Transportation & Automobile Design

Course

The Specializing Master in Transportation & Automobile Design is a Master in Car Design of the Politecnico di Milano and it is a pathway to excellence for those who seek scientifically rigorous training to meet the professional challenges that automakers’ design departments are offering in this era of far-reaching change and radical innovation in the industry.

Reliance on facilities at the Design Department of the Politecnico di Milano, such as its prototype workshop and its virtual prototyping workshop, enrich the learning experience by assuring the availability of equipment up to the task of the Specializing Master.

The Specializing Master is designed to train a figure of designer who is able to develop own creativity, integrating it in an innovative way with the academic knowledge of the training scenarios, and at the same time to experience the entire development process of typical style of the world of the automotive industry.

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Testimonials

Didactics

Training objectives

The goal of this Specializing Master is to train a professional designer to develop her or his own creativity, while innovatively integrating it with the academic knowledge specific to the syllabus. At the same time, the student is expected to experience the whole style-development process typical of the automobile industry. This Specializing Master is designed to enable graduates in industrial design, engineering or architecture who are interested in a career in automobile design to bring rigorous focus to their curriculum.

Didactic Plan

The Transportation & Automobile Design Specializing Master aims to train designers capable of developing their creativity, integrated with academic lecture cycles, by experiencing the entire design process typical of style centers in the car design world, from the definition of the exterior design to the development of the interior, the study and choice of materials and colors, and from physical modeling with clay to digital modeling.

The Course is made up of lessons, project seminars, workshops, and a final Master thesis and it consists of 17 learning modules, selected so as to provide a mix that will assure the theoretical and practical knowledge essential to developing transportation-design projects with full awareness of the context.

Didactic Modules

• Exterior Car Design

Students will learn how to design the body of a vehicle.

• Interior Car Design

Students will learn how to design the interior of a vehicle.

• Colour & Trim

The unit focus on the selection process for colours, materials and finishes in the automotive design field, for both interior design and exterior design.

• Vehicles Architecture

In this didactic module, students will acquire skills on the disciplines that combine design with vehicle engineering.

• Ergonomics

The concepts of comfort, accessibility and fruition of a vehicle will be addressed.

• Experience Interaction Design for Vehicles

Use of new technologies of User Experience for the fruition of vehicles.

• Car Design Culture

Didactic module dedicated to the history and culture of the vehicle.

• Alias modelling for Car Design*

Module dedicated to digital modeling developed with the tool considered the reference standard for automotive design.

• Multimedia Tools for Car Design

Acquisition of knowledge and skills regarding new ways of fruition of a project.

• Artificial Intelligence for Design

Exploration of artificial intelligence tools applied to the representation of ideas, forms, and concepts.

• Presentation Techniques for Car Design

Acquisition of the techniques and tools for presenting design proposals both within one’s team and externally.

• Car Design Studio

Didactic workshop where students can practice what they have learned in the first months of the Master’s program, through the design development of a vehicle in its different aspects.

• Transportation Design Workshops

Workshops will take place over several days in which students will develop some specific and limited design themes.

• Public Speaking & Presentation Design

Effective communication techniques and visual design for professional presentations.

• Portfolio Empowerment

How to set up one’s portfolio in a professional way.

• IP law in Automotive Design

In this educational module, students will gain legal skills regarding their rights and duties in the industry, either as employees of companies or as collaborators or suppliers.

• Internship or Project Enhancement Studio or Internship

Additional in-depth pathway for all students who should not be selected for a curricular internship in companies in the industry.

*Basic Alias
Enrolled students will have the opportunity to participate free of charge in an introductory course on Autodesk Alias®: the digital modelling software is a key tool in transportation design. This program is widely used by companies in the automotive sector. That’s why it is a crucial asset for those who wish to step into the world of work in this field.

Title Released

The Specializing Master grants 60 CFU, equivalent to 60 ECTS. Upon completion, students earn a Politecnico di Milano first-level Specializing Master.

Employment Opportunities

This Specializing Master produces an innovative professional with advanced skills related to the main tasks involved in creating an automobile’s style. Its goal is to give students the chance to enter the production stream for auto-industry design. This is not limited to traditional roles or companies but encompasses a network of enterprises that interact and collaborate with corporate design departments on co-design projects. Acquired skills include teamwork and conflict management.

Professional outcomes:

• EXTERIOR DESIGNER – Designer involved in the exterior design process, for new products as well as face-lifts and derivatives. They also work on the exterior details, such as wheels and lights.
• INTERIOR DESIGNER – Designer involved in the design of the interior of the vehicles. They may be involved in the design of the whole living experience, or focus on the many components of a car interior, such as the cockpit and the seats.
• COLOR & TRIM DESIGNER – Designer involved in the voice of materials, colors and finishing. They may work together with suppliers to develop new materials, to research colors, new technologies and new trends.
• VISUAL DESIGNER/MULTIMEDIA DESIGNER – Designer who creates visual contents. They create graphics, digital rendering and videos and they may be involved in virtual reality content creation.
• SURFACE DESIGNER – Designer working together with the design team to create 3D digital models.
• UX DESIGNER – Designer involved in the definition of the user experience on board of vehicles. They focus especially on the infotainment systems and the issues connected to human interface interaction.

