Study Design
Why Study Design in New Zealand?
top quality education
Whether you're studying graphic design, visual affects, animation, game design or another digital design discipline, the New Zealand education system sets you up to meet the demands of the rapidly-changing global design industry. The universities and institutes that offer design courses in New Zealand are all high quality and allow you to bring your ideas to life.
kick-start your career
You’ll be able to gain real-world hands-on experience and showcase your work in competitions, shows and galleries. You’ll also have the opportunity to create connections with industry leaders, such as the Oscar-winning filmmakers who made Avatar, Lord of the Rings and Shrek. In addition to the design skills you’ll gain at design school, you’ll also learn skills such as teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and creative thinking. Your qualifications, experience, connections and skills will make you in demand within the global design job market.
Design Courses in New Zealand
Bachelor of design (Level 7)
AUT university
The Bachelor of Design at AUT is highly creative and practical, with strong input from industry partners such as Auckland Art Gallery, Weta Digital, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Creative New Zealand. As a Bachelor of Design student you’ll have access to world-class facilities, collaborate with other art and design students, and in your final year you may be able to showcase your work at the AUT School of Art and Design festival or the AUT Rookie fashion show.
Available majors: Digital Design // Communication Design // Industrial Design // Interaction Design // Spatial Design // Fashion Design
Bachelor of design innovation (Level 7)
Victoria University of Wellington
While developing the skills and expertise that the design industry currently demands, you'll also be pushing the limits and forging the future of design practice. During studio classes and seminars, your teachers will show you how to take an experimental approach to design that encourages creative and thoughtful solutions. The Bachelor of Design Innovation degree is a three-year programme where you have the unique opportunity to combine study in design with a minor in another discipline such as Anthropology, Psychology, Māori or Pacific Studies, Writing, Film or Media Studies. This provides an opportunity to shape your course of study to suit your individual interests and intended career.
Available majors: Animation and Visual Effects // Communication Design // Design for Social Innovation // Fashion Design Technology // Industrial Design // Interaction Design // Media Design
Bachelor of fine Arts - graphic design Major (Level 7)
Bachelor of product design (Level 7)
University of canterbury
The Bachelor of Fine Arts is a four-year degree that will give you a broad knowledge in visual arts, multimedia, and design before you specialise in one studio area. It’s the first art school in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the English-speaking world. The teaching staff are artists, designers, filmmakers, and curators of international standing. Facilities include an on-campus art gallery, dedicated studios, and workshops. In the Graphic Design major, students are also encouraged to investigate other more traditional processes, such as screen printing, as well as digital processes.
The Bachelor of Product Design at University of Canterbury is a three-year degree that combines creative design, science, engineering, and business studies. Graduates will be able to develop creative ideas based on their knowledge of related sciences and engineering disciplines, as well as gain the practical business skills needed to commercialise new products.
Bachelor of design with honours (Level 8)
Massey university
The Bachelor of Design with Honours is a four-year degree at Massey University within the Wellington School of Design, New Zealand’s oldest design school.
Study with the Wellington School of Design and address local and global issues—producing inspiring design solutions for a rapidly changing world. Facilities include a 3D workshop, printmaking studio, VR/AR room, textiles construction studio and a lighting studio. Massey University’s design school excels across many disciplines and has the highest number of top-ranked researchers in design, visual art and craft in New Zealand.
Available majors: Concept Design // Industrial Design // Integrated Design // Fashion Design // Spatial Design // Photography // Textiles Design // Visual Communication Design.
Bachelor of design (Level 7)
The University of Auckland
The Bachelor of Design at The University of Auckland uses a combination of case studies and real-world project briefs to enable your experimentation in this creative sector. You’ll explore new media and technologies, such as virtual and augmented realities, 3D printing and robotics. You’ll be exposed to different design methods and processes that will allow you to extend your creativity. You’ll investigate the potential practical, social, political and environmental impacts of different design outcomes, using both digital and material technologies. You’ll explore all aspects of design thinking, making and applying. You’ll also gain conceptual and technical skills relevant to our fast-changing world.
You can choose to study Design as a conjoint programme with another bachelor’s such as Commerce, Law, Music, Property or Science.
Diploma in creative digital design (Level 6)
Diploma in web & UX design (Level 6)
Diploma in digital design - web & graphic design (Level 5)
Diploma in fashion (Level 5)
Certificate in makeup artistry (Level 4)
Yoobee school of design
Yoobee School of Design is New Zealand's largest specialised digital design and multimedia school. You'll be working with top professionals from the worlds of graphic design, digital design, fashion and makeup artistry. For the past 20 years, this design school been helping creative people unlock their talents with real-world, practical learning, small classes and one-on-one support.
Bachelor of animation (Level 7)
Diploma in digital media (Level 7)
Diploma in advanced 3d production (Level 7)
Diploma in game art & Development (Level 7)
Diploma in 3d production (Level 6)
Diploma in specialised animation (Level 6)
Diploma in digital design - animation & film production (Level 5)
Diploma in animation (Level 5)
Yoobee school of animation
Yoobee School of Animation is New Zealand’s largest specialist animation school. This institute offers degree and diploma level courses in game art and development, 2D and 3D character animation, and specialisations in VFX. From a city built out of candy to a starship drifting at the edge of a black hole, if you can see it in your mind, the School of Animation and VFX can help you create it.