Overview

Specialise in Design with Honours - Visual Communication Design for your Bachelor at Massey University.

Key facts

The world is undergoing a radical shift in how people communicate, work and share ideas. More people can share more ideas in more ways than ever before - photos, video, animations, tweets, graphics and experiences.

We can connect with people across countries, languages and cultures. People can interact with governments and corporations in new ways, while they are using the same tools to try to influence us.

Visual communication design (VCD) offers huge scope and flexibility. At Massey, we teach a diverse range of media, like print, web and video, and give you the chance to try all of them. Within VCD you can explore and specialise in print, typographic and editorial design, information and graphic design, web, interaction and service design, and illustration and branding. You’ll learn to solve complex design problems.

You’ll follow your interests and aspirations by developing a higher level of expertise in a specific area. We set you up for the real world, where you’ll work collaboratively, adapt to new ideas and technologies, and turn your hand to whatever needs to be done.

Career

There has never been a more exciting time to be a visual communicator. There are opportunities to work in areas such as:

publishing
branding
interactivity
entertainment.

There is also a growing demand for graduates who can apply design thinking at a strategic level in business, government, and social and civic enterprises.

Massey design graduates with a visual communication design major are employed in a diverse range of enterprises in New Zealand, Australia, Europe, North America and beyond. They work for:

design firms and consultancies
advertising agencies
IT and web design firms
film studios
post-production companies
publications.

Some are self-employed freelance illustrators and designers, or have set up their own successful companies.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Studio

Design Studio

Visual Communication Design Research and Development

Visual Communication Design Research Project

Theory

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-07-13 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-19 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-02-23 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-31 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2027-02-05 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-07-13 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-05-01 00:00:00 , International

More details

Applications will be considered after these dates if spaces are available.

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

480 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Palmerston North, New Zealand

Disciplines

Visual Arts Communication Studies View 39 other Bachelors in Communication Studies in New Zealand

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Birth certificate
Current passport
Residency visa
Citizenship certificate

English language proficiency documents
To be admitted to an undergraduate qualification, you will need a minimum level of academic achievement from school, or another university or tertiary institution. The specific level depends on which country or region of the world you are from.

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items like Additional medical costs, Repatriation, Liability etc. Make sure your student insurance covers your needs.

Studyportals partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Massey University and/or in New Zealand, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

42110 NZD / year

≈ 42110 NZD / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

8420 NZD / year

≈ 8420 NZD / year

Living costs

Palmerston North

New Zealand

1100 - 2100 NZD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Get Visa Support

Get personalized guidance from a certified VFS Global advisor and save 20% through Studyportals.

Avoid common visa mistakes and delays
Know exactly what documents you need
Get a clear checklist tailored to your situation

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Design with Honours - Visual Communication Design.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Key facts

Career

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Student Insurance via Studyportals Partner

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Living costs

Palmerston North

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners