| Qualification: | Graduate Diploma |
| Level: | 7 |
| Dates: | 2026 Semester 1: 09 February to 13 November |
| Duration: | One year full-time |
| Location: | |
| Credits: | 120 |
The Graduate Diploma in Visual Media is a one-year intensive programme designed for learners who have a degree in a related field or have industry experience. This qualification allows the learner to express their creativity using the latest techniques and technology.
You will engage and develop skills from day one in team work and collaboration, building critical creative problem-solving skills vital to working in the creative industries. You will develop practical skills in your desired field which you can apply to practical storytelling experiences.
This course focuses on developing your creativity and technical skills to develop complex creative projects. You will be able to custom your course to gain the skills you want for your specific discipline, this can be inclusive of 2D animation, Stop-motion, digital fashion, game design, film making, scriptwriting or worldbuilding.
Software includes industry standard applications such as: Maya, Zbrush, Houdini, Marvellous Design, Clo 3D, Toom Boom Storyboard Pro, Toom Boom Harmony, Unity, Unreal, Vue, Corel Painter, Nuke, Resolve, ProTools, Substance and Adobe collections and much more.
Compulsory papers
GD701 Studio Project 3
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will build knowledge and skills in communications and management strategies to develop or produce a creative project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop individual or collaborative projects with peers or external partners but must implement individual processes with legal considerations. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will plan and implement pipelines/workflows that embed researched and evaluated ethics, health, safety, and wellbeing procedures. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will identify audience to ensure all concepts and designs are user-centric and have clear approaches to brand development and product release. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will critically analyse and execute transmedia approaches to release their final project.
GD730 Internship
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will engage in activities which further develop their skills as professional creative sector practitioners. They will undertake an industry related internship(s) gaining a clear understanding of organisational and operational requirements and contribute as directed within that environment. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop and refine an internship proposal/s that clearly identifies relevant skills and plan and manage activities to achieve these. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will complete an in-depth evaluation of the internship experience based on documentation collected over the duration of their internship. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of Health and Safety in the workplace.
Electives
Choose the remaining credits from below (to be approved by the programme manager):
BSA701 Studio Project 1
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will build knowledge and skills in communications and management strategies to lead a deadline-driven creative project within a team environment. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will explore and research relevant existing and emerging practices. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop and produce a project utilising and challenging each member’s current technical and aesthetic talent base. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will explore pipeline/workflow and time management models, while maintaining best health, wellness and safety practices while observing legal and ethical considerations. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will explore and critically engage in audience research to ensure all concepts and designs are user centric. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will critically analyse and execute transmedia approaches to release the final project.
BSA642 Studio Digital 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will extend their understanding of project-focused research through creative industries practices. Within their fields, students will develop a body of work that reflects an in-depth investigation relevant to their research focus. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will gain an understanding of the practical and theoretical implications of proposing, developing, and resolving a creative industries project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will engage in historical and contemporary research relevant to their research focus. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will demonstrate experience evaluating a range of practical and digital materials and processes to engage with target audiences. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also utilise documentation as a key research method.
BSA603 Cross-Disciplinary Workshops 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will participate and collaborate across disciplines to engage in a series of innovative and contemporary creative industry driven projects. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will collaborate developing skills in versatility and adaptability within a visually creative environment. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and develop an analytical understanding of emerging disciplines within the creative industries. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and develop communication skills in leadership, decision-making, and group dynamics.
BSA604 Screenwriting 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will advance their understanding of screenwriting techniques and story, with a particular focus on structure, conflict, and character status. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will refine their short film writing and script editing skills and be introduced to various forms of serial storytelling and longer format screenwriting.
BSA605 Content Creation
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and develop key marketing skills to produce content to meet client needs. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and articulate the value of content creation campaigns to businesses/companies.ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will create a buyer/customer persona representative of identified target audience.ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will design and create relevant written and visual content that effectively communicates identified marketing strategies. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also utilise documentation as a key research method.
BSA609 Computer Aided Design 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to innovative collaborative fashion and costume design practices by using a variety of digital practices for design and fabrication. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and analyse both contemporary and historical design practices that can be applied to a contemporary workflow. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will design, develop, and select a mini collection of garment designs and prepare them within a digital and fabricated context. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will further develop their understanding through exploration and application of these technologies to create interactive virtual experiences that enhance customer experience.
BSA610 Fashion Design and Production 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will extend their knowledge and develop skills in specialised pattern making and garment construction techniques using both conventional and unconventional methods. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will design and produce original mini garment collections from concept through to completion by implementing specialised and unconventional techniques throughout all stages of the process. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also explore and discuss historical and innovative practices within the fashion industry, relating and applying relevant options to their own design and production projects.
BSA611 Character, Environment & Prop Design
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop design and communication skills by working from a brief provided by a real or theoretical client. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will produce a costume piece, prop or environment project that supports character development and world building from concept to completion. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will create a conceptual project, such as an illustrative or documentative art book, with a focus on a potential client’s creative industry project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also examine relevant existing and emerging practices, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries.
