StudyQA — Bachelor: Design — Hanze University of Applied Sciences

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The Bachelor of Arts in Design at Hanze University of Applied Sciences offers a comprehensive and innovative educational experience aimed at developing creative, skilled, and versatile designers equipped to meet the challenges of modern visual communication and spatial design. This program emphasizes a hands-on, practice-based approach, encouraging students to explore various design disciplines, including graphic design, product design, interior design, and interaction design. Throughout the three-year curriculum, students engage in project-driven learning, collaborating with industry partners and working on real-world problems to develop practical skills and a professional mindset.

The program combines theoretical foundations with practical applications, focusing on design principles, user-centered approaches, sustainability, and innovative thinking. Students learn to use cutting-edge tools and digital technologies to conceptualize, prototype, and realize their ideas effectively. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking, visual communication, and problem-solving abilities to prepare graduates for diverse careers in creative industries. The curriculum also includes modules on research methods, design history, and entrepreneurship, providing a broad context for students' creative work and supporting their development as independent practitioners.

Students benefit from state-of-the-art facilities, including dedicated design studios, workshops, and digital labs, fostering a stimulating environment for experimentation and innovation. The program also offers opportunities for international exchange, internships, and collaborative projects, enabling students to gain global perspectives and professional experience. Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Design can pursue careers in graphic design studios, advertising agencies, design consultancies, architectural firms, or start their own creative ventures. With a focus on contemporary design issues and sustainable practices, the program aims to cultivate socially responsible designers who can contribute meaningfully to society and the creative economy.

Over the course of four years you will learn everything you need to start your practice as a professional designer. In the first year you learn all about general design. You will enroll in five study periods in each final profile and you will familiarize yourself with analogue and digital skills. You will also be taught Art, Design Theory and Vocational Training. During the main phase you will choose your own path. This can be a path focused on one of the set study routes. You can also choose your own
path, independent of a certain medium, which will allow you to combine the various profiles mentioned in the next section.

Five study routes

Graphic & Interaction Design: you will focus on how to convey messages in a creative and original manner through images and typography. The two main subjects are Graphic Design and Interactive Design. Other subjects concern learning more about the power of photography and video and the multiple possibilities of typography.
Illustration & Animation: you will focus on creating still and animated images. Your main subjects will be Illustration and Animation. Your auxiliary subjects will be Drawing & Painting, Photography, Visual Typography and Image Grammar. As a graduate you will not only be proficient in creating images by hand, but you will also have mastered professional digital design skills.
Interior Architecture & Design: you will focus on space as a continuous element in all assignments. The main subjects are Interior Architecture and Interior Objects. Your auxiliary subjects will be Architecture, Building Engineering and Visualization. During this programme you will learn about various technical methods and develop your personal vision and signature.
Time Based Design: you will focus on moving images in stories, in time and space. You will prepare for a future as a designer working for theatres and the gaming industry. You will explore the use of images, video, light and sound. You will contribute to productions, often in cooperation with a range of professional organizations.
Product Design: you will focus on becoming a design entrepreneur. You choose your own frame of reference, creating a collection of objects and products that will be part of the brand you will use to present yourself in the market.

Additional activities and opportunities

During your studies you will get every chance to enrich your knowledge and experience by taking part in project weeks, excursions and OffCourses. We provide a great many additional activities, such as masterclasses, exhibitions and festivals. Vocational training is also part of the curriculum, as well as the possibility to study abroad for a semester. To master your skills and carry out your assignments we provide a wide range of facilities, technical workshops and courses.

Experienced teachers from the professional field

You will be taught by experienced teachers who also work as professional designers. Most of them still run their own practice and offer students the opportunity to build their own professional network. We also invite guest lecturers, who will give you a totally fresh view of the world of design.

After graduation

In your fourth year you will carry out a joint, final exam assignment and your own independent exam project. This is how you will present yourself as a professional designer, ready to start your career setting up your own design studio or finding a job, for instance at a design agency, marketing agency, gaming company or theatre.

You can apply through Studielink (digital application form). After applying you will receive an invitation for an admission test. This assessment includes a home assignment and an academic assignment. To qualify for our bachelor’s programmes, you need to have completed either a pre-university secondary education, a higher general secondary education, an intermediate vocational education or a foundation course in higher professional education or similar. You may also be admitted to the academy on the grounds of 'exceptional talent' and a good test performance.