Bachelor of Visual Arts

at Otago Polytechnic - Dunedin Campus New Zealand

Sewing skills aren't essential, as long as you're into fashion, you're creative, a hard worker and a risk taker. Our graduates have gone on to work for internationally-acclaimed designers.

This leading fashion degree is recognised for its international opportunities, industry connections and the chance to develop your style and identity as a designer.

The program is hands-on and reflects current industry practice. You'll develop your advanced design and technical skills, extend your market knowledge and explore enterprise opportunities.

There is also an increasing demand for those professionals to hold higher level qualifications. Applicants for these roles are therefore at a considerable advantage with a postgraduate qualification and there is a strong emphasis within this program on application of knowledge and development capabilities in business management or business information systems.

Flexibility within this qualification will also enable aspirations to be matched/targeted to specific employment opportunities.  

Learners will extend and deepen their knowledge and understanding of current management capabilities and issues in a range of applied settings through experiential learning strategies and reflective practice.

This program has an emphasis on exploration and experimentation. You will develop individual projects which study ceramics as a medium with its own formal language, skills and history, within a broader context of fine arts and crafts.  

Successful completion of this program could lead to you becoming a successful practising artist, with the ability to understand and use your creativity to contribute significantly to your community.

Civil Engineers work on the design, construction management and maintenance of civil works such as roads, dams, earthquake engineering, water and sewerage systems. Civil engineering graduates are responsible for the project management of these jobs and often work internationally as New Zealand graduates have a good reputation worldwide.

During this program, you will gain a sound knowledge, understanding and practical appreciation of civil engineering processes and theory by developing your ability to apply learning in a practical and innovative way.

This program is taught in a multi-disciplinary environment which means that your design projects may be more discipline focused e.g. fashion, communication, visual arts, product, spatial design, or explore projects than span and connect disciplines such as interaction design, fashion communication, accessories, food design, multimedia projects, event and experience design to name a few.

Whatever kind of career you want to have across photography, video or film – we’ll support you to become industry-ready; developing a portfolio full of your best practice, experience and digital content so you can hit-the-ground-running when you graduate.   

With a focus on self-initiated projects, entrepreneurship and live briefs from real clients, this is basically a mentored beginning to work.

As well as technical photographic skills, we’ll teach you the essential professional and business skills you’ll need to get your practice up-and-running commercially.

Graduates of this Diploma could find employment as a Beauty Therapist, Spa Therapist, Skin Therapist, Electrologist, Resort Therapist working on a cruise liner or could work within beauty retail. Alternatively, you could establish and run your own beauty therapy business.     

During this program, you will learn how to apply advanced skincare techniques, advanced hair removal techniques and be introduced to spa body treatments.

Gain the skills and attributes you need to tackle junior/trainee, supervisor or team leader roles across a range of hospitality sectors such as restaurants, bars, cafés, accommodation/hotels or catering. Our on-site training kitchen, café and restaurant will provide the perfect environment for you to gain hands-on, practical experience so you can build work-ready skills.

You will graduate from this program as a highly capable individual with a standard of professional practice that will enhance your employment opportunities. You will be able to confidently and competently provide for the needs of your customers. In addition, you will be able to work independently in a variety of hospitality environments with some responsibility for the management and learning of others.

IT is problem solving. Trouble shooting. Critical thinking. Creating. Designing. Building. It’s working alone or working with people.

This is an applied degree so you’ll learn by doing. You’ll gain the skills and practical knowledge to go straight into a job when you graduate.

All business organisations need highly capable and competent members of a team who demonstrate the potential to lead staff, ensure targets align with strategic objectives, manage projects, and contribute to business planning to achieve high performance and productivity. Amongst other things, you will learn how to lead others to implement activities that lead to high productivity, manage projects within scope, resources and time, and develop a positive workplace culture and team engagement.

Graduates of the Leadership and Management strand will have the skills and knowledge to work.