BSA612 World Building
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop their narrative and conceptual art skills to create an original fictional world. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to tools to articulate and demonstrate their world to an audience.ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also examine relevant existing and emerging practices, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries.
BSA615 Studio Drawing 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop both physical and digital drawing skills. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will explore their drawing methods by participating in a variety of group and individual exercises such as mural design, life drawing, and prompt illustrations. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will produce a narrative-driven illustrated project, such as a graphic novel, children’s book, motion comic, manga, or comic, that distinguishes their own creative voice. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also examine relevant existing and emerging practises, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries.
BSA626 3D Animation Production
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop and manage a story and character driven 3D project for a short film or a game cut scene. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and develop a workflow management strategy to ensure an effective, quality-driven, production pipeline. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop and apply a range of current best practices from the gaming and animation industries. These will include techniques such as hard and soft surface modelling, look development, rigged and dynamic animation, and traditional and Realtime rendering. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop their creative thinking and analytical problem-solving skills to deliver a complex project in a time-intensive environment.
BSA627 Visual Effects Compositing
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to a range of visual effects and compositing tools and techniques. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will analyse and implement a VFX production pipeline to produce a project that contains composited elements, either individually or as groups. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also examine relevant existing and emerging practises, and document project progress through self-reflective commentaries.
BSA628 Gaming Art and Design 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop the skills to design and produce a 3D game with a defined user experience. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will gain skills in the latest technology and techniques used within the 3D game development industry. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research best practises in asset optimisation to ensure peak performance on a chosen platform. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will engage, design, and implement a management system to ensure reflective and iterative practises are developed into quality user experiences.
BSA631 Digital Filmmaking 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will produce, direct, and evaluate a short film showcasing and building on their storytelling, conceptual development, art direction, cinematography and post-production skills throughout this paper. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will investigate, understand, instigate and document appropriate protocols to ensure their compliance with the legal and ethical implications of their actions regarding film production.
BSA670 Transmedia 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ further develop their understanding of how transmedia practices engage storytelling across multiple media platforms. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and evaluate relevant transmedia practices in terms of their specific use of?media platforms and storytelling devices. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will produce a compelling, integrated transmedia project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research, design, and execute a transmedia concept. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will evaluate and use documentation to articulate the projects effectiveness to communicate a single narrative to target audiences.
BSA634 Cinematography
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research and gain a theoretical understanding and practical experience of the lighting, camera tools and techniques used in digital cinema production to enhance a practical project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop their understanding and implementation of visual language within storytelling and marketing concepts. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop skills to an industry standard for both location and studio situations.
BSA632 Studio Photography 2
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will further develop their skills in the latest processes and techniques of digital photography. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will complete projects using various practical techniques and software solutions to hone an understanding of how to read and use digital photographic imagery. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also produce digital photographic artworks developing an advanced technical capability in the production and manipulation of photographic images. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will gain knowledge of the field through research and the inclusion of diverse, contemporary, and historical photographic practices.
BSA501 Introduction to Filmmaking
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will gain practical hands-on skills and develop techniques to be able to effectively use cameras, lighting and audio equipment involved in visual story telling for film. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will explore a variety of techniques and apply skills to critically assess how to use these tools to greatest effect in various situations and to enhance storytelling.
BSA504 Screenwriting 1
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop a basic understanding and an ability to analyse film structures, genre conventions and storytelling techniques. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop writing skills to be able to effectively develop a short film script outline, treatment, and screenplay. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will learn skills in creating and developing story-driven techniques within the plot, theme, character, and dialogue of their script.
BSA550 Film Editing
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will explore and develop an understanding of the aesthetics, concepts and practicalities of combining moving images in film. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to fundamental post-production tools, software, and editing techniques that serve narratives.
BSA534 Pre-Production Techniques
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will learn how to breakdown, schedule, and budget a project, as well as being able to examine the structure and organisation of departments involved in developing and implementing a project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop documentation and pre-visualisation artwork as part of a proposal for this project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will learn key health and safety procedures and planning strategies relevant to a project.
BSA526 Principles of Animation
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to the principles of animation and apply them to a contemporary pipeline. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will create a visually appealing character with a unique biography and storytelling poses and expressions. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will use industry standard software to bring their character to life through paperless 2D animation techniques. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will discuss relevant existing practices, and reflectively document their project progress.
BSA529 Storyboarding
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to the process of drafting and planning story driven short form screen arts projects. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will learn basic screenwriting skills for short form narratives and how to design for a target audience. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will gain an understanding of the creative process and apply visual language and film grammar to produce a completed storyboard and animatic project for the creative industries.
BSA527 2D Animation
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will combine visual storytelling skills and the principles of animation to produce a short 2D animated project with a proposed purpose, narrative, and target audience. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will apply a range of 2D animation techniques and implement a 2D animation production pipeline. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will discuss relevant existing practices, and reflectively document their project progress.
