The Open Window’s three-year BA Degree in Visual Communication Design and four-year HonoursDegree in Visual Communication offer a vibrant mix of practical work, critical and creative thinking, as well as research.
All qualifications are accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and are registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
Full-time / Part-time Studies
Students may enroll for any level on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students complete a level over one academic year, while part-time students complete a level over two academic years.
The course content is exactly similar. Part-time students may attend any available class; they are not limited to attending after-hours classes.
Part-time study costs depend on the subjects that students enroll for.
Qualifications
BA Degree in visual communication design
NQF Level 7 SAQA Registration No: 60470
This professional qualification focuses on producing academically driven design experts.
This degree programme will ensure technical-, academic- and practice-related competencies in traditional and new media. The degree could lead to post-graduate studies in Visual Communication.
First-year Course: Foundation (120 credits)
First-year courses are specifically structured to develop strong technical skills; encourage basic creative problem-solving abilities; and strengthen conceptual drive.
First-year students can choose from an array of elective subjects and software workshops to broaden their scope and establish a strong academic foundation.
This unique education model allows students to explore the broader field within the communication design industry. It also adds foundation competence with regard to related fields of interest to their portfolio.
Subjects offered on first-year level are divided into the following groups:
Subject-specific workshops relate to the elective subjects above and count 3 credits each.
( Design Software, Photoshop Post- production, Tradition & Digital Illustration Techniques, Mudbox, After Effects, image Editing, Sound Editing, Flash, Solidworks, Ms Project )
Choose 3 related to electives plus any other software
Second-year Course: DEGREE (120 credits)
From the second year onwards, emphasis falls on project execution and problem solving.
Students must show insight into the creative process, such as forming ideas, activating the imagination, originality, initiative, spontaneity and self-discipline. The course is devoted to more advanced conceptualising and technical skills.
Building on the well-developed sense of technical knowledge, creative solutions are found through analytical and synthesising thought processes. Students deliver proof of artistic sensitivity and aesthetic ability.
Subjects offered on second-year level are divided into the following groups:
Students select 11 elective modules (55 credits) across all departments. Please Note: Some modules are fundamental to the Major.
THIRD-year Course: DEGREE (120 credits)
In their third year, students integrate industry-based competencies with scholarly and applied research methodology.
Entrepreneurial skills are developed and students have to show their ability to plan, operate and manage a project.
The third-year curriculum focuses on work-based learning; students are given the opportunity to direct and execute projects commissioned by actual clients.
Subjects offered on third-year level are divided into the following groups:
Students select 9 elective modules (45 credits) across all departments.
Please Note: Some modules are fundamental to the Major.
The student receives a BA Degree in Visual Communication Design after successfully completing at least 360 credits in total (including a work-based learning session that is compulsory at exit level).
This post-graduate study programme complements the degree, by giving graduates the opportunity to specialise in their Major. The course consists of a 60% practical and a 40% theoretical component.
The first-year programme forms the foundation of both the degree and diploma.
The diploma is a qualification of competence that gives students the necessary technical and practical skills to enter the demanding design world. The programme will ensure industry-related skills in most new media sectors.
Second-Year Diploma Course (120 credits)
The subjects offered on second-year diploma-level include:
Elective modules on second-year level (select 5 at 5 credits each)
The student receives a Diploma in Visual Communication after successfully completing at least 240 credits in total (including a work-based learning session that is compulsory at exit level).
