BAU, Centre Universitari d'Arts i Disseny

What BAU, Centre Universitari d'Arts i Disseny does

BAU, Centre Universitari d'Arts i Disseny is a privately operated university arts and design college headquartered at c/ Pujades 118 in Barcelona's Poblenou innovation district, distributed across three campus buildings. It is affiliated with the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), through which it awards official bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees recognized within the European Higher Education Area. The institution delivers three-cycle higher education across Design (Graphic, Audiovisual, Interior/Spaces, Fashion specializations) and Fine Arts, plus master's, postgraduate diplomas (30 ECTS), an official Master's in Design Research taught in English, doctoral programmes, RAC workshops, summer university, and online short courses co-developed with RMIT.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual tuition (€9,320 for a 60 ECTS bachelor's; €151/ECTS with multi-installment and alumni discount options), recurring second-cycle fees, workshop fees (€320–€480), and ancillary corporate services. Its go-to-market combines a sales-led domestic funnel via the Generalitat de Catalunya public pre-enrolment system (codes 91007 and 91059), event-driven recruitment anchored on the annual BAU Talent Networking event with SOC and Barcelona Activa, and a community-led international funnel via Erasmus and 11-country exchange agreements with 40+ partner universities. The customer base spans prospective Spanish undergraduate students (primary), graduate and professional students (primary), 150+ annually contracted Spanish and international companies using the Job Placement Portal (primary), plus international exchange students, BAU alumni for lifetime engagement, and library users drawn from the Museu del Disseny and MACBA consortium.

The operating model leans on cross-disciplinary, project-based learning with personalized tutorials, a specialized library of 10,000+ documents and 30+ magazine subscriptions, and a research arm (BAU Research, BAU Ediciones, Inmaterial journal, Centre d'Estudis de Doctorat). Strategic posture is stable and incremental: enrollment-funded, capacity-constrained by physical campus footprint, with partnership-led rather than capital-led expansion into doctoral-level research (with ETSA-URV in 2025), global online learning (RMIT), and accessibility (bank financing partnerships and scholarship co-funding).

Name

BAU, Centre Universitari d'Arts i Disseny

Legal name

BAU, Centro Universitario, S.L.

Website

https://baued.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BAU is a privately operated Barcelona-based university arts and design college affiliated with UVic-UCC, offering EHEA-recognized bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programmes in Design and Fine Arts to domestic and international students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Arts and Design

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHABAG

Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Private Research Universities

SECONDARYEDAAAEAA

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

Keywords

• Design education
• Fine arts education
• University degree programs
• Graphic design training
• Art and design school

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate tuition (Bachelor's Degree in Design and Fine Arts): Main revenue stream from tuition fees for official university degree programs. For the 2026 academic year, the cost is €151 per ECTS credit with an annual fee of €9,320 (60 ECTS per year). Payment options include single payment (3% discount), 3 installments, or 10 installments.
2. Master's and Postgraduate tuition: Revenue from professional master's degrees (60 ECTS) and postgraduate diplomas (30 ECTS). Pre-enrolment costs €150, deducted from matriculation. Payment options include single payment (2% discount) or 3 installments. BAU alumni and students receive 10% discount.
3. Workshop RAC courses: Short intensive courses offering academic recognition of credits (RAC) for Design degree students. Examples include Taller de Tricot (€480, 3 ECTS) and Etalonaje Digital (€450). Discounts for BAU students and alumni.
4. Summer University and Study Abroad programs: Revenue from intensive summer courses and international study abroad programs offered in collaboration with partner institutions including RMIT.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BAU is a private university center in Barcelona that delivers official university degree programs in Design and Fine Arts across three academic cycles (undergraduate, master's, doctoral), plus continuing education through online specialization courses, summer university, and workshops. All degrees are awarded by the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and recognized within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Product overview

BAU, Centre Universitari d'Arts i Disseny de Barcelona is a university arts and design college affiliated with the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs across three academic cycles: undergraduate degrees (Grado en Diseño, Grado en Bellas Artes), master's and postgraduate degrees (including the official Master's in Design Research and professional programs in various design specializations), doctoral research programs, and continuing education through online courses, summer university, and Workshops RAC. The institution also provides student services including a specialized library, job placement service, alumni network, and international mobility programs. All degree programs are official qualifications within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), awarded by UVic-UCC and accredited by university quality agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Campus Virtual: Virtual campus platform for online learning and student services
• BAU Research
• BAU Ediciones
• Revista Inmaterial
• BAU Talent Networking
• Centre d'Estudis de Doctorat

