Name: Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies
Price: 10500 NZD

Qualification

One Academic Year
Graduate Diploma Level 7

140 Credits

Start Dates

23 February 2026

Course Fees (Year 1. See fees information.)

Domestic $11,000.00 NZD

International $34,500.00 NZD

Admission Requirements

Open to applicants with a degree qualification, or relevant professional experience in a creative technologies domain.

Study On Campus or Online

Portfolio Requirements

Advanced Portfolio

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This one-year programme will help you further develop your skills in fields including 3D Animation, VFX, Game Development, Graphic Design, Motion Design, or Interactive and Web Design through both project-based and solution-based learning.

Start the year by creating your own schedule. With assistance from faculty you will pick papers from our undergraduate programmes to help with the skills you’ll need to tackle your minor and major research project you chose for the second half of the year.

Your research projects will be outlined by an open brief, with faculty playing the role of ‘wise mentor’, providing advice and guidance to get your research idea and project across the line. With regular work-in-progress feedback sessions and one-on-one meetings, you’ll break down the specialized knowledge and first-hand experiences shared with you by your lecturers.

What you'll cover in this course

Students develop and deepen their skills and understanding in an open studio-based programme where they investigate, propose and produce a project (or series of projects) determined by their own interests within the broader creative technologies domain.

Students can choose to either work within a particular creative technologies discipline, or across disciplines, and can work towards either professional, academic, exploratory or experimental learning outcomes.

The course is student-centered with students being proactive independent learners, responsible both for what they learn and how they learn. The course provides a flexible framework, supportive environment and collaborative learning culture. Faculty guide students through their learning as mentors, with the focus on developing students' critical thinking, problem-solving and research skills. This enables them to become effective life-long learners.

Course Overview

In the first semester, students can select from a range of different components across Media Design School's degree programmes in order to develop knowledge in a new area or broaden knowledge in a familiar area. A total of 65 credits will be comprised of electives from level 5, 6, or 7 and an additional 15 credits will be acquired by undertaking a recommended Level 7 component (we recommend Professional & Academic Practice 2).

In the second semester, GDCT students are able to complete their diploma by undertaking a final project or production that demonstrates the knowledge that they have acquired.

Depending on what they’ve specialised in, possible capstone projects include Creative Technologies Productions, a Project-based Inquiry, or an Advanced Individual Production.

Qualifications you'll need for this course

Open to domestic and international applicants with a degree qualification, or accumulated professional / educational experience relevant to the creative technologies domain.

All applicants need to provide evidence to support the level of skill required for a self-directed investigation.

If you are applying for the GDCT after completing a Bachelors Degree you will need to provide:

Your portfolio;
Your letter of intent;
Your transcripts from your Bachelors qualification;
Your CV/Resume;

If you are applying on the basis of accumulated professional or educational experience, you will need to provide evidence of four years or more of accumulated professional or educational experience, to include:

Your portfolio;
Your letter of intent;
Your CV/Resume;
Two reference letters from previous employer/s; and
You may also want to provide your transcripts from any prior tertiary qualifications if you completed these in the past 10 years.

Please note, quotas may apply to some programmes. Where demand exceeds the number of available places, applicants who meet entry requirements will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis.

As an international student, you'll need to prove you have sufficient English language skills in order to complete this course. We'll be looking for Academic IELTS overall score of 6.0 (minimum) with no band less than 5.5, succesful completion of LANGUAGECERT Academic test, or equivalent test result.

Students from Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden will be able to meet language requirements through their academic transcripts- no need to provide IELTS or official certificates.

We accept a range of internationally recognised English Language proficiency test. Find out more on the NZQA website or download the NZQA list HERE.

Portfolio type

Advanced Portfolio

File Format

PDF, Website URL or JPGs

How to prepare your portfolio

If you are applying for Graduate Studies you'll already have a body of work and a portfolio. When applying, we'll expect your portfolio to be to a professional standard, clearly indicate your areas of interest, and who you are as an artist. We would also like to see your show-reel if applicable, for areas of interest such as visual effects and motion graphics.

For more information about how to build your portfolio, head over to our portfolio tips page.

BYOD Requirements

Before you begin your study with us, you will need to have a suitable device that has the functionality to run the programmes required for your course.

Follow this link to find course-specific requirements and recommendations, along with links to more information about hardware specifications. We have prepared these recommendations to help our students equip for flexible, blended learning.

Industry Insights

If you are looking for a supportive hands-on learning environment that focuses on developing practical skills through working on self-initiated projects, then the Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies is for you.

The GDCT will help you further develop your production and design skills through both project-based and problem-based learning.

You’ll investigate, propose and produce projects in the creative area of your choice that compliment your existing skill-set. As you choose your own research topic, you may opt to work across multiple disciplines, to broaden your skill base and increase your career options.

Career Paths Include
Business owner or freelancer lifestyle, Web designer, mobile and front end developer, Ad agencies, Design studios, High end production houses, Film post production and animation

When you apply, you'll need to let us know your preferred discipline. You can select from any of the following streams:

Advanced 3D
Game Development
Interactive & Web Design
Graphic Design, or
VFX & Motion Graphics

Student Success Stories

View all Alumni

Jason Barnes

Motion Designer

TVNZ

I heard a lot of great things first-hand from MDS alumni, and I found everything to be true – the faculty are super passionate and will go out of their way to support you, the course is structured to get you ready for the industry and the project briefs are exciting and prepare you with fundamental skills and experiences to get you started.

Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies

Lily Wigglesworth

Creative

Seven

[Media Design School's] small class sizes and studio-like working spaces created a family-like atmosphere and allows for constant feedback from peers

Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies

Meet the Faculty

View all Faculty

Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies

Best Awards 2022

Core77 Design Awards 2022

What is the Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies?

This one-year programme will help you further develop your skills in fields including 3D Animation, VFX, Game Development, Graphic Design, Motion Design, or Interactive and Web Design through both project-based and solution-based learning.