Undergraduate in Design

Communication Design

The Communication Design field is specialized and multidisciplinary, and is currently as challenging as it is exhilarating. In the Communication Design degree you will gain knowledge in the fields of visual communication, editorial design, programming and new media, visual identity, information architecture, typography, illustration, photography, and graphic production, with solid theoretical preparation and critical awareness of the role of the designer in terms of the social and technological context. This training prepares you to succeed as a professional designer, and you can join an extraordinary community of creative minds and talented visual communicators. Become an agent of change.

Profile

Critical, practice-based and contextual learning

Objectives

Professional Future

  • Editorial Designer
  • Illustrator
  • Typographic Designer
  • Web Designer
  • Interface Designer (UI)
  • User Experience Designer (UX)
  • App and Digital Product Designer
  • Motion Designer
  • Art Director
  • Social Media Designer
  • Branding Designer
  • Packaging Designer
  • Corporate Communication Designer
  • Design Consultant
  • Lecturer and Researcher

Structure, content and learning progression

Curriculum

Semester — 1
Design Fundamentals 75 HC 8 ECTS
Design and Technologies 45 HC 4 ECTS
Drawing I 60 HC 4 ECTS
Interaction Design 45 HC 4 ECTS
Geometry and Projection 30 HC 4 ECTS
Themes of Contemporary Culture 30 HC 3 ECTS
Theory of Perception 30 HC 3 ECTS
Semester — 2
Semester — 3
Semester — 4
Semester — 5
Semestre — 6
Electives

HC — Contact Hours · ECTS — European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

Dialogue between design, industry and culture

Ecosystem

Collaborative partnerships are essential in design courses as they foster a rich exchange of ideas, diverse perspectives, and collective creativity. The Communication degree programme has established a number of partnerships with public and private organisations.

  • BEL Portugal
  • Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos
  • Clube de Criativos de Portugal
  • Conservas Pinhais
  • Maiambiente
  • Red Bull
  • Super Bock Group
  • Xerox

Creative processes and tangible outcomes

Projects

Teaching, practice and research

Faculty

Take the next step

Applications and Admissions

Year 2026–2027

Tuition Fee

Evaluate the possibilities

Scholarships

Turn your design dreams into reality with scholarship opportunities

Undergraduate 2025–2026

Calendar

Atividades letivas

2.º semestre · 09.02 — 23.06.2026

School closures

Sr. Matosinhos · 25 — 26.05.2026

Assessments

Publication

2.º semestre · 25.06 — 02.07.2026

Exams

Época de recurso — 2.º semestre — Inscrição · 03 — 06.07.2026

Época de recurso — 2.º semestre · 06 — 18.07.2026

Época especial — Inscrição · 03 — 04.09.2026

Época especial · 08 — 18.09.2026

Enriching lives, opening minds

Erasmus+

Erasmus+, funded by the European Commission, supports personal and professional development across the European Union through mobility, training, and cooperation between organisations.

Administrative Services

Contacts

For information on applications, admission or scholarships at ESAD, the Administrative Services team is available to assist by email or telephone, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00 (in August, morning opening is at 9:00).

Undergraduate

The change that generates changes is taught and learned.

By studying at ESAD, you will have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and make use of the school’s laboratories. You will explore and master a range of processes, tools, and technologies, both analogue and digital. The undergraduate programmes develop creative and technical skills, fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and autonomy. They prepare you to act with flexibility, responsibility, and innovation, positioning you at the centre of change.