Arnhem, Netherlands
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Introduction
Bachelor Graphic Design
Designers have the opportunity to be agents of action and change. Where the impact of those terms is not predefined and to be shaped - the GDA curriculum is the space to do so.
The Graphic Design course in Arnhem will challenge you to break prevailing conventions around the subject and develop your own vision.
The GDA student community is ambitious, critical and curious. The cohort aims to not only work with- but create new thoughts, new information and new systems. Data holds no meaning. It’s only through interpretation it can become information and subsequently knowledge. GDA students are at the forefront of human-centred design practices where technology can both facilitate and be facilitated.
We can consider the challenges and opportunities for the (GDA) graphic designer and citizen practitioner in (pro) future settings. What can happen in the future as the result of certain actions and decisions the graphic designer might make in the present? Where lies an urgency and determination? How can we anticipate future good and future goods?
In brief
- Strong emphasis on experimental ideation and conceptual research processes
- The curriculum provides plenty of scope to explore individual aspirations and ambitions in emergent fields and critical practices
- An internationally recognised department with award-winning students and lauded alumni
- Taught by high profile, multi-disciplinary tutors
- State-of-the-art facilities and well-equipped workshops
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Curriculum
Programme structure
The Bachelor Graphic Design is a four-year programme in graphic design at higher vocational (HBO) level. The GDA Curriculum introduces students to shared research practices and essential design skills across the spectrum. Research allows for the initiation and investigation into – as well as the study of – existing materials and emergent spaces. (New) relationships and (new) conclusions are in the driving seat.
Year 1: Growth (G)
In Year 1, GDA students will be introduced to key graphic design principles as well as the research and design process. Through creative and explorative classes and assignments, they will focus on key methodologies, technologies and processes aiding the acquisition of relevant knowledge and skills. Examples of classes are Type & Typography, Spaces & Systems, Materiality & Play and Visual Grammar.
Year 2: Develop (D)
The course curriculum in the second year of the bachelor Graphic Design Arnhem is in-depth and research-oriented. The emphasis is on experimentation. Besides the four basic subjects, you will take subjects such as Open Lab, time-based media (audiovisual) and lens-based media (photography).
Year 3: Advance (A)
In Year 3, students again advance in their practice continuing the Interactive Media and Open Lab programmes – to name a few – but are also introduced to the class ‘Curiosity & Method’ in anticipation of the Major Research Project in Year 4. A focus on the ability to initiate self-guided design processes develops pace. The unit ‘Portfolio’ aids preparation and planning for the finding of an internship or exchange.
Year 4: (!!!!)
Year 4 (!!!!) is the big (trumpet-blowing) final year with a project-based programme allowing graduating candidates to focus on bespoke areas of interest in both practical and theoretical frameworks. They are in the position to apply knowledge, skills and contexts acquired and developed in the previous three years, to create work of the highest standard showcasing both technical skill and critical ideation.
Program Outcome
The strong theoretical program of the bachelor Graphic Design Arnhem allows you to progress to various master courses in the Netherlands or abroad. For example, former students of our course have gone on to study at:
- Typography Workshop (ArtEZ, Arnhem)
- Sandberg Instituut (Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam)
- Type and Media (KABK, The Hague)
- Nonlinear Storytelling (KABK, The Hague)
If you want to obtain a first-degree teaching qualification, choose the Tailor-Made BA Fine Art & Design in Education course at ArtEZ. This course is offered in both Zwolle and Arnhem.
Many artists and designers combine their artistic practice with a job as a teacher. If you choose Tailor-Made Fine Art & Design in Education as your second bachelor course, you will pay the lower statutory tuition fee.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
After graduation
After graduating, you will be an independent critical thinker and designer who not only executes but also brings about change and innovation. Alumni of the higher vocational course Graphic Design Arnhem have been praised by the professional field for their independence, professional knowledge and conceptual thinking. With these qualities and skills, you can work at a design agency after the course, or start your own practice as an independent designer.
We hear lots of positive stories about our interns and alumni from the professional field. Many of them end up in great jobs in the Netherlands and abroad after graduation. For example, they have gone on to work for design agencies such as RAW Color, Lesley Moore, 2x4 (New York), Bruce Mau (Toronto) and LAVA Beijing. Besides working for a design agency or another organisation in the creative industry, you can also establish yourself as an independent designer or set up collaborative ventures.
Ambitious and talented alumni are sometimes involved in projects by lecturers after graduation, giving them a leg-up into professional practice. And after a few years of practical experience, some become lecturers, for example in our own department.
Continue studying?
The strong theoretical programme of the bachelor Graphic Design Arnhem allows you to progress to various master courses in the Netherlands or abroad.