Course General Description

Initial studies in this subject deal with the pragmatic processes and components of graphic design, with a focus on typography. Advancing studies become more self-motivated as students define areas of research that interest them. Seminars given by staff, visiting professionals, and other students address current issues in graphic design and help students locate their interests within the tradition and trajectory of contemporary design. Students are introduced to current technology throughout their courses. Alongside digital processes and artefacts, students are also encouraged to investigate other more traditional processes, such as screen printing.

School General Description

One of the leading research universities in New Zealand, the University of Canterbury was founded by scholars of Oxford and Cambridge universities in 1873, making it the second oldest in New Zealand and the fourth oldest in Australasia, Since its establishment, the University of Canterbury has produced graduates who have gone on to become leaders in their fields. Today, Canterbury graduates go on to high-calibre jobs, are accepted into prestigious university programmes and secure research positions around the world. The University is located in attractively landscaped grounds in the suburb of Ilam, ten minutes drive from the city centre and an international airport. Lecture theatres, research centres, libraries, laboratories, studios, computer workrooms, halls of residence and a host of other student services and facilities are all located on campus. UC offers 70 degree programmes across five colleges, including Arts, Business and Economics, Education, Engineering and Science, and a School of Law. It also boasts the most extensive network of field stations for research of any New Zealand university, with sites in Antarctica and Nigeria (as part of the Nigerian Montane Forest conservation project) and the country’s leading astronomical research facility at Mount John, Tekapo. The main campus is set within 87 hectares of land and student accommodation is surrounded by playing fields and forests, as well as the renowned Ilam Gardens, famous for its flowers, trees and waterways.