The Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA) program reflects the expanding boundaries of the graphic design profession. Industry’s need for graphic design graduates with a wide range of complementary and interdisciplinary skills provides the foundation for the program. It is focused on the connectivity between graphic design, marketing, public relations and business, and the interactions between design and society. In the contemporary market place, graphic designers function not only as creative problem solvers and analysts, design planners and strategists, expert communicators and skilled technologists, but also as team players and entrepreneurs who have a broad-based understanding of the impact of design on society.
The Graphic Design for Marketing program offers students two options for their studies:
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Bachelor of Applied Design in Graphic Design for Marketing
This is a selective-entry, four-year Bachelor’s Degree program that is eight semesters in length consisting of 120 credits of coursework.
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Diploma in Graphic Design for Marketing
This selective-entry, three-year diploma program is embedded within the degree. It allows students who do not wish to pursue a degree in graphic design to have an optional exit point after six semesters of study and 90 credits of coursework.
Please contact the Admissions Department at 604.599.2512 for a copy of the latest Information Package for the Graphic Design for Marketing program. Information Sessions for design programs at Kwantlen are held twice yearly in mid-October and mid-February.
International Students
Please contact the International Education Office for information regarding admission and registration at 1.604.599.2534 or via e-mail at inted@kwantlen.ca
Aternative Program Availability
We recommend that you indicate a “second choice” program on your application in the event that you are not accepted into the GDMA program for September. For example, the Interdisciplinary Design Studies (IDDS) program (a 30-credit foundational design exploration program) would help you to develop a portfolio, as would the Fine Arts program. Several open access programs offer courses that are transferable to the GDMA degree. Please read the Kwantlen calendar, or check the website for admission requirements for these programs.
Bachelor of Applied Design in Graphic Design For Marketing - Degree
Description
Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA) is a four-year, selective entry degree program consisting of 120 credits of coursework organized into eight semesters of study. The program is currently offered on a full-time basis; however, some opportunities may also exist for part-time studies.
Students in the GDMA degree program will develop knowledge, skills and abilities from learning domains as diverse as graphic design process, marketing, public relations, and business; media, technology, and production; conceptual development and image development; and an understanding of the social, cultural, and historical contexts of graphic design. They will be skilled in applying design theory and processes, with an emphasis on critical thinking and creative problem solving, and will be able to originate and produce marketing and promotional concepts for a wide range of products and services, including the promotion of corporate, institutional, and social initiatives.
The GDMA program provides a balanced education that encompasses skills, knowledge and capabilities relating to, graphic design, marketing, business and liberal edcuation.
The program works closely with the graphic design community and its professional associations in order to ensure students develop career readiness and graduate with the best possible chance for success as employed or self-employed practitioners.
The graphic design industry in British Columbia is large, diverse, and well established, with an estimated 350 graphic design firms generating revenues of more than $160 million dollars annually (2001 BC Government statistics). The graphic design marketplace is highly complex, rapidly changing and fast-paced. The degree program prepares graduates with broad-based experiences as graphic designers in order to compete for entry-level graphic design positions.
- Generalist Graphic Designers:
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GDMA degree graduates will qualify for entry-level positions as graphic designers in firms providing corporations, small businesses, non-profit organizations, and others with services which may include marketing strategies, interactive media design, annual report and newsletter design, advertising design, direct marketing design, public relations design, and display design. Understanding consumer behaviour and end-user needs will also qualify the graduate for employment in marketing, advertising or public relations firms that offer graphic design as one of their services.
- Specialist Graphic Designers:
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GDMA degree graduates will have been exposed to various specialty areas within the graphic design profession in order to begin to develop a specialist design career for themselves. The population and industry growth necessary to support graphic design specialists is already occurring in the Lower Mainland.
- In-House (Resident) Graphic Designers:
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The diverse skills acquired by graduates of the GDMA program will equip them to work as in-house graphic designers in corporations or institutions with their own graphic design departments.
- Self-Employed, Freelance or Entrepreneurial Graphic Designers:
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The GDMA graduate will have a solid understanding of the graphic design industry and marketplace through field studies and a mentorship, as well as business and marketing courses. They will have prepared a comprehensive portfolio along with a self-promotional and marketing strategy in order to effectively market their services.
