Our school
A design school founded in 1961, in Brussels.
CAD is one of the few art colleges in continental Europe offering a practice-based education taught by working professionals. Our history, our approach, and what makes us singular.
A human-scale school in Brussels
CAD is located in Uccle, a leafy residential neighbourhood in the south of Brussels, 15 minutes by tram from the centre. The campus welcomes around 160 students from all over the world, mentored by some fifty teachers, all of whom practise in their field.
It's intentionally a small school. No 400-seat lecture halls. No queue to talk to a teacher. Every student is known, supported, mentored. This scale allows the rigour we claim.
In numbers
- 1961
- Founded
- 160
- Students total
- 50
- Working teachers
- +90%
- Employment after graduation
- 20+
- Nationalities on campus
Pedagogy
Practice before theory.
CAD is the only design school in Belgium offering Anglo-Saxon-style, practice-based teaching.
The “Anglo-Saxon” teaching method is based on practice. There are very few theory classes. Students are mentored by expert professionals, both active and recognised in their field. They carry out assignments and exercises very close to those they will meet in their future professional life.
50 / 160
50 professionals to coach 160 students.
Teaching builds on the students’ own starting ideas and confronts them from the first year with the realities of their future professions. Small classes, personal follow-up, a friendly atmosphere: CAD is a human-scale school.
Year 1
Professional internships from the first year.
Nearly a full year of internships over a 5-year programme, to face the profession and gradually find the sector that suits best.
100%
All classes are taught in English.
To prepare for international careers. More than 20 nationalities are represented among students: CAD trains multilingual graduates.
90%
Graduates who find work.
Over 90% of graduates find a job, in Belgium or abroad, within months of graduating.
International
Open to the world since the beginning.
CAD reaches far beyond Brussels: projects in Yaoundé and Casablanca, and collaborations with Hong Kong, Lebanon, Mexico and Colombia. 20+ nationalities on campus. Design isn't learned in a vacuum.
A word from the director
« At CAD, we don't only train designers. We train eyes, minds, cultures. Technique comes after, naturally. That's the commitment we've kept since 1961. »
Eric Vanden Broeck · Director of CAD
The diploma
In France, Switzerland and Belgium, private institutions may not use the terms Bachelor or Master to describe their programmes. We therefore use the terms “Undergraduates 1st cycle” (3 years – 180 ECTS) B.A. and “Postgraduates 2nd cycle” (2 years – 120 ECTS) M.A.
Please note that CAD is accredited by the French Community of Belgium; however, our programmes and diploma are not recognised by the French Community of Belgium (Article 14/4, §2).
For hesitating parents
Choosing a private school is a big decision. We know. We've written a whole page answering the questions parents ask us most often: fees, outcomes, mentoring.
Read « Why CAD » →Come see for yourself.
Open Day, Summer Breakfast, or an individual meeting with the director. Three ways to discover CAD before applying. No commitment.