Visual Communication and Digital Spaces BA

Academic Qualifications
Admission to the enrolment procedure for degree programmes in the field of design (Industrial Design, Interior Architecture and Scenography, Fashion Design, Process Design at HyperWerk, Visual Communication and Digital Spaces) usually requires one of the following qualifications:

• a Swiss state-certified/state-recognized Professional Matura certificate
• a Swiss state-certified/state-recognized Higher School Certificate (equivalent to Brit. A level degree)
• a Swiss state-certified/state-recognized Vocational Matura certificate
• proof of equivalent education at upper secondary level obtained otherwise

In the case of other educational qualifications, the FHNW Academy of Art and Design conducts a comparative test.

Work Experience or Preparatory Course in Design
In addition, students who wish to enrol are required to provide documentation of a one year work experience or the completion of a one year preparatory course in design. Work experience should include practical and theoretical knowledge with regards to a profession related to the intended field of study. You can find a list of eligible professions on our website.

Proof of professional experience or the completion of a preparatory course in design is not required by students holding a Professional Matura certificate with basic training in a profession related to the intended field of study, a Swiss state-certified Higher School Certificate with a focus on art and creative design, or a Professional Matura certificate in a design-oriented field. The degree does not necessarily have to be in a profession related to the intended field of study.
You can find all the recognised professions here (in German).

Admission Requirements in the Field of Fine Arts
Admission to the enrolment procedure in the field of art requires the same academic qualifications as for the study of design. A year’s work experience or completion of a preparatory course is not a prerequisite, however it is recommended.

Admission Requirements in the Field of Arts and Design Education
Admission to the enrolment procedure for the BA programme of Arts and Design Education requires the same school qualifications as for the study of design. Admission to the MA course of Arts and Design Education, Teaching Diploma Secondary II requires a Higher School Certificate and university admission, respectively.

Catching up on the Professional Matura Certificate
Candidates who have not completed at least three years of Secondary II education are, by law, not eligible for admission to a BA degree course. Information concerning fulltime or extra-occupational training courses leading up to a Professional Matura certificate in either a technical, design-oriented, or commercial field is provided by local vocational schools.

Admission on the Strength of Special Talent (Sur Dossier)
Admission to the enrolment procedure on the strength of a special artistic or design talent is possible even when proof of the necessary school qualifications is missing but the candidate can prove that he/she has a special artistic or design talent for the targeted profession. The application documents should include a portfolio, a CV, a letter of motivation, and a formal letter of application. The management of the degree programme will decide on the strength of application documents whether the candidate is eligible.

To apply for a place at the HGK, the required documents must be submitted by 15.02.2022.
You can find the details here.

Dates

• 15.02.2022
  Registration deadline
• 22.03.2022
  Mailing of the invitation and documents as well as the Dropbox link for uploading the motivation video and digital portfolio.
• 25.03.22 at 12:00 noon
  Part I – submission of the motivational video and digital portfolio.
  You will receive the link for submission in due course via e-mail.
• 29.03. – 01.04.2022
  Part I – Aptitude interview and portfolio presentation at the FHNW Academy of Art and Design.
  The motivational videos and digital portfolios will be reviewed and evaluated by the jury.
• 06.04.2022
  Mailing of the results and invitation to Part II.  
• 07.04. – 20.04.2022
  Part II – home assignment (written and creative work), deadline of submission: 20.04.2022. 
  This part will be carried out as planned. The necessary information will be sent to you by e-mail in due time.
• 06.05.2022
  Mailing of the results and admission for the academic year 2022/23.  
• 05.09. – 16.09.2022
  Introductory weeks (mandatory)
• 19.09.2022 
  Fall semester begin 2022/23

In Visual Communication, students begin with the familiar tools of design, drawing, collage, photography, typographical composition and its counterpart, digital software tools, to conceptualize and create visual messages. They concern themselves with drawing techniques in the process of form-finding, apply digital tools and devices to produce illustrations, visualizations, even publications. They test the impact of visual messages and learn how to approach existing visual information analytically. The curricular focus is on conceptualizing, designing, and analysing communication media.

In Digital Spaces, the emphasis is on the formability of digital media. Learning includes technical instruction that goes beyond the use of standard software products. The technical possibilities of human computer interaction, digital animation, and generative design, creative coding, and of augmented and virtual reality, etc. serve as starting points for the design of messages in digital communication channels. With in-depth technical knowledge, students are able to embrace technological innovations and apply them as models in communication contexts. The curricular focus is on conceptualizing, designing, and analysing digital communication media.

According to the two specializations in the BA programme Visual Communication and Digital Spaces, this line of study addresses students with a marked talent for design work. This may refer to exploring the design of digital communication spaces in which technological innovation serves as a source of inspiration. Or your interest in design may relate to creative processes that derive from the field of analogue cultural techniques.

In the BA programme, students acquire the necessary skills that qualify them for a wide range of activities and professions in the fields of analogue and digital communication. Moreover, graduates gain competence in anticipating developments in society and contribute to resolving problems through their creativity and acquired set of skills.

A BA degree in Visual Communication and Digital Spaces qualifies you for work in a wide range of continually expanding professions that rely on people who are versed in networked and analytical thinking, creative design, visual competence, and have the required craft and technical know-how. The BA course supports you in developing and advancing your own distinctive approach to design. As a graduate, you have the skills to work as a creator/designer of communication messages – be it in communication, media, or corporate design agencies, in publishing houses, or for the communication department of a company or a public institution, in design bureaus, or even in your own independent studio.

A BA degree in Visual Communication entitles you to apply for the Master of Arts FHNW course in Design (Digital Communication Environments MA) at the FHNW Academy of Art and Design. This Master programme is the only MA in Design in Switzerland lasting four semesters (120 ECTS). Thus it meets all the conditions required for enrolment in a PhD programme.

With its studios and central Campus.Workshops, HGK offers ideal conditions for combining craft curiosity, the acquisition of technical skills, and the necessary digital know-how. In addition, all students have their own 24/7 workspace in one of the spacious studios.

Here you will find everything you need to know about the enrolment process at the FHNW Academy of Art and Design.

The BA course at the Institute of Visual Communication can be completed either in German or English.

FHNW Academy of Art and Design 
Institute Digital Communication Environments (IDCE)
Freilager-Platz 1
Postfach

CH-4002 Basel

FHNW Academy of Art and Design
Institute Digital Communication Environments (IDCE)

Freilager-Platz 1, Hochhaus: D 5.03
4141 Münchenstein b. Basel

T +41 61 228 41 11
F +41 61 228 42 89
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