It is strongly recommended that applicants have some art or design experience in their background, basic word processing skills, basic mathematical skills, English communication skills, and an awareness of the graphic design profession in Canada. Applicants come from diverse backgrounds and demonstrate an interest in visual communications that they express through art and design; particularly through manual and computer-based activities involving drawing, painting, photography or various types of craft work. Applicants may also have communications, marketing, public relations or business-related experience. They may come directly from high school or may transfer from other institutions, or they may be former graduates of design, fine arts, or related programs. Applicants may also be mature individuals who want to make a career change, or may have experience in the graphic design industry and want to upgrade their credentials.
All applicants to the GDMA program must meet the program requirements for admission and selective-entry, including transcript submissions, a portfolio review, and an interview. Please consult the Admission Requirements as outlined below.
Credit for Previous Learning
Students may obtain credit for segments of the program with results from course work taken in another design program at Kwantlen, or at another institution. All applications for credits for previous learning will be assessed on an individual basis. Graduates from a two- or three-year graphics program who wish to pursue a degree in graphic design will be assessed on an individual basis.
Applicants with experience in the graphic design industry may acquire credits through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). Graphic design professionals may also wish to take specific courses on a part-time basis to complement their job skills. Some requirements for course prerequisites may be waived based on work experience. Opportunities for part-time studies will depend upon the number of seats that are available. Please contact the Program Coordinator or the Dean of Applied Design and Communications for further information.
Program begins in September
First day to apply: November 1
Last day to apply: March 31
The Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA) program is a selective-entry program. Successful applicants will have met Kwantlen’s general admission requirements, the following GDMA admission consisting of documentation, a portfolio review, and an interview including a brief design exercise.
Admission application forms are available from any Kwantlen University College Admissions Office. Please contact the Admissions Department for information concerning opportunities for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).
In early April, applicants will receive a letter inviting them to attend portfolio review and interview sessions that will take place in late April or early May. Alternative arrangements may be possible for students who live outside the Greater Vancouver region. Please contact the Admissions Department 604.599.2512 for further details.
Documentation:
Applicants must also meet the following admission requirements that are specific to the Graphic Design for Marketing program:
- Proof of a minimum of B in English 12 or
- LPI with a score of 30 on the Essay or
- Kwantlen English Placement Test with a recommendation to ENGL 100 or
- Equivalent English courses transferred from another post-secondary institution
Note
Proof of an English assessment MUST be presented with the application form. Applicants who are completing Grade 12 high school must submit an interim English 12 grade by March 31. Please contact the Admission Department for further information at 604.599.2512.
The Centre for Applied Design and Communications holds information sessions twice yearly in mid-October and mid-February. The information sessions will provide prospective applicants with an opportunity to view examples of student portfolios, and discuss portfolio and program entry requirements. It is highly recommended that applicants attend one of these sessions prior to submitting their portfolios for review by faculty.
Applicants who have submitted the required documentation and met Kwantlen’s general admission requirements will be notified by the Admissions Department of the dates and times for portfolio review and interview sessions in late April or early May. Applicants will participate in a selection process that includes a review of the following:
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10-20 examples of a broad range of art and design work such as drawing (sketchbooks, journals), illustration, typography, painting, photography, printmaking, drafting, sculpture, etc. Large pieces may be photographed and submitted as photographic prints, slides, or as digital images. If appropriate, include evidence of communications, marketing, public relations, or busineses-related work.
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Transcripts of secondary and/or post-secondary education (Applicants MUST include photocopies of transcripts (or may provide downloaded copies of current transcripts) WITH YOUR PORTFOLIOS. Note: These are for use by faculty who are reviewing your portfolio. Official transcripts submitted to the Admissions Department are separate).
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One to two-page, typewritten statement of your personal educational and career goals, including why you wish to pursue an education in Graphic Design for Marketing.
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Resume outlining your education and/or work experience (including dates)
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Two letters of reference from teachers and/or employers supporting your application to the Graphic Design for Marketing program.
As part of the selection process, applicants may be asked to attend an in-person interview with faculty.
The Admissions Department will notify students of the results of the portfolio review and/or interview process.
The Bachelor of Applied Design in Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA) program consists of 120 credits, organized into eight semesters, over a four-year period.
This is a new program as of 2003. Please be advised that course names, and descriptions may change - they are subject to approval by the Liberal Education Committee and Education Council. For the most up-to-date information, please contact the Admissions Department and check the Kwantlen website at www.kwantlen.ca
DEGREE - EXIT POINT (with 120 credits)
Students should be prepared to spend approximately $300 to $500 per year on books and materials.
Upon successful completion of the 120-credit program (or equivalent), students are awarded a Bachelor of Applied Design in Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA).