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Studies & Degrees in Carpet Design

Carpet design is the applied art of planning the pattern, colours and structure of a carpet before it is made. For a hand-knotted carpet the designer works within the styles of a region and prepares a drawing that the weavers follow knot by knot. For a machine-made carpet the design is prepared for an industrial loom. UNESCO, which inscribed the traditional skills of carpet weaving in Kashan (Iran) on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, describes a process that starts with a design, elaborated from among a series of established styles, with motifs such as flowers, leaves, branches, animals and scenes taken from history.

As a subject of study, carpet design lies between textile design, handicrafts and art history. A designer needs to draw, and also needs to know how a carpet is woven, which fibres and dyes are used and how workshops and factories operate.

What students learn

  • Design. Traditional motifs and regional styles, drawing a design to scale, colour planning and specialised carpet design software.
  • Weaving and restoration. Carpet and kilim weaving and the repair of old pieces. In Kashan the pile is made by knotting wool or silk yarns to the warp with the Farsi knot, also known as asymmetrical knotting, according to UNESCO.
  • Dyeing and materials. Natural and chemical dyeing, fibre science and quality control. The colours of Kashan carpets traditionally come from natural dyes such as madder root, walnut skin, pomegranate skin and vine leaves.
  • Management. The organisation of weaving workshops and factories, and the economics of the carpet trade.

The craft has long been passed on outside schools. UNESCO notes that in Kashan apprenticeship is the way in which designing, dyeing, shearing, loom-building and tool-making are learned. A university course adds laboratories, research methods and the study of machine-made production.

Qualifications and levels

Degrees devoted to carpet design are uncommon. Our directory lists one institution for this subject, the University of Kashan in Iran. Its Faculty of Architecture and Art, added to the university in 1995, has a Department of Carpet. The university's list of majors includes:

  • bachelor's degrees in Carpet, with branches in Carpet Design, Dyeing, Dyeing and Design, and Carpet Weaving and Restoration
  • master's degrees in Carpet Design, Raw Materials and Dyeing, and Carpet Management and Economics

The faculty describes its art courses as workshop-based and refers to four years of study for its graduates. According to the department's page (last updated in June 2018), students use carpet and kilim weaving and repair workshops, chemical and dyeing laboratories, fibre laboratories and a carpet quality control laboratory. The university also runs the Iran Carpet Research Center, founded in 2002, which has computer facilities with carpet design software and a repair centre with a collection of old carpet designs.

In other countries, students usually approach carpets and rugs through a broader degree in textile design, surface pattern design or interior design. Anyone choosing that route should ask the school how much of the course deals with floor coverings, and what recognition the qualification has.

Where to study it

The one active school in our directory for this subject is in Kashan, a city with a long carpet tradition. UNESCO states that almost one in three residents of Kashan is employed in carpet-making, and the Iran Carpet Research Center refers to more than 1,400 carpet manufacturing companies in the region.

The language of instruction matters. The University of Kashan states that the medium of instruction is Persian in all courses except those of the English Department, and that it offers Persian language courses to help international students follow their programmes. For admission as an international student it asks for a secondary school certificate with a minimum grade average of 12 out of 20 for a bachelor's degree, and a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 14 out of 20 for a master's degree. Applications go to the university's office for non-Iranian students.

Careers

The Department of Carpet at the University of Kashan lists the work its graduates are prepared for: design and decoration of carpets, carpet and kilim weaving, traditional and chemical dyeing, carpet repair, and the management of carpet weaving factories and workshops, for both handmade and machine-made production. The faculty adds that graduates can set up independent workshops. Other paths are research, teaching, restoration for museums and dealers, and design work for interior projects.

We found no official employment statistics for carpet designers, so this page gives none. The size of the local industry is the main factor: most jobs are where carpets are produced or traded.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a university degree in carpet design?

Yes, although it is uncommon. The University of Kashan in Iran lists bachelor's and master's degrees in Carpet, including a Carpet Design branch at both levels.

In which language is carpet design taught at the University of Kashan?

In Persian. The university states that Persian is the medium of instruction in all courses except those of the English Department, and it offers Persian language courses for international students.

What does a carpet design course include besides drawing?

Weaving and repair techniques, dyeing and fibre science, quality control, design software and the management of workshops and factories.

Can carpet design be learned without a degree?

Traditionally it is. UNESCO describes apprenticeship as the way in which designing, dyeing and related skills are passed on in Kashan.