Milan's Domus Academy bets on AI and futures thinking with two new master's degrees
26 Mar 2026
Domus Academy, the Milan-based design institution known for its Radical Design heritage and Compasso d'Oro recognition, has announced two new master's programmes set to launch in Autumn 2026 — the Master in Design x AI and the Master in Design Futures. Both arrive at a moment when the creative professions are navigating an unprecedented convergence of technological acceleration and societal uncertainty.
The numbers tell a clear story. Yet the educational response to that disruption has lagged, with international organisations flagging a widening gap between the pace of AI adoption and what schools are actually teaching. Domus Academy's answer is to position design — with its emphases on human experience, ethics, and systems thinking — as the connective tissue that technology alone cannot provide.
Both programmes are grounded in the school's "Learning by Designing" methodology — a pedagogy that blends academic frameworks with company workshops, live project briefs, and mentorship from industry practitioners. The goal is graduates who can navigate AI with both strategic and creative vision, not merely implement it.
"We are not only teaching students how to navigate today's challenges; we are equipping them with the conceptual and practical tools to imagine and design the futures we deserve."
— Silvio Cioni, Director of Education, Domus Academy
The Design Futures programme in particular signals a broader cultural bet. Drawing on the tradition of the Radical Design Movement — which Domus Academy traces its philosophical roots to — the curriculum approaches emerging technologies from a critical and cultural standpoint, deliberately resisting the pull of fast-changing trends in favour of deeper, longer-horizon thinking.
Both degrees practically carry 60 ECTS credits and receive official recognition from the Italian Ministry of University and Research. Scholarships are available across all of Domus Academy's master's programmes, including the two new ones.
About Domus Academy
Founded in Milan and closely tied to the city's design culture, Domus Academy has built a reputation that extends well beyond Italy. Its academic offering spans Bachelor of Arts, two-year Master of Arts, and Academic Master's programmes, all MUR-recognised, across the fields of Fashion, Design, and Business. A 2025 internal survey found that 91% of graduates found employment within one year of completing their diploma — a figure the school cites as evidence of its career-oriented approach.
The first intake for both the Design x AI and Design Futures programmes is scheduled for Autumn 2026. The school is currently accepting applications, and scholarship candidates must submit their application and project by 13 March 2026.
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Sara Srifi
Sara is a Software Engineering and Business student with a passion for astronomy, cultural studies, and human-centered storytelling. She explores the quiet intersections between science, identity, and imagination, reflecting on how space, art, and society shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her writing draws on curiosity and lived experience to bridge disciplines and spark dialogue across cultures.
