New Zealand Certificate in Digital Media and Design (Level 4)

The aim of this programme is for people to gain experience in producing creative and effective outcomes using current digital technology.

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Availability

Our distance learning courses are offered throughout the year to help you fit study around your work and life commitments.
Courses are offered up to 12 times per year depending on demand and availability of academic staff.
Exact start dates are in the course information pages and in our Enrolment dates page:

Enrolment dates

Cost

• Course costscan be found on all course pages.  The fees may increase annually.
• Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.

Credits

Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.

Delivery method

• Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
• Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting  assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
• Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.

Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.

EFTS

EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time. 

One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.

Level

You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:

• Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
• Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.

Prerequisites

• Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
• Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.

If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.

Student loans

Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.

Information about student loans and eligibility

StudyLink website

Teaching weeks

Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.

For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.

Workload

The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:

Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.

Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.

• Level

4

• Credits

60

• Student loan Available.

Student loans and eligibilty

You will learn to apply creative design theory to produce practical outcomes, that will enable you to transfer learned skills to the real world as well as preparing for further academic study, especially but not exclusively in design.

You will also be given the opportunity to explore your own cultural and personal interests through research and practical application in design and creative contexts.

Qualification Update

New Learners

NZ2629 New Zealand Certificate in Digital Media and Design (Level 4) is closed to new learners.

We will be offering a new version of this programme later in 2025. You can register your interest to be notified when the new programme opens by completing this form.

Alternatively, if you are interested in completing a different programme, see the range of Information and Communication Technology or Design programmes currently available for enrolment, go to our website.

Current Learners

If you are already enrolled in this programme up to and including 4 December 2024, you can continue to re-enrol and complete your qualification.

Please note, that to be awarded this version of the programme, you must successfully complete all programme requirements by 7 December 2025.

See the table below for the last date courses will be offered in this version of the programme

Depending on how far along you are in your study journey, you may need to study two courses at the same time to complete the programme in the time you have left.

If this is the case for you, and you need help with a study plan, or have any questions, please contact us.

What you will learn

• Apply problem-solving skills in a digital media and design context
• Apply and manage a design process to project briefs with some guidance
• Apply fundamental skills in digital media and design to project briefs
• Define own digital media and design work in a range of contexts, work collaboratively in a team, and critique own work and the work of others
• Explain the importance of being a responsible digital citizen and explore opportunities for self within the digital media and design industry.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this qualification will have the skills and knowledge to fill assistant and/or support roles in various industries. Those areas might include advertising, web design, in-house design studio and news media. Graduates of this qualification may undertake further tertiary study at diploma or degree level in the fields of design, media, and/or art. 

Maximum Programme Completion Time

To be awarded the qualification, the programme must be completed in no more than 3 years of first enrolment, unless there are exceptional circumstances.