Key information
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Delivery type
- Full Time
- Degree qualification
- BA (Hons)
- Mode of delivery
- On-Campus
- Duration
- 4 years
- Location
- Dubai
- Start date
- September
Communication Design is constantly evolving across a wide range of industry sectors and our BA (Hons) programme supports students to develop creative, critical and technical skills that reflect this change as well as anticipate the needs of future evolution in this sector. The programme structure allows students to undertake a cross-disciplinary path of study with a main focus on Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography.
The Communication Design programme develops three key areas of conceptual, applied and entrepreneurial forms of communicating information through a variety of media. The evolving technological components, growing ease of social media and globalisation of communication require the design and interpretation of information to transcend beyond existing industrial and capitalistic formats.
This new type of communication design deals with collaborative experiences, socially dynamic and inclusive agendas, and provides key forms for critical informational research. This programme enables studio cooperative learning within a life-centred design approach in four evolving areas: Graphic Design (inclusive illustration), photography, moving image/animation, and interaction design (UX/UI).
This is further supported by courses in Art direction and Storytelling, Design Branding, Advanced practice and evaluation, Critical and Contextual Studies and Global Fashion Management. These courses also focus on the key element of entrepreneurship and will prepare students for a variety of roles within the design industry and beyond including film, media, and social enterprise. In the end, it promotes a new type of student for a new type of world, where the disciplinary divisions are erased to promote a transdisciplinary approach to design.
Why study Communication Design at Heriot-Watt University's Dubai Campus?
- To develop socially-aware creatives in entrepreneurially engaged, evidenced-based communication design.
- To encourage critical engagement with entrepreneurial social enterprise within and with creative industries.
- To maintain strong industry connections worldwide particularly within MENASA (Middle East North Africa South Asia) and the European Union.
- To promote sustainable, life-centred, socio-political communication design, development, and research.
Your student experience
Read more about the UAE Federal Accreditation.
Go Global
There are currently no Go Global opportunities for this particular programme. However, other Go Global opportunities may be available. Please contact studywithus@hw.ac.uk for more information.
Course content
September Intake
The first year focuses on initial design and visualisation skills preparing the student with the fundamentals in overall photography, visual development, design thinking, and introductions into illustration.
Mandatory September
- Rethinking Design 2: Develop and Deliver
- Rethinking Design 1: Discover and Define
Mandatory January
- Introduction to Communication Design
- Introduction to Creative Media
- Introduction to Photography
Fees and funding
AED 76,045 per year
- All tuition fees inclusive of VAT.
Additional information
Entry requirements
We have standard entry requirements for all of our courses that you will have to meet.
Our normal entry criteria are listed below. However, please note that the final decision remains at the discretion of the course director after evaluating scores of individual relevant subjects.
Students who are eligible to be admitted directly into second year can choose to join the first year, where available.
First year entry
- GCE A-Level - CCD (or BBBB at AS Level)
- CBSE/Other Indian Boards – 65%
- American High School Diploma/SABIS - 70% + SAT I - 1000( 500 English + 500 Math)
- Tawjihiyya - 80% or Elite/Advance - 75% + EmSAT (English 1400 and Math 700)
- International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 24 points (3 HL subjects and 3 SL Subjects)
- BTEC Level 3 Ext Diploma - MMM
- FBISE or grade 12 equivalent - 70%
- Russian/Kazakhstan (Attestat) - Grades of 5 in every subject + IELTS 6.0
- French Baccalaureate - 13/20 + IELTS 6.0
- Lebanese Baccalaureate - 80% or 13/20 + IELTS 6.0
- Foundation year - Successful completion of HWU Entry Programme (Management/Design) with CCCC.
- Compulsory subjects to include English.
To find out more about the specific entry requirements for your country, please refer to our International Entry Requirements.
To find out about the entry requirements for this programme, please send an email to dubaienquiries@hw.ac.uk
Why Heriot-Watt
We're the top university in Scotland for graduate outcomes which means that more of our graduates are employed or in postgraduate education than any other institution in the country and we ranked 5th in the UK.
We're also rated number one in the UK for CEO or MD roles, meaning more of our graduates go on to become CEOs or MDs than any other university in the whole of the UK. On top of that, we have beautiful campuses, across the globe, so you'll get a truly international education. Our Edinburgh Campus is home to Oriam, Scotland's National Sports Performance Centre combined with plenty of wellbeing resources, prioritising fitness and mental health for all students. Our Global Research Institutes look at solving real world issues such as climate change and saving our oceans as well as working on the next medical technological breakthrough and the future of AI and robots.
Employability
Career opportunities that could be open to those with a Communication Design BA (Hons) include: Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Art / Creative Director, Brand Manager, Motion Design, Design consultant, Content Creator (Photo & Video), Digital creative / designer and Advertising.
Student life
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