordion__header\">\n        <a href=\"#subject\">\n\t\t\t<h3 >\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon accordion__icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\tFor international applicants\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"accordion__content\">\n        <p>\n<p>If you do not have German citizenship and\/or do not hold a German undergraduate degree that is related to the Master degree Integrated Design Research, you additionally must apply to uni-assist. Please note that this year\u2019s application period via uni-assist has ended on March 31, 2026. Applying via uni-assist will be possible again as of mid-February 2027.<!-- notionvc: 836081d2-ffac-488a-9cb9-e7c909512b6b --><\/p>\n<p>You can find more information about uni-assist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.th-koeln.de\/en\/academics\/uni-assist-document-review_8553.php\">here<\/a> or on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uni-assist.de\/en\/\">uni-assist website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>uni-assist e.V, Application Services for International Students, provides processing and evaluation for international student applications for many German universities. They check if your application is complete and if you meet all admission requirements for your desired study programme.<br \/>\nuni-assist informs us in April about your national degree qualifications. Only if you receive a positive statement by uni-assist as well as KISD you can enroll at TH K\u00f6ln as a KISD student.<\/p>\n<p>Please note that TH K\u00f6ln\/KISD decides about your admission to a study programme and not uni-assist.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Important notes about uni-assist:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 You don\u2019t need to upload your portfolio, letter of intent and letter of recommendation to uni-assist \u2013 just at the portal of TH K\u00f6ln (CaMS).<br \/>\n\u2022 Make sure you apply to CaMS even if you haven\u2019t heard back from uni-assist, sometimes the verification process takes longer than intended.<br \/>\n\u2022 If you have received admission from KISD and would like to start your studies a year later, you necessarily need to reapply to uni-assist. Your (positive) uni-assist result must be from the same year in which you start your degree programme at TH K\u00f6ln.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"subject\" class=\"accordion accordion--icon accordion--icon--left accordion--default\">\n    <div class=\"accordion__header\">\n        <a href=\"#subject\">\n\t\t\t<h3 >\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon accordion__icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\tAptitude Assessment\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"accordion__content\">\n        <p>\n<p>The aptitude test consists of two steps: In the first step, you are asked to upload your documents to the CaMS portal of TH K\u00f6ln. A key element of your application is the elaborated letter of intent (see requirements above). Your application will be reviewed by the Aptitude Assessment Committee with regard to your study-related qualifications and matching between your proposed research interest and our Thematic Clusters. If your application is shortlisted, you will receive the invitation to an interview mid May. The interview is the second step of the aptitude assessment and will take place via Zoom on May 27 and 28, 2026. You will receive a final statement from KISD shortly after the interview.<\/p>\n<p>Important note for international students: Before the two steps described above, you need to apply to uni-assist with the required documents.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"subject\" class=\"accordion accordion--icon accordion--icon--left accordion--default\">\n    <div class=\"accordion__header\">\n        <a href=\"#subject\">\n\t\t\t<h3 >\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon accordion__icon\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\tApplication Dates\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"accordion__content\">\n        <p>\n<p><strong>Application Deadline uni-assist:<\/strong> Please note that this year\u2019s application period via uni-assist has ended on March 31, 2026. Applying via uni-assist will be possible again as of mid-February 2027.<!-- notionvc: 836081d2-ffac-488a-9cb9-e7c909512b6b --><\/p>\n<p><strong>Application Period KISD:<\/strong> The CaMS portal of TH K\u00f6ln will be open from April 23 until April 30, 2026, 12:00 pm CEST (please note possible time differences to your location).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Interviews:<\/strong> May 27 and 28, 2026.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Start of Study<\/strong>: only in the Winter term of each year (mid September).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Even more questions? Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/kisd.de\/bewerbung\/ma-integrated-design-2\/application-master\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FAQs<\/a> or join our <a href=\"https:\/\/kisd.de\/termine\/meetgreet-master-integrated-design-research\/\">Meet+Greet<\/a> to talk to our staff, students and one of the heads of the study programme! The Meet+Greet is an interactive format that allows you to ask questions and get familiar with questions of other applicants. T<span lang=\"EN-US\">he dates are always published at the beginning of each application phase. <\/span>You\u2019ll need a computer with a microphone and a camera, as well as a stable internet connection.<\/p>\n<p>All questions regarding the KISD application can be directed to the application team: <a href=\"mailto:application.ma@kisd.de\">application.ma@kisd.de<\/a><\/p>\n<p>All questions regarding uni-assist and visa can be directed to the TH K\u00f6ln Department of International Affairs: <a href=\"international-degree-seekings@th-koeln.de\">international-degree-seekings@th-koeln.de<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Please do not contact the KISD secretary&#8217;s office since they cannot provide you with any information on these matters.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Master programme \u00bbIntegrated Design Research\u00ab welcomes design professionals with a research interest in a specific topic, problem, or challenge from an integrated and interdisciplinary\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88579,"parent":88221,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"level-3.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[373265],"class_list":["post-88236","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ma-integrated-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/88236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88236"}],"version-history":[{"count":80,"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/88236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103521,"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/88236\/revisions\/103521"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/88221"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kisd.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}