The application deadline for study year 2025 – 2026 was 1 March, but you can still apply until 1 May.
Admission requirements
As part of the admission and selection procedure for the Bachelor Graphic Design programme, you will be asked to provide examples of earlier work, a short CV, and explain your motivation to study at the Graphic Design department of the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK). Basic programming knowledge is preferable.
Read first about the general eligibility requirements and the specific requirements of the materials you need to prepare before starting your application.
General requirements
High school diploma
High school diploma comparable to a Dutch VWO, HAVO or MBO 4 diploma.
You can check the equivalent Dutch level of your diploma on the Nuffic website.- Proficiency in both spoken and written English
Non-EU/EEA candidates are required to provide proof of English Language proficiency.
EU/EEA candidates' English language level will be assessed during the interview.
Specific requirements
Keep in mind that the PDF portfolio should not exceed 10MB and should be limited to a maximum of 20 pages. This ensures that your work is presented efficiently during the evaluation process.
Your portfolio should feature a curated selection of recent work, with an emphasis on pieces created within the last three years. Ensure that your portfolio is well-organised and structured, potentially categorised by themes or subjects. It should offer a diverse showcase that provides insights into your personality, individual interests, working methods, and skills.
The following items can be part of your portfolio: drawings and paintings, collages, sketches, pages from a sketchbook, posters, flyers, publications, fanzines, commissioned print work or work made on your own initiative, photos of exhibitions, performances, registrations of 3D work, short films and websites – you might want to adapt some of those items for the presentation.
To optimise your presentation for the review committee, use a landscape format, as they will be viewing it on a laptop. You also have the option to create an interactive presentation, allowing you to integrate URLs or other links within your portfolio.
Check out this page for tips on putting together a portfolio.
The following questions are just an indication of topics you could elaborate on while writing your letter.
- Why do you want to study at the Graphic Design department of the KABK?
- How did you get acquainted with the subject of graphic design?
- What do you expect from a Bachelor Graphic Design programme? Which subjects are essential for you?
- Our department is very internationally oriented, with students from all over the world. How do you think this can influence your study?
- Which sources of inspiration are of interest to you? Think of exhibitions, books, news, travels etc. How do these influence the work you make?
- If you should describe a dream project, how would this project look like?
- What are your plans and dreams and how do you want to manifest yourself as a designer/artist?
Please upload your motivation letter in a separate PDF file.
Your resume contains information about your previous education, (relevant) working experience and internships. Please upload your resume in a separate PDF, max 2 pages.
If you receive an invitation to the entrance examination day, which includes individual interviews, you will be requested to prepare a home assignment. This assignment can then be presented during your interview.
The home assignment changes annually and is used to evaluate each candidate’s approach to a specific question, based on:
- providing creative solutions
- being research oriented
- being sensitive to material
- being sensitive to one’s surroundings
- curiosity
- enthusiasm
- ability to combine text and visuals
Application/portfolio deadline and admission dates
The application deadline for study year 2025 – 2026 was 1 March, but you can still apply until 1 May.
We will first process all applications submitted before the 1 March deadline. We expect plenty of spots to be available, so feel free to apply until 1 May. Because we do understand that the shift of the deadline from 1 May to 1 March was not known to everybody.
In order apply, you must first register in Studielink (Dutch national database for admission to higher education) and then gain access to our online application system OSIRIS where you will be asked to submit your portfolio and other supporting documents.
Our selection committee will review your portfolio and other documents and decide within two weeks after the submission deadline whether you will be invited for an admission interview. If the committee decides positively, you will receive an e-mail with more information on this phase of the process.
