Name: Postgraduate Certificate in Design
Price: 5300 NZD

Qualification

Postgraduate Certificate

15 Weeks - Weekend classes
NZQF Level 8 (60 Credits)

Start Dates

23 August 2025

11 October 2025

Course Fees (Year 1. See fees information.)

Domestic $5,540.00 NZD

International $17,550.00 NZD

Admission Requirements

Open to applicants with over six years of professional experience in a related design discipline; OR Completed a Bachelors degree that is relevant to design.

Portfolio Requirements

Interview, portfolio, CV

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Grow your knowledge of Design

If you’ve already established a career in the field of digital design or creative tech but you’re new to the world of tertiary education, then a Postgraduate Certificate in Design may be the right academic pathway for you.

Work full time, and study on the weekends

This 15-week programme only has weekend classes, is designed to extend your skillset and your knowledge of design theory, whilst giving you the academic foundation to undertake further postgraduate study.

What you'll cover in this course

To complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Design, you must complete any two of the following components:

Component Name	Credits	Toggle
Design Research: Connecting Texts, Deciphering Context	30
Discover the ways different types of ‘texts’ (not just the written kind!) can be linked to understand the range of situations in which a designer operates. Research design by exploring these possible connections within the framework of a real-world project. Working in a replicated work environment on actual industry briefs will add a practical focus to your learning. You’ll gain relevant experience and build valuable professional portfolio skills and content. Level 8 PGD001 This course will be offered in Trimester 1

Interdisciplinary Design Project: Emerging Contexts	30
In this component, you’ll gain skills in the analysis of research data for application in visual research and design. Here, emerging technologies across a range of design disciplines are used to study both people and cultural phenomena (such as target audiences). In turn, these tools are utilised to inform your design decisions. Because emphasis is placed on gaining understanding through making, you’ll use audio, visual and textual elements (and more!) in your designed communication responses to a real-world project. Level 8 PGD002 This course will be offered in Trimester 1

Contemporary Design Issue: Creative Futures	30
A live brief is used to explore how design interventions can have profound and ongoing effects on the world - both intended and unintended. This component investigates the ways that designed things such as equipment, services, interfaces or environments shape environments, behaviours and attitudes. Drawing upon contemporary philosophies of technology and theories of practice, you’ll learn about the tools that are critical to design and that can richly engage with the complexity of living. You’ll gain a reflective awareness of the ways in which design can reconfigure ways to produce more considerate and sustainable products, services and approaches that benefit both people and the planet. Level 8 PGD003 This course will be offered in Trimester 2

Special Topic Project: Creative Entrepreneurship	30
Step out of your comfort zone by crossing the boundaries of your known discipline to contribute to a real-world project that requires a fresh solution. This component explores the potential of design thinking as a generator of state-of-the-art and entrepreneurial strategies, practices and designed things through innovation challenges. This requires the application of both corporate and academic research in conjunction with savvy design methodology. You’ll work both independently and in a team to respond to a client’s requirements and you’ll need to consider the effect of your choices on outcomes throughout the process. Successful results will be risk-taking tactical and effective responses to the brief provided. Level 8 PGD004 This course will be offered in Trimester 2

Special Topic Project: Design and Economies	30
Design is profoundly affected by the economy in which it is embedded. In this component you’ll take a real-world project brief and employ it to rethink assumptions about the unsustainable growth-based and unstable economies of the 21st Century. The outcome of this project is to survey critical approaches to an economy using design thinking to address such concerns as the implications of this economy for design; how more sustainable approaches to the economy might open new possibilities for design; and what role design might play in a transition to a different economic model. Level 8 PGD005 This course will be offered in Trimester 3

Interdisciplinary Design Theories: Dialogues	30
When one type of design intersects with another, the result can be a more comprehensive solution than a singular, traditional approach might provide. Working in diverse teams of designers from a range of disciplines can build ground-breaking outcomes. This component will introduce you to texts, conversations and viewpoints drawn from assorted disciplinary contexts that are of relevance to design, including philosophy, sociology, anthropology, technology, history, and a range of media. Here, you’ll work in teams to engage with ideas that are (or have been) influential in shaping ways in which designers can ideate in order to unpack solutions to interdisciplinary real-world problems. Level 8 PGD006 This course will be offered in Trimester 3

Student Success Stories

View all Alumni

Alex Legg

Senior XR Developer

Virtually There Training and Cloned Reality

I couldn’t have completed the Masters without the excellent lecturers (and support from my fellow students). They were so knowledgeable and open about a range of technologies and themes.

Master of Design

Jack Short

Senior Brand & Digital Designer

Q-CTRL

When looking for places to [study], Media Design School stood out as the place to go to, due to their focus on design and attitude towards innovation and future thinking.

Master of Design

Ani Tawhiao-Lomas

Co-Founder

Yawye Babies

Working with peers and tutors at Media Design School who either have industry experience, or are wanting to enter the industry results in a busy and thriving environment that’s very similar to a workplace situation.

Master of Design