BSA524 Stop-Motion Animation
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will acquire the skills and understanding required to produce a small stop-motion animation film, developing basic storytelling, design, and practical character and environment asset building skills within a collaborative team environment. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will learn and apply the principles of animation to a stop-motion production pipeline. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also explore and utilise basic camera skills; shooting, lighting, and editing techniques in line with industry best practices.
BSA532 Studio Photography 1
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to the latest processes and techniques of digital photography. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will complete projects using various practical techniques and software solutions to develop an understanding of how to read and use digital photographic imagery. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also explore and create digital photographic artworks while developing a basic technical ability. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will gain knowledge of the field through the investigation and analysis of diverse, contemporary and historical photographic practices.
BSA570 Transmedia 1
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ develop a basic understanding of how audiences are engaged through storytelling across multiple media platforms. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research the use of a variety of media platforms and storytelling devices. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will produce a basic transmedia concept and explore its potential distribution, evaluating and documenting effectiveness in reaching target audiences. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also explore and evaluate contemporary transmedia practices.
BSA510 Fashion Design and Production 1
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to the basic principles and elements of fashion and the traditional design production process. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will also research and apply skills in block drafting and garment construction techniques for a variety of garment types, whilst becoming familiar with industrial machinery and terminology used in fashion construction. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will then expand their knowledge and creativity through textile exploration, manipulation and experimentation using a variety of sourced textiles and techniques. Finally, students will utilise the design process and knowledge gained to design, interpret, develop, refine, draft, and produce their own creative and unique range of quality garments for a specific target audience.
BSA509 Introduction to Computer Aided Design
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to the latest computer aided design software to develop efficient and sustainable digital fashion workflows. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will research how a digital workflow can speed up production and increase ethical practices within the industry. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will design within a digital workflow and explore fabrication options to minimize waste and optimize production values. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will explore applications for technology within the fashion, costume, and entertainment industries.
BSA511 2D & 3D Concept Art & Design
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will be introduced to fundamentals of design and presentation of effective storytelling and character concepts. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will implement a design workflow to communicate 2D & 3D concepts to a chosen target audience. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will produce a mixed media project to present their finalised concepts. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will discuss relevant existing and emerging practices, and reflectively document their project’s progress.
BSA515 Studio Drawing 1
ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop fundamental skills in drawing, both digitally and physically. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will participate in a variety of different drawing methods such as life drawing, mural design, and prompt illustrations. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will develop visual storytelling skills through producing a narrative-driven short, illustrated project. ÐãÉ«Ö±²¥ will discuss relevant existing and emerging practices, and reflectively document their project’s progress.
This programme is eligible for the Zero Fees Scheme.
International Fees can be found here.
Graduates opportunities will depend on learner focus but can include creative roles within the 3D animation, Visual Effects and Game Design Industries, inclusive of such roles as; Director, Graphic Novelist, Illustrator, Art Director, 2D animator, Costume Designer, Stop motion Artist/Animator, Game Designer, Game animator, 3D Generalist, 3D Modeller, 3D Animator, Surface Artist, Compositor, Technical Artist, Visual Effects Artist, Filmmaker, Videographer, Digital Content Creator, Content Manager, Scriptwriter and many more.
Applications are open to Bachelor degree graduates who can demonstrate equivalent, relevant, practical professional or educational experience in a related discipline.
Special Admission
Notwithstanding the above admission criteria, provided the applicant has successfully completed an approved course or programme, or has relevant industry experience, which is deemed to meet the required standard for entry, the applicant may be admitted to the programme.
Provisional Part-time Admission
An applicant, who does not meet academic criteria, may be provisionally admitted to enrol in one or more papers. Upon successful completion of the paper(s), the student may apply for special admission or admission by mature entry.
Portfolio Requirements
Additional Criteria
In addition, the following requirements also apply to applicants in all admission categories:
Language Requirements
Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following
NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or
an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A¬ level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or
Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or
Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or
Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
Successful completion of a Bachelor ‘s Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States; or
Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment.
Graduate Certificate or Diploma at Level 7
IELTS test - Academic score of 6 with no band score lower than 5.5
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 550 (with an essay score 5 TWE)
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 60 (with a writing score of 18)
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools or C1 Advanced or C2
Proficiency with a score of 169. No less than 162 in each skill.
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 4 (Academic) b) Level 4 (Academic)
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 50 with no band score lower than 42
Language Cert - C1 Expert International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
Trinity ISE - ISE II with no less than distinction in any band
In order to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Visual Media, a student must have been credited with all required papers as specified in the programme schedule. A student undertaking the Graduate Diploma in Visual Media will normally be expected to complete the programme within one year of full time study. Notwithstanding the requirements set out above, the Head of Faculty, with the approval and recommendation of the Teaching and Learning Board of Studies, may allow a student a longer period to complete the programme.
(Please note: students failing to attend for 80% of timetabled programme hours may forfeit their Zero Fees entitlement.)
Classes are held at Te Rau O Te Huia, Centre for the Creative Industries.