Postgraduate Diploma in Design - Visual Communication Design

at Massey University - Wellington Campus New Zealand

More than just the design of buildings, spatial design is all about how people experience spaces. It intersects with the more traditional design fields of architecture, landscape design, interior design, urban design and environmental design.

People inhabit the world in many ways, but we all have spaces where we live, work, play, relax, perform, gather, learn, heal, and celebrate. The design of spaces affects how you feel, how you act, and how you interact with others: Does the layout of your local hospital make you feel reassured or stressed? Do you find you want to linger in some cafes but not in others? Does an office space make it easy and natural for people to get together? Do the views on a walk surprise and delight you because someone has thought carefully about the experience?

Spatial design can improve the standard and quality of our lives, enrich our culture and national identity, and contribute to business success. In spatial design studio courses, you'll learn to design for a host of spaces: private, public, retail, event, work, game, furnishing, experience, display, interface and performance. You learn to use the latest technologies and approaches to design spaces at the required scale, from the big picture (eg urban planning) to the fine detail of construction and materials.

Expressive arts is unique in New Zealand and was created in response to student demand. As part of your study, you will be able to choose from a range of activities such as devising, directing and writing theatre, writing creative works including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children, and screenplays, or filming and producing digital video.

The Bachelor of Screen Arts with Honours (Animation) major caters for those interested in joining the industry, as well as providing pathways for students wishing to gain studio employment or explore the medium as independent filmmakers.

Our focus is on skills using sophisticated, industry-standard 3D and 2D software to greatly enhance workflow. By becoming artistically and technically competent, you will work smarter instead of harder, freeing you to enjoy your craft as capable animators within a variety of team-based production environments.

In this major you will learn how to animate, focusing on the principles of the craft and learn how to model, texture and light 3D assets. There will be opportunities to work in team-based production environments, as well as on personal animation projects.

In the Master of Design, you’ll produce innovative and responsive design work that is thoroughly grounded in design research methodologies and expertly realised, with the option to work with industry leaders at Weta Workshop.

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) has a strong collective philosophy. By bringing together students from design and fine arts, the MFA fosters intense conversations and exploration. Embed yourself in a rich dialogue about your creative practice in Massey’s transdisciplinary MFA qualification for artists and designers.

For designers and artists
Choose whether you want to graduate with an MFA in design, in fine arts or without endorsement if you believe your work cannot be framed in terms of either discipline.
We have had students join the qualification whose undergraduate training is in fashion design, photography, textile design, industrial design, graphic design, fine arts and even music.

Create, critique, and connect with your media world with the Graduate Diploma in Arts (Media Studies). You will gain the equivalent of an undergraduate major in media studies without completing a second bachelor’s degree.

Interested in television and popular culture? Social media and the blogosphere? Film and cultural theory? Media studies can help you unlock your creative potential and develop practical skills to excel in your career.

The Graduate Diploma in Arts (Media Studies) is a bridging tool for graduates in other subjects to get the equivalent of a major in media studies.

Embed yourself in a rich dialogue about your creative practice in Massey’s transdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts (Design) qualification, for artists and designers. The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) has a strong collective philosophy. By bringing together students from design and fine arts, the MFA fosters intense conversations and exploration.

For designers and artists
Choose whether you want to graduate with an MFA in design, in fine arts or without endorsement if you believe your work cannot be framed in terms of either discipline.
We have had students join the qualification whose undergraduate training is in fashion design, photography, textile design, industrial design, graphic design, fine arts and even music.

Gain a qualification of international-standing with strong practical industry skills. Massey’s journalism programs are the only ones in Australia or New Zealand accredited by the US organization the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism is based on leading overseas journalism qualifications. It is for those with no journalism experience who wish to enter the industry, or those with some experience who wish to develop specialist knowledge. Either way, you will learn the skills needed to be a successful journalist.

With Massey’s Master of Emergency Management, you’ll learn to become a leader in managing emergencies effectively at operational and strategic levels.

Emergency management focuses on organising communities to respond to disasters. It also examines how to survive them, rebuild social structures and infrastructure, and sustain and preserve life.

You will have regular access to leading industry-standard film production equipment and the opportunity to work in industry specific film crew roles on your own project.

You'll gain practical experience in a wide range of roles, before specialising in your chosen area and collaborating on independently-developed productions. You'll be working on a wide range of creative projects, using both contemporary filmmaking techniques as well as emerging technologies like Virtual Production.

The Film Production Major will train you in the art of developing and producing stories for film, and you'll gain expertise in telling the stories that are important to you and in helping others realise their creative visions as well.