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Mission Statement
The New Design University (NDU) understands design as a form of knowledge production and as an active force in shaping society. It engages critically with social, cultural, ecological, economic and technological developments, bringing together design practice, scientific inquiry and artistic approaches to understand complex challenges and explore new perspectives. Through the integration of research, teaching and practice, the NDU fosters interdisciplinary exchange, experimentation and critical reflection. It aims to educate creative, responsible and forward-thinking individuals who can contribute to shaping social and technological change and developing innovative, context-sensitive and sustainable approaches to contemporary challenges.
International Role
The New Design University (NDU) aims to contribute to international research and academic discourse as an independent institution with a distinctive profile at the intersection of design, science and the arts. Its research spans the full spectrum from basic to applied research, combining scientific and artistic-scientific approaches to generate new knowledge and address complex societal, cultural, technological, ecological and economic challenges. The NDU strives to advance research quality and contribute original perspectives to international academic and design discourse.
The NDU's doctoral programme is an important part of this commitment, strengthening the link between research, advanced academic qualification and the development of new knowledge. By supporting emerging researchers and fostering the integration of scientific inquiry and design-oriented research, the programme contributes to the continued development of the NDU's research profile and its engagement with the international research community.
Beyond its academic research, the NDU connects knowledge generation with practical application and external collaboration. The Future Lab facilitates interdisciplinary research and development projects with external partners, while Materiautech®, a plastics materials library established in cooperation with the Lower Austrian Economic Chamber and ecoplus, Lower Austria's Business Agency, promotes exchange between design and industry. Through these activities, the NDU connects research excellence, doctoral education and knowledge transfer, strengthening its contribution to international research and to the development of design.
National Role
As a hub of knowledge in design, technology, business, science and sustainability, the teaching and research of the NDU is equally committed to aesthetic, economic and social tasks as well as high scientific standards. Being located in St. Pölten in Lower Austria, NDU upholds close and innovative partnerships with companies and universities within the region of Lower Austria. These partnerships generate not only diverse cooperation projects, but contributes to a culture of vivid knowledge and artistic-creative exchange within the region.
Main Focus
As an international destination for high quality education, the New Design University trains creative thinkers who advance social change and explore tomorrow's design's practice by addressing the interplay of social an technological developments, scientific knowledge and artistic achievements. The NDU’s educational approach aims to prepare Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students to act as facilitators and interpreters of research findings, translating them into practical developments and business solutions.
Faculties and Departments
Faculty of Design,
Faculty of Technology & Business
Bachelor Level Programs
Innenarchitektur & 3-D Gestaltung – Interior Design & 3D-Design
Grafik- und Informationsdesign – Graphic & Information Design
Design, Handwerk & materielle Kultur – Manual & Material Culture
Event Engineering
Management by Design
Master Level Programs
Innenarchitektur & visuelle Kommunikation – Interior Design & Visual Communication
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Research Activity and Main Areas
In the 21st century, knowledge is the key factor in societal well-being. The New Design University therefore regards research – understood as the generation of new knowledge – as one of its central academic missions.
At the New Design University, research takes the form of both scientific research and artistic-scientific research. It is both basic and applied in nature and is pursued through both theoretical and experimental approaches. The New Design University is committed to both the advancement of the sciences and the development and exploration of the arts, and considers both fields to be essential. For the New Design University, the concept of the arts is to be interpreted differently than at a traditional art university. As a specialized university for design, the terms “arts” and “artistic” are to be understood in the sense of applied design and design-oriented.
In line with the diverse range of researchers at New Design University, academic research is conducted across a wide variety of disciplines—from materials science to philosophy. New Design University and its research faculty are committed to adhering to established standards of good scientific practice and academic integrity. (Cf.: ÖAWI – Österreichische Agentur für wissenschaftliche Integrität ).
Artistic-scientific research combines creative and theoretical approaches into a hybrid form of exploring implicit knowledge and generating new knowledge. The research profile of the New Design University is particularly characterized by artistic-scientific research, which draws on the tools and methods of the disciplines represented (architecture, graphic design, design, economics). The fundamental idea behind this research is based on the premise that design should be understood as a space for the acquisition and transfer of social, political, cultural, economic, and ecological knowledge. In engaging with various topics, artistic-scientific research acquires a particular form of knowledge while critically questioning and negotiating claims to knowledge as well as supposed truths. In the field of artistic-scientific research as well, researchers are always committed to the rules of good artistic-scientific practice and artistic-scientific integrity, although these rules are not yet as firmly established as they are in scientific research. The New Design University participates in the development of corresponding standards and deals transparently with potential issues such as value judgments in design processes.
Doctorate Level Programs
Value through Design (https://www.ndu.ac.at/en/courses/phd/doktoratsstudium-value-through-design)
Subject Areas for Exchange Students
The New Design University was founded by the Lower Austrian Chamber of Commerce and its Business Development Institute (WIFI) in 2004. As an international destination for quality education in the fields of design, technology and business, the NDU trains creative thinkers who advance social change and explore tomorrow's work and design practice today.
Our Bachelor programmes: Interior Design & 3D Design, Graphic & Information Design, Manual & Material Culture, Event Engineering, Management by Design
Our Master programmes: Interior Design & Visual Communication, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Our PhD programme: Value through Design
Application Deadlines
Winter Semester: 30th April
Summer Semester: 31st October
Teaching Languages
German, English
Semester Dates
Winter Semester: October to January
Summer Semester: March to June
Cost of Living Per Month (Studying and Living)
appr. € 950
