Design your future with a degree from Victoria University of Wellington

Set in the cultural heart of New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington will open you up to a life of exploration, adventure and knowledge. New Zealand’s capital city combines modern life with natural living, providing the perfect environment for a work-hard-play-hard student experience.

Studying here means that beaches, mountains, coastal cliffs and native bush surround your home. An education at the Victoria University of Wellington offers much more than just the enrichment of knowledge; here, you also have the chance to explore New Zealand life and draw creative inspiration from your breath-taking surroundings.

On top of experiencing New Zealand culture, the university is committed to encouraging international exchanges. The university has formal links with over 100 institutions, helping students develop their global perspective – a vital skill in today’s interconnected economy.

International students are part of a thriving community at the university, coming together to form the Victoria International Student Association (V-ISA). This provides students with a social platform to share ideas and make friends from all over the world.

“Everyone’s really friendly in Wellington so it’s easy to make friends,” says Deon Teo from Singapore, student and president of V-ISA. “You can meet up after you study and hangout on the weekends.”

The School of Design offers a creative, industry-focussed education that prepares them to be game-changers after graduation. Emphasis is placed on training students to make an impact through contemporary design skills in an ever-changing world.

“As a school we are committed to the exploration of innovative technologies and new modes and methods of design education and research, situated within social and environmentally engaged practice,” says Associate Professor Douglas Easterly, Head of the School of Design.

The school’s two new majors, Communication Design and Interaction Design, deeply embody this commitment to producing forward-thinking design graduates with innovative outlooks on the field of design. They join the School of Design’s successful degree programmes in Design for Social Innovation, Industrial Design, and Media Design.

Students following the Communication Design program learn how to communicate visual messages, information and ideas as part of larger design projects. The course allows students to develop their expertise in a range of software-based skills including graphic arts, layout and publishing for print and screen media.

Branding and storytelling are also explored through innovative technologies and academic design theory, preparing students to pioneer new paths in the design industry after graduation.

The course also deepens the university’s commitment to protecting and promoting the cultural identity of the Maori tradition. During the program, you’ll learn how the Maori community played a role in shaping New Zealand’s design industry.

© Mike O’Neil, Te Papa

The Interaction Design major explores the human experience side of design, examining how people relate to each other and receive information through digital and physical systems.

This major takes an interdisciplinary approach that combines communication and media design with design psychology. This course gives you insight into what makes people tick and how to weave this into design.

If you’re interested in improving the lives of people, relating to people through websites and games, or improving healthcare design, this major will deepen your understanding of how to design products to better people’s lives.

Interaction Design is still an emerging field, making now an exciting and transient time to specialise in this area. You will graduate into a malleable industry that actively seeks experts to help guide the way. Expert knowledge combined with the hands-on learning approach at Victoria University of Wellington propels you to the forefront of this developing arena, allowing you to make real changes in a rising market.

One of the best things about studying at the Victoria University of Wellington is the degree flexibility. If you have multiple interests, you can choose to specialise in two majors from the same school or sometimes, a major from different schools as part of your degree.

© Mike O’Neil, Te Papa

If you’re passionate about two subjects, you can extend your course over four years in two subjects, earning a conjoint degree in a shorter time than if you’d have studied them separately.

This gives Communication Design and Interaction Design students the option to combine their studies with Design for Social Innovation, Industrial Design or Media Design, or otherwise look for degrees outside the School of Design.

Students here benefit from an interdisciplinary education, producing well-rounded graduates with wider expertise. Not only will you have knowledge in more subject areas, you will also have a broader perspective that can be applied to real-world challenges and no lecture could prepare you for. But, by studying a range of issues, you will develop a natural ability to critically problem solve with the knowledge you have gained.

If you’re interested in learning how design can shape, influence and change the world; from storytelling to digital devices – a degree in Interaction or Communication Design could help fulfil your potential.

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