Institute of Technology or Polytechnic
Otago PolytechnicNew Zealand Certificate in Arts and Design (Level 4)
Level of Study
Certificate
Summary
Begin to build the skills and degree-level portfolio you need to apply for our Bachelor of Design (Communication), Bachelor of Design (Fashion), Bachelor of Design (Product) or Bachelor of Visual Arts. A negotiated pathway towards the Bachelor of Architectural Studies may also be possible. This programme will also prepare you for a junior role in a creative workplace.
About the programmeArtists and designers work in lots of different areas and career opportunities in the creative industries are exciting and diverse.
This programme will give you a taste of what studying art and design is all about.
You'll begin to build the skills and degree-level portfolio you need to apply for the:
- Bachelor of Design (Communication)
- Bachelor of Design (Fashion)
- Bachelor of Design (Product), or
- Bachelor of Visual Arts.
A negotiated pathway towards the Bachelor of Architectural Studies may also be possible. Please email us to learn more about this option.
This programme will also prepare you for a junior role in a creative workplace.
You'll develop your research skills by studying art and design history, learn about creative processes and materials, explore idea development through drawing, illustration/cartoon and sculpture, and create your own art or design project.
Once you’ve completed this programme, to gain the well-rounded skills that are ideally needed for further art or design study, you can move into:
- New Zealand Certificate in Digital Media and Design (Level 4) for the Bachelor of Design (Communication)
- New Zealand Certificate in Fashion (Level 4) for the Bachelor of Design (Fashion)
- New Zealand Certificate in Creativity (Level 4) for the Bachelor of Design (Product) or the Bachelor of Visual Arts
All of these programmes start in July and in combination with the New Zealand Certificate in Arts and Design (Level 4) create strong pathways into the above programmes which all start February.
Some of the outcomes you can expect once you graduate are:
- Apply a range of technical skills and technologies to extend capabilities to produce and present arts, craft or design creative work.
- Apply professional practices and creative processes of discovery, conceptualisation, review, iteration, prototyping and presentation to design solutions in response to a range of arts, craft or design project briefs
- Apply knowledge of the elements and principles of arts, crafts or design practice to evaluate the quality of creative work.
Entry criteria
Entry Entry requirements Skills needed to work in this area- A passion for design and art
- The ability to communicate your ideas to others
- An interest in people and the world around you
- An enjoyment of working with others.
- Open entry.
- International students will be individually assessed to ensure they are ready for this study.
To enter Otago Polytechnic's undergraduate certificates, diplomas and degrees, you need to have achieved a secondary school qualification that is equivalent to New Zealand's NCEA levels (National Certificate of Educational Achievement).
This information is available by country on our Equivalent academic entry requirements page.
English Language requirementsIf English is not your first language, you must provide:
- New Zealand University Entrance OR
- Overall Academic IELTS 5.5 (academic, no band score lower than 5.0) achieved in one test completed in the last two years, OR
- Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for internationally recognised proficiency tests and proficiency outcomes for international students).
If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.
Other requirements- A portfolio or other evidence to demonstrate your creative work. We need to see this so we can make sure you’re ready for studying at Level 4.
- You might also need to attend an interview so we can make sure this programme is the right choice for you.
We need to see some examples of your creative work so we can make sure you’re ready for studying at Level 4.
We call this a portfolio.
We're keen to see examples of your work that shows us your design, graphic and/or art skills.
Please send us 10 to 12 examples of work that show a variety of techniques and interests, such as:
- drawings/sketches
- paintings and/or printmaking
- photographs
- images of original 3D objects that you have made
- digital art/digital illustration
- animations
- whatever you feel is visually informative about yourself and your abilities.
Please note: If you’re an NCEA student and are thinking of submitting your NCEA portfolio, we’d recommend you take photographs of your creative works before you send them for external moderation. Sometimes portfolios aren’t returned on time and then you have nothing to submit to us.
How to send us your portfolioYou can send us your portfolio digitally or in a physical format (we do prefer digital).
Digital PortfolioPlease make sure you take quality photographs of your pieces of creative work if you are sending us a digital portfolio. Make sure the light is right and the images aren’t blurry. Please take photographs of individual artworks as well as your NCEA board as a whole. We want to be able to see your work at its best!
During the online application process, you'll be asked to upload your portfolio documents. These should preferably be uploaded as PDFs.
Alternatively you can:
- send it to us on a USB (using the address below)
- email it to us at ebsart@op.ac.nz, or
- provide a link to your website or online platform in the 'Portfolio website link’ section of our online application form.
You will also be asked to provide two statements during the online application process:
1. Why have you decided to study this programme? (60-100 words)
You’ll be asked why you've decided to study this programme.
It’s a good idea to prepare something to add into the online form before you begin the application process.
Think about what makes you drawn towards art and design? Are you curious about what creative career might be best for you? Tell us about it.
2. What skills and experience do you have? (60-100 words)
You’ll then be asked about your skills and experience. Again, it’s a good idea to prepare this before you start applying.
Think about how you create visual art and design projects. What materials do you use and how do you use them? For example, if you use paint, describe how you apply it, layer it or mix colours as you create your pieces.
Physical PortfolioFirstly, complete the online application process. During this, you’ll be asked to provide these two statements:
1. Why have you decided to study this programme? (60-100 words)
You’ll be asked why you've decided to study this programme.
It’s a good idea to prepare something to add into the online form before you begin the application process.
Think about what make...
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