Graduate Diploma in Design (Specialty)
Design
A course by
Otago Polytechnic
Develop practical skills and studio project experience in Communication, Fashion, or Product Design. Gain advanced knowledge, industry connections, and hands-on project experience through elective and specialist courses.
In-person study
Face-to-face learning in a physical classroom setting
Dunedin, Dunedin
It will take a total of 1 year
Core skills this course teaches
Develop advanced practical and creative skills in a design specialty
Gain practical experience and specialised knowledge in Communication, Fashion, or Product Design through studio projects and elective modules.
Build industry connections and experience
Engage with local, national, and international design communities, undertake projects for real clients, and prepare for professional design practice.
Extend professional research and strategic design skills
What You're Signing Up For
This graduate diploma allows students to add a specialist area—Communication, Fashion, or Product Design—to their existing degree, or, for professional designers or practitioners, to build upon their practical skills and studio project experience. Students engage in discipline-specific and core Bachelor of Design courses, choose electives like Photography or Web Design, and undertake studio-based learning with professional pathways components. The course offers small class sizes, excellent workshops, client-based projects, and culminates in a public exhibition. Strong industry connections and opportunities to work with 'real' clients are integral to the programme.
Course Content
- Core classes in specialty area (Communication, Fashion, Product Design)
- Two (domestic) or three (international) Bachelor of Design courses at Level 7
- Electives: Softgoods/Accessories, Photography, Storytelling, Enterprise, Web Design, Metals/Jewellery, Storyboarding and Illustration, Exhibition Design
- Studio workshops
- Professional pathways (research techniques, industry strategy)
- Interdisciplinary Studio
- Final major project
- Health and safety training in workshops and studios
What you need to know first
Undergraduate degree in a design- or art-related field, or degree-equivalent practical, professional or scholarly experience
What sort of industry will this job lead to
Design
Fashion
Product Development
Creative Industries
Future employment opportunities might be
Communication Designer
Fashion Designer
Otago Polytechnic is known for high quality, hands on learning that leads to strong outcomes. With excellent student satisfaction, high graduate employment rates, and a commitment to sustainability, it’s a place where practical skills meet purpose. Their award winning programmes span design, fashion, creative arts, trades, health, and business, giving you real experience and real confidence for whatever comes next.