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree in Design (Grado en Diseño) Official 4-year university bachelor's degree (240 ECTS) with specializations in Graphic Design, Audiovisual Design, Fashion Design, or Interior Design (Espacios). Awarded by UVic-UCC.
• Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts (Grado en Bellas Artes) Official 4-year university degree (240 ECTS) in Fine Arts covering drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, audiovisual media, digital fabrication, and performance. Awarded by UVic-UCC.
• Master's Degree in Design Research (Máster Universitario en Investigación en Diseño) Official one-year master's program (60 ECTS) exploring design as a research tool, using research-through-design methodologies to investigate social, cultural, technological, and environmental issues. Taught in English.
• Professional Masters and Postgraduate Degrees Professional and applied master's (60 ECTS) and postgraduate (30 ECTS) programs focused on specific design, art, and communication areas, combining conceptual knowledge with real project development.
• Doctoral Programmes in Design and Art Third-cycle doctoral research programs for advanced academic research in design, arts, and related fields, including a developing joint Doctoral Programme with ETSA-URV.
• Online Specialization Courses (Formación Online) Online intensive specialization courses offered in collaboration with RMIT, providing short-term professional development programs accessible globally.
• Summer University (Universidad de Verano) Intensive summer courses offered during July for professional development and skill enhancement, with discounts for BAU students and alumni.
• Study Abroad Program International exchange and mobility programs allowing students to study part of their degree at partner universities in Europe, America, and Asia through Erasmus and other exchange agreements.
• Company Internships (Prácticas en Empresas) Curricular and extracurricular internship programs connecting students with companies and institutions for professional experience, including Erasmus placements abroad. Over 150 new company agreements are signed annually.
• Workshops RAC (Reconocimiento de Actividades Complementarias) Short intensive workshops offering academic credit recognition (RAC) for Design degree students, including scenography, graphic post-production, digital color grading with DaVinci Resolve, and knitwear/tapestry workshops (e.g., Taller de Tricot €480/3 ECTS, Etalonaje Digital €450).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 new company agreements signed annually providing internship and employment pathways for students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, developing, minor and moderate.

• University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAU is an affiliated college of the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia. Degrees are awarded by UVic-UCC, which is registered in the Register of Universities, Centres and Titles (RUCT). BAU's academic regulations are approved by UVic-UCC's Governing Board.
• University of Rovira i Virgili (URV) – Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura (ETSA)developingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAU and ETSA-URV are working together to develop a new Doctoral Programme in Architecture, Design and Art, aiming to create a joint doctoral ecosystem between the institutions.
• RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAU collaborates with RMIT for online intensive specialization courses, offering joint programming in design education.
• Erasmus+ Partner Universities (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor14 European countries with specific university partners including HSD Düsseldorf, Köln International School of Design, KADK Copenhagen, ECV Paris, NABA Milan/Rome, LUCA Brussels/Ghent, AHO Oslo, ESAD Porto, and 14 additional institutions enabling student and teacher exchange under Erasmus program.
• Exchange Program Partners (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, South Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Uruguay)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor11 countries with exchange agreements including Universidad de Palermo, PUC Rio de Janeiro, Hongik University Seoul, Kingston University London, Coventry University, TEC de Monterrey, and HEAD Geneva for student exchange outside the Erasmus program.
• Museu del Disseny (Disseny Hub Barcelona)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BAU Library is consorted with the documentation centres of the Museu del Disseny and MACBA, providing shared access to specialized collections and catalogues including CCUC, REBIUN, ALADÍ, and BEG.
• MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary consortium partner providing shared access to documentation resources. Additional catalogue access to MACBA i MNAC library collections.
• SOC - Catalan Employment Service (Servei d'Ocupació de Catalunya)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOC supports BAU's career guidance activities including CV and cover letter workshops and job interview preparation sessions, funded by the Catalan Employment Service and the Ministry of Employment and Social Security.
• Barcelona Activa (Ajuntament de Barcelona)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAU partners with Barcelona Activa's Career Guidance Coordination Service to deliver the 'Create your elevator pitch' workshop for students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RMIT University: Large Australian public university with a globally recognized design school offering undergraduate and postgraduate design programs. Already a BAU collaboration partner for online specialization courses; broader in scope but overlapping in design portfolio.

Direct peers

• Escola Massana: Public Barcelona art and design school attached to the city's autonomous university, offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in art, design and crafts. Comparable given shared Barcelona geography and overlapping arts/design portfolio.
• IED Istituto Europeo di Design: Private pan-European design school network offering undergraduate, master's and continuing programs in design, fashion, visual arts and communication across multiple countries. Comparable to BAU in private design education positioning, though at significantly larger scale.
• ESDi Escola Superior de Disseny: Private university center affiliated with the Universitat Ramon Llull offering design bachelor's and master's degrees in Barcelona and Sabadell. Closest direct peer given Spanish private university structure and design specialization in the same region.
• ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering: Private university-level design school based in Barcelona offering bachelor's, master's and continuing education in design, product, communication and engineering disciplines. Direct comparator given identical geography, private status and design-focused curriculum.
• LCI Barcelona: Barcelona campus of the LCI Education network offering private bachelor's, master's and continuing programs in design, fashion, interior and visual arts. Direct peer given same city, private model and design-focused curriculum.
• ECAL École cantonale d'art de Lausanne: Swiss university of art and design offering bachelor's and master's programs in fine arts, graphic design, industrial design, photography and media. Comparable as a European public design and fine arts institution with strong industry integration.
• NABA Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti: Private academy in Milan offering bachelor's, master's and continuing programs across design, fashion, graphics and visual arts. Already a BAU exchange partner and highly comparable in scope, private status and design/fine arts portfolio.
• Domus Academy: Private postgraduate design school in Milan offering master's programs in product, interior, fashion, visual and service design. Comparable given private postgraduate focus on design, similar tuition model, and European creative-education positioning.
• HEAD Geneva: Geneva university of art and design offering degrees across fine arts, visual communication, interior architecture and product design. Already a BAU exchange partner and a benchmark institution for European design/fine arts higher education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bau_bcn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BAUCentreUniversitaridArtsiDisseny
• Facebookfacebook.com/Bau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/bau-centro-universitario-de-artes-y-diseno
• Instagraminstagram.com/bau_bcn
• TikToktiktok.com/@bau_bcn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BAU, Centre Universitari d'Arts i Disseny