Commences with a two-semester Foundation Programme . This programme is geared to assist in developing attitudes and sensorial skills, necessary for further specialisation in specific areas of design. The purpose is to create an awareness of the environment and to arouse the students' creative faculties. The primary concern of the Foundation Programme is to introduce the students to the Fundamentals of design, to inculcate them to design as a problem solving process and to develop a highly evolved aesthetic sensitivity, and ‘design' attitude.

In the foundation programme, basic design courses are augmented by related studies of Science and Liberal Arts, to help and develop an understanding of the Indian milieu, user needs and the intent application and processing of design.

The foundation programme is geared to inculcate the development of values, attitudes, material and sensorial skills; necessary for any design specialisation. It aspires to create an awareness of the changing environment by constantly relating the students' learning to real life situations. The programme provides the necessary direction, stimuli, facilities and experience to foster creativity and thereby help each individual discover their own identity, ability and potential.

The foundation programme is the basis on which the remaining design curriculum is built. It also makes students appreciate the multidisciplinary nature of design.

This 4-year undergraduate design programme, including one year foundation programme, is offered in the following three Faculty streams (possible areas of design specialisation through projects are given in brackets):