Admission

Requirements

The Specializing Master in Transportation & Automobile Design was created to transform those graduates in Industrial Design, Architecture and Engineering who have always loved the world of vehicles, into the Transportation & Car designers of the future. The Specializing Master is dedicated to all those who have fed their passion over the years, following developments in technology and admiring new vehicle models, and who have often found themselves with pencil in hand to design cars while imagining new ones.

The didactic plan offered by the Specializing Master in Transportation & Automobile Design gives students all the tools to fulfill their passion and work in automotive and transportation design.

To be admitted to the Master’s program, it is necessary to send the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae: specify educational qualification and date of birth.
• Video CV of 30” – 45”: tell in English the reasons for applying and one’s passion.
• Selection of drawings: submit a collection of drawings of existing and/or fantasy vehicles.

The enrollment at the Specializing Master in Transportation & Automobile Design requires a University Diploma, a Bachelor of Science degree, or a Master of Science degree in Industrial Design, Architecture, Engineering, or an equivalent qualification. Anyhow, the Master board has the right to consider the enrollment of candidates holding the above mentioned titles in other disciplines.

For those who graduated not in Italy, equivalent study titles will be considered if recognized in the respective course of studies.

Deadlines

To take part in the XVIII edition of the Specializing Master in Transportation & Automobile Desig, starting on April 8th, 2026, applications must be submitted according to the following criteria*:

Italian qualification within 60 days before the starting date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Portfolio of Freehand Drawing
• Video CV
• Copy of ID document

The following documents should be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• ID document copy
• Copy of the Diploma Supplement and copy of the degree diploma or self-certification on the appropriate form that can be requested to POLI.design (selezioni@polidesign.net)
• ANIS certification (access to the ANIS portal is via SPID or CIE from the following link)

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link
____________________

European qualification within 60 days before the starting date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Portfolio of Freehand Drawing
• Video CV
• Copy of ID document

The following documents should be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• Copy of ID document
• Copy of Diploma Supplement
• Photocopy of degree certificate

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

STEP 2
1) Documents to be sent for authenticity verification (within 45 days before the start date)

• Diploma Supplement with a digital signature or verifiable QR code. Should the student lack a Diploma Supplement with a valid signature or verifiable QR code to verify its authenticity, the student will have to submit one of the documents required for students with a non-EU qualification (cfr. next item).

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link
____________________

Non-EU degree within 60 days before the start date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Portfolio of Freehand Drawing
• Video CV
• Copy of ID document

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• Copy of ID document
• Degree in original language + Italian/English translation
• Original transcript of passed examinations + Italian/English translation

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

STEP 2
1) Documents to be sent for authenticity verification (within 45 days before the start date)

• Enic/ Naric Certification or CIMEA
• World Education Services (WES) Certification
• Statement of value
• Copy of the visa application or copy of the visa

According to the timeframe provided for by Italian law, the details of the application for a residency permit must also be communicated as well as the residency permit as soon as it is issued.

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

*Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered at the discretion of the Scientific Committee.

Price

The cost of the University Specializing Master’s programme is € 15.500.00, broken down as follows:

• € 500,00 – enrolment fee to be paid to the Politecnico di Milano, no later than 30 days before the starting date following the procedures that POLI.design will specify
• € 15.000,00 – participation fee for the University Master’s Course to be paid to POLI.design following the procedures that will be specified upon admission.

PROMO

EARLY BIRD: -10%

The promotion for those who have clear ideas, know which educational path can enrich their future, and can’t wait to get back to the classroom.

Deadline application: September 15, 2025*
Deadline for sending the signed contract and payment of the deposit of the participation fee: September 30, 2025

*To take advantage of the early bird offer.

Spots are limited!

FAMILY SUPPORT: -50%
A chance to gift your siblings the encouragement they need to invest in their future.

FRIEND TO FRIEND: -20%
An opportunity to gift to a friend to make education the foundation of their growth.

POLI.NETWORK: -50%
A promotion designed to strengthen the bond and identity among members of the Politecnico di Milano community.

BACK TO SCHOOL: -1.000€ on Specializing Masters
The discount for those who have already trusted POLI.design and Polimi, and wish to return to study and build their future.

SUPPLIERS

A 10% reduction to be applied on the participation fee (excluding registration fee or VAT) for suppliers and former suppliers of POLI.design. The reduction can be combined with other forms of discounts and/or exemptions*

*POLI.design reserves the right to verify the existence of the collaboration relationship.

PER MERITO
Intesa San Paolo supports talents and gives everyone access to training. Discover more details here.

Faculty

Scientific Commitee:

• Prof. Fausto Brevi – Politecnico di Milano
• Prof. Antonella Valeria Penati – Politecnico di Milano
• Prof. Venanzio Arquilla – Politecnico di Milano
• Prof. Nicola Crea – Politecnico di Milano
• Prof. Marco Turinetto – Politecnico di Milano
• Dr. Samuel Codegoni – Car & Industrial Designer
• Dr.ssa Flora Gaetani – Industrial Designer
• Arch. Francesca Lavizzari – Architect

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Partners

Past editions