About School
Media Design School is New Zealand's most awarded tertiary institution for creative and digital technology qualifications. We offer industry-endorsed courses in AI, Cloud Computing, Game Art, Game Programming, Graphic Design, Creative Advertising, Motion Design, Interactive Design, and 3D Animation and Visual Effects.
Success Stories
Our alumni can be found in a range of creative industries around the world. At the end of each academic year a number of prominent studios, such as Weta Digital, Pikpok, A44, Technicolor and more, visit our campus to conduct round robin interviews with the graduating class. On average, 84% of our students will be employed in their chosen industry within less than 6 months of graduating, with many securing coveted jobs before they even finish their studies.
Michael North
Paint Artist, Luma Pictures
Xander Kennedy
Lighter/Compositor, Luma Pictures
Mitch Currie
Game Engineer, Hutch
Jineui Park
Assistant TD, Weta Digital
Gregor Czaykowski
UI Artist, Gameloft
Abby Nath
Texture Artist, Mill Film
Employment Rates
Among our recent graduates, 93% were employed within three- six months. 84% found work in their chosen industry within that timeframe.
•Bel Butler - Junior 3D Animator at Mill Film.
I expected to attend, learn how to animate, then leave. What I got instead was a fantastic learning environment where I got to learn a great deal about each sector of the VFX industry, all the while building friendships and connections with an array of talented, friendly, accepting and experienced students and lecturers… We learnt how to animate various creatures, humans and objects, experiencing an industry level working environment with a side of creative freedom. With all of this backing my newly acquired skills, I have been welcomed into my first industry job only 3 months after completing my course.
Facilities
Our students are taught on industry-standard software, in boutique classes that are designed to simulate the studio environment. As early as 2021, MDS will relocate to a brand new, purpose-built campus in the heart of Auckland’s innovation precinct.
Software
Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects, Blender, Premier, CSS, HTML, XD, Maya, Zbrush. Vray, Mari, Nuke, Game Maker, Unity, Unreal, XNormal, Quixel, Substance, Microsoft Visual Studio, C/C++, OpenGL (API), Lua
The Staff
Our teaching staff bring industry experience to the classroom, offering a first-hand perspective of what employers look for in a graduate. We tend to hire our faculty members direct from industry, ensuring they have an up-to-date, working knowledge of all relevant software and technology. MDS staff benefit from professional development budgets, free access to a number of online learning platforms, as well as heavily discounted higher education within Laureate. Teaching staff are also given Research Days to upskill and expand their research areas.
Student Artwork
A key goal of our programmes is to equip graduates with an industry-standard body of work that proves their technical ability and greatly increases employability. We use focused sequential learning, ensuring students master the fundamentals and traditional elements of their creative discipline early in their study. They’ll then choose a specialisation which is explored via a series of creative projects, before applying their skills to a final capstone project.
Courses
Our courses centre around digital design and creative technologies, with a focus on teaching the technical and soft skills that will ensure student success and employability in an ever-changing jobscape. Our curriculum is guided by a panel of industry experts who meet several times a year to ensure that our course content is as relevant and up-to-date as it can possibly be. Ranging from foundation to Masters level, our programmes are guided by an undercurrent of design thinking, applied in a project-based teaching style in a simulated studio environment.
- Digital Creativity Foundation Programme
- Bachelor of Art and Design (3D Animation and VFX)
- Bachelor of Media Design (Interactive Design)
- Bachelor of Media Design (Motion Design)
- Bachelor of Media Design (Graphic Design)
- Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art)
- Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming)
- Bachelor of Software Engineering (AI/Cloud Computing)
- Graduate Diploma of Creative Advertising
- Master/ Postgraduate Diploma in Design
Industry Networking
Industry alignment is at the centre of everything we do. Our programmes are regularly reviewed by an expert industry panel to ensure the content aligns with current industry trends and our learning environment simulates studio life to ensure our graduates are prepared to excel as soon as they enter the workforce.
We hold regular showcases, talks and more, where current students have the opportunity to network with prominent alumni, industry leaders and prospective employers. As a result, our graduates have a 93% employment rate.
Studios Hiring
Some of our strongest relationships are with Weta Digital, Luma Film, Technicolor/ Mill Film, PikPok, A44, GameLoft and Soul Machines. At least once a year we have representatives from these studios come to campus to present to our students and interview those who are about to graduate.
Awards (2019)
- Chroma Art Awards – Best Student Video Game (Fork Knights)
- Palm Springs International Animation Festival – Jury Award Winner Best Animated Short (Kino Ratten)
- Rochester International Film Festival – Honourable Mention (Space Cowboy)
- Show Me Shorts – People’s Choice Award (Kitten Witch)
- Florida Animation Festival – Honourable Mention (Shelldon)
- Los Angeles Cinefest – Semi-finalist (Shelldon)
- Los Angeles CineFest – Finalist (Spring Fling)
- Anim!Arte – Best Film Oceania (Spring Fling)
- Best Awards – Gold, Student Interactive (Pick)
- Best Awards – Silver, Nga Aho (Kauri Lounge)
- Best Awards – Student Public Good (Pick)Best A
- wards – Silver, Student Interactive Design (Tohu)
- Play by Play – Excellence in Design (Grow)
- Play by Play – Best Student Game (Split)
- Google Student Axis Winner
- Silver Pencil from the One Show in New York: 'Changing for Change'
- AdStars 2019 – Winner, Innovation and Print Categories
- Future Lions Shortlist
Links
Interested in this school?
Get free and unbiased information about the best art school from The Rookies team. Our personalised services are free of charge and can help you decide if this school is right for you.