General Info

General Introduction to The Marbella Design Academy

Marbella Design Academy-Costa del Sol s.l. is a state recognized international Design Academy, recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education-Junta del Andalucia.
CODE number: 29016884
The only international Design Academy in Spain that is State Recognized.

Mission

Our mission is to provide a stimulating and complete design education that lives up to the latest market demands leading to a rewarding and well sought after profession.
We aim to develop all the necessary skills needed for the students to solve a wide variety of real life design challenges faced by professional designers today.
The students are taught to a BA Degree level and above using industry standard computer applications such as: AutoCad, 3D Studio Max, InDesign, PhotoShop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver etc.
Advanced skills in these programmes is a necessary factor for students to find future employment.
We help the students present their projects as professionally as possible and prepare them with all of the skills needed to become among the World's top new designers. Our aims are to support and develop individual creativity and nurture artistic skills. We also prepare the students for the increasing demands of the market with respect to quality of presentation, economics, style, aesthetics and psychology relating to the design environment.

Organisation

The Academy was founded in 1995. We are constantly expanding and improving our curriculum. We are proud to say that the Academy's current programme offers our students an education which meets the high demands required to become a fully qualified professional designer. We have a very high standard of training and our students are often head-hunted by employers before graduation!
When qualified, our students have an employment rate of almost 100%. We are a dynamic, forward thinking international Academy with students that come from all over the World.

The atmosphere is energetic, creative and inspiring. We encourage students to collaborate and experiment with their designs, in either smaller groups or with one to one tuition sessions with their tutor.
Although the work is intensive, everybody collaborates in a casual, warm and informal atmosphere. All tutors are professionals within their respective fields: architects, graphic designers, interior architects, furniture designers, fashion designers, photographers, web designers, product designers and artists.
All members of our staff have an academic background and are active designers, and professionals, which ensures practical experience as well as high academic quality. Apart from permanent staff, the Academy invites guest artists and specialist designers on a regular basis.

Contacts

Marbella Design Academy - Costa del Sol sl.
Reg. No - C.I.F.: B-92.372.606

Camino Hoyanca
29110 Monda - Malaga - Spain

Marbella Design Academy-Costa del Sol s.l. is a state recognized international Academy, recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education-Junta del Andalucia. CODE number: 29016884.
It´s important to point out that we are the only international design Academy in Spain that is state recognized by the Ministry of Education in Spain.

The website of the Ministry of Education in Spain: https://www.educacion.es/centros/ > click Andalucia > click Málaga > write in: Código de centro: CODE number: 29016884 > click at the end of the form BUSCAR > and you can see the Marbella Design Academy Costa del Sol listed.

* We are honored to inform that the Marbella Design Academy - 15th October 2009 won the: Costa del Sol Business Award 2009 - for being the best integrated foreign company in Andalucia

The administration office is open between 10.00 and 16.00
Phone: +34 952 45 96 77
Phone: +34 609 59 48 85
Phone: +34 952 45 97 76
Fax: +34 952 45 73 41
E-mail:

Director: Helle Byrn - Interior Architect IIDA
Management Accountant: Charlotte B. McLaren
Secretary: Lorena Villafañe
Course Co-ordinator: Charlie Aaboe

Tutor responsible for the 1st year Interior Design: Gualberto Cerron - Interior Architect IIDA

Tutor responsible for the 1st year Graphic Design: Natali El Asmar - Graphic Designer

Tutor responsible for the 1 year Web Design: Stacy Prendeville - Web designer and Graphic Designer

Tutors responsible for the 2nd and 3rd year Interior Design:
Néstor Espinosa Mitjanas - Architect and Interior Architect
Alvaro Zabala Velez – Architect
Marcos Tamagnone -Architect

Tutor responsible for the 2nd and 3rd year Graphic Design: Jose Mendez Carnero, Graphic Designer

Tutor responsible for the 1st and 2nd year Fashion Design: Sharon Aldred - Fashion Designer

Students Councils: A student from each course is elected every year by the students as their student representative.

The State Recognised Programs which the Academy is following:

Marbella Design Academy-Costa del Sol s.l. is a state recognized international Design Academy, recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education-Junta del Andalucia. CODE number: 29016884. The only international Design Academy in Spain that is State Recognized. The Academy follows the state recognised program, Técnico Superior en Proyectos y Dirección de Obras de Decoración (2160 hours/120CP) University level, and the Higher Education in Design program (3210 hours/180CP) - at University level equivalent to a Bachelor level.

Description of the Premises

The Marbella Design Academy is located in Monda, 16km from Marbella centre and 200m from the village of Monda. Our 2000m2 new building is located on a 10.000m2 plot with a capacity for 200 students. We have decided that this is the largest number of students we wish to have in order to maintain a personal family-like atmosphere with focus on full teacher attention to the students.
Most of our students choose to live in the beautiful village of Monda which is only 200m from the new building. In Monda living costs are low in comparison to the rest of Spain. If their budgets allows, students can opt to live in the famous, up-market town of Marbella. We advise all students to live in Monda, only few minutes walk away from the Academy.

Student Services

We have ADSL-internet connections in all classrooms.
Visa: Required for non-European students only. The school will help and support students with their paperwork to obtain their student visas. Should any student need help to solve an individual problem they are welcome to ask for assistance from the Administration – please contact the secretary Lorena Villafane.
For course related problems please contact our Course Coordinator Charlie Aabo.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact the Director - Helle Byrn

Mentor and Study Advice / Intake procedure for potential students

When accepted at the Marbella Design Academy you will have gone through our intake procedure. This helps the Academy place you on the right design course and in the correct academic year. During the intake procedure we will look at the information given in your application form. This includes your prior education, your motivation and your portfolio, if applicable. Based on this we will be able to give you sound advice for your placement at the Marbella Design Academy. In the event that you get accepted as a new student in either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd year and the school finds that you have been placed in a class above or below your current skills, the school will place you in the class which best fits your skills.

Presentation of projects

During the academic year the students will have to present their work in front of their tutors and fellow students.

Tutorials

Once the academic year has started you will receive regular feedback from your tutors on your performance and results. There are, however, formal ´tutorials´ three times a year. During these tutorials you are asked to show your work to the tutor responsible for your course and to the director. Feedback in the form of a 1st, 2nd or 3rd term report will be given, based on the comments from your teachers, the work produced, the attendance, work effort, grades and impression of professional attitude. The report will indicate your strong and weak points, and areas for improvement.

On request

If at any time you feel you need extra feedback, motivation or something is on your mind it is always possible to make an appointment with your tutors, the course coordinator Charlie Aabo or the director, Helle Byrn.

The Grading System

The final grade for the academic year is based on a variety of assessments, activities, tests and projects. Each of the individual grades for these assessments are averaged and scaled, together with the final portfolio at the end of the Academic year, by the teachers at the Marbella Design Academy and the External Examiners. This evaluation results in an annual Overall Average Grade.