Bachelor of Design and Digital Media

The Bachelor of Design and Digital Media is a three-year, full-time programme which gives you the skills, knowledge, and confidence to succeed as a professional designer.

You’ll use design to tackle real-world challenges, develop unique creative ideas, and produce work that makes an impact. Each year builds organically on the last, helping you grow from a skilled beginner into a seasoned designer ready for the industry.

In your first year, you’ll explore foundational skills like digital media experimentation, user interaction design, motion graphics, multimedia production, and creative coding. Your second year will focus on advanced projects such as 3D animation, sustainable design solutions for communities, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Your final year prepares you for the professional world with courses in entrepreneurship and a f inal major project where you’ll bring an idea to life from start to finish - from conception to completion.

Whitecliffe College is New Zealand’s highest-ranked and most awarded institution in the private education sector. Established in 1984, it is a long-standing Category One Private Training Establishment (PTE), recognized for its excellence and innovation.

Whitecliffe stands as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s private education landscape, with a rich combined legacy of over 130 years dedicated to outstanding teaching and academic excellence across the fields of Fine Arts, Design, Fashion Design, Information Technology, and Creative Arts Therapies.

The merger of three of New Zealand’s oldest PTEs has strengthened Whitecliffe’s position as a leading force in tertiary education. Offering a comprehensive range of programmes — from certificates and undergraduate degrees to master’s qualifications (Levels 4–9) — Whitecliffe is synonymous with academic distinction and is deeply committed to shaping students into global citizens and future leaders in their chosen professions.

At Whitecliffe, we actively collaborate with industry partners to ensure work-integrated learning, deliver high-quality academic programmes, and prepare our graduates for successful, fulfilling careers.

Our graduates are innovators and trailblazers, confident in their skills and ready to lead the future.