Where Passion Meets Profession
Open Window’s Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design is an industry-relevant degree that offers Communication Design, Illustration, and Photography through a flexible and dynamic learning experience. This programme is designed for aspiring creatives who want to build a career in visual communication, developing a strong foundation in the field.
Communication lies at the heart of the Visual Communication Design experience, shaping how ideas are crafted, expressed, and understood across different mediums. Through a combination of studio-based learning, industry-aligned projects, collaborative practice, and a wide range of skills-based modules, students learn to think critically, work across disciplines, and adapt to the fast-changing demands of the creative industries.
Campuses & Learning Format
Locations: Stellenbosch & Centurion
View the 2027 Degree subject prerequisites & modes of provisioning here:
Fees
- Â Application Fee: R 1 750*Â
- Registration Fee: R 12 000*Â
View the 2026 undergraduate fees here:
Undergraduate Admission Requirements
- A National Senior Certificate (NSC) with Degree admission and an English mark of 55%
- A National Certificate (Vocational) NC(V) with Degree admission and an English mark of 55%
- A Senior Certificate (SC) (with Bachelors endorsement) and an English mark of 55%
- NQF 5 qualification. If discipline is not cognate, at least 20% of credits must be academic-related literacy.
- For international qualifications: An USAf Exemption Certificate is required and meets the relevant English requirements or SAQA certificate indicating an NQF 4 qualification with the applicable English Requirement.
- International applications please contact crm@openwindow.co.za
- Mature Age Exemption Certificate issued by USAF.
- A portfolio of 3 creative works across any discipline
- The Internal Open Window Literacy Test will need to be completed by:
– International Applicants
– Applicants older than 23 years old with no NSC.
– Applicants holding an NQF level 5 OW qualification
The above will allow you to apply at the Open Window. However, academic vetting will still take place before issuing an Acceptance Letter. In addition, OW reserves the right to accept or deny applicants based on the OW Admission Policy.
Turn Your Talent into Your Career
At Open Window, your creative journey begins with exploration.
In your first year, you’ll experiment with a range of creative disciplines, building a broad foundation while discovering where your strengths and interests lie. From your second year onward, you begin to specialise, shaping a degree that reflects the creative path you want to pursue.Â
If visual communication is where you see your future, your journey starts early. We recommend exploring at least one of the core subjects in your first year to begin developing the skills that will shape your creative direction.Â
This foundation leads into the Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design, where you’ll build a broad understanding before refining your focus across key disciplines such as Communication Design, Illustration, and Photography.
Communication Design
Communication Design focuses on how visual elements, like typography, colour, layout, and imagery, can be used to communicate messages clearly and creatively. From branding and advertising to digital interfaces and editorial design, this discipline blends design thinking with strategy to solve real-world communication challenges across media platforms.
Potential careers include:
- Corporate DesignerÂ
- Editorial DesignerÂ
- Graphic DesignerÂ
- Layout ArtistÂ
- Packaging Designer
- Advertising ExecutiveÂ
- Art DirectorÂ
- Brand ConsultantÂ
- Brand ManagerÂ
- Copywriter
Illustration
Illustration brings ideas to life through drawing, painting, and digital techniques. Whether it’s for books, brands, apps, or editorial content, illustration is a versatile form of visual expression that combines craft with concept. Students learn to develop a unique visual language and apply it to a range of creative and professional contexts.
Potential careers include:
- Editorial Illustrator
- Illustrator in Advertising
- Infographic Designer
- Children’s Book Illustrator
- Visual Artist
- Medical Illustrator
- Graphic Novelist
- Comics Artist
- Illustrator
- Storyboard Artist
Photography
Photography combines the arts of visual storytelling, concept development, and creative direction to create something incredible. At Open Window, students explore commercial, documentary, and experimental styles while learning to create powerful images that capture attention, evoke emotion, and convey meaning in a visually driven world.
Potential careers include:
- Events Photographer
- Travel Photographer
- Nature Photographer
- Blog editor
- Wedding Photographer
- Photo Retoucher
- Lifestyle Photographer
- Corporate Photographer
- Photographic Editor
How Open Window Degrees Work
Because Open Window degrees are designed to evolve with you, your first year focuses on creative exploration before you specialise in your chosen disciplines in later years.
Explore the full Open Window degree journey and see how your studies unfold from first year to graduation.
Student Work Showcase
Explore our exceptional undergraduate students’ work in design.