Diploma in Arts - Communication

at Massey University - Wellington Campus New Zealand

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.

It’s a flexible program of study with lots of choices. You’ll be introduced to the basics of art and design:

• Creative thinking
• Visual communication
• Specialist skills
• Critical awareness.
• No portfolio is required, just passion.

The Diploma in Visual Arts is made up of eight courses from the first year of our Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Design programs.
You’ll study with art and design degree students in a range of studio and lecture-based courses. These exciting courses cover everything from critical and contextual studies to social media, painting, and digital fabrication.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Design is an opportunity for you to upskill in creative practice, modern spatial design technology, and theory.

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.

Specialise in Media Technology for your Bachelor of Screen Arts with Honours at Massey
Creativity in new technology development can provide innovative and profitable opportunities for software and hardware solutions across a wide range of industries. In this major, you will be at the forefront of creating and developing new technology with exciting concepts and ideas across a range of platforms and applications.

You will gain and apply practical skills in software and hardware production with a view to developing innovative products for the screen and creative technology sector. You will gain an understanding of prototyping and testing systems and how to develop ideas through to producing final projects such as:

• online distribution
• lighting systems
• game controllers
• performance capture and virtual production
• production workflow solutions
• custom audio systems
• interactive and kinetic set design
• media exhibition.

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.

Concept design is about visualising and developing the ideas behind film, television, gaming, performance, products and interactive experiences.

In the Bachelor of Design with Honours (Concept Design), you’ll use traditional and contemporary art forms to communicate your concepts for new objects, characters or environments. This could include drawing and sculpting 3D models, as well as making digital plans and renders.

You could be designing characters, creatures, props, vehicles and machines, all the way to building entire worlds to form the foundations of feature films, theme parks, events, toys or exhibits.

Concept design is one of the first stages in every design process. Concept designers create the basis for further production and development, rather than finished products.

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.

Industrial design is about designing better and smarter products used in daily life. It includes practical design and study of the manufacture and use of products, equipment, and furniture.

The Bachelor of Design with Honours (Industrial Design) encourages innovative thinking and creative application of new technologies. You’ll learn how to meet social, cultural, economic, and environmental needs of people of today and the future.

You'll learn to arrive at design solutions and show them by using many materials and techniques to create models and prototypes with a professional level of finish.

Your learning is studio-project based. You'll research and design a diverse range of items from tools to kitchenware, jewellery to sporting goods, furniture to agricultural equipment. 

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.