Why Study/Key Benefits

• The Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies – Motion Design is designed for students who want to build on existing creative skills and specialise in motion design.

• Students develop both creative and technical skills through project-based and solution-based learning.

• The programme covers motion design theory, animation principles, moving-image storytelling, production techniques and creative problem-solving.

• Students respond to design briefs and develop practical work through directed and self-directed studio practice.

• The February intake is intended for applicants with a foundation in design who want to focus on motion design.

• The July and September intakes offer a broader introduction to graphic, motion and interactive/UX design before students bring these disciplines together in a major capstone project.

• The qualification may support graduates who want to advance their current creative career, transition to a different creative role or expand freelance and business opportunities.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The programme structure depends on the intake.

February intake — Motion Design focus

This pathway is designed for students who already have foundational design knowledge and want to specialise in motion design.

• Motion Design Theory: introduces motion-design disciplines, historical influences, theories, principles and production processes. Topics include animation principles, moving-image narrative, production techniques, advanced ideation and creative problem-solving.

• Motion Design Studio: develops creative and technical solutions to motion-design briefs through directed and self-directed practice.

• Motion projects: students develop their own motion-design work after building foundational skills and understanding of tools and theory during the first two terms.

Published February timetable:

• Semester One: 11:45 am–2:45 pm, Monday to Friday.

• Semester Two: 8:30 am–11:30 am, Monday to Friday.

• Directed online learning: approximately five hours per week.

July and September intakes — Interdisciplinary design

These pathways develop a broader understanding of graphic, motion and interactive/UX design before students integrate their skills in a final capstone project.

• Interdisciplinary Design Foundation: students independently implement a multi-part project integrating graphic, motion and interactive/UX design practices.

• Formal, technical and contextual theory supports studio practice.

• UX methodologies are used to help students approach projects within practical technical and creative constraints.

• Capstone project: students bring together their learning across design disciplines in a final major project.

Published July/September timetable:

• Semester One: 3:00 pm–6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

• Semester Two: 8:30 am–11:30 am, Monday to Friday.

• Directed online learning: approximately five hours per week in each semester.

Disciplines/Specialisations

The course page identifies the following areas:

• Motion Design — animation, moving-image communication, visual storytelling and motion-design production.

• Graphic Design — graphic communication and visual design.

• Interactive/UX Design — user-experience methodologies and interactive design.

Programme Highlights

• One academic year of focused creative-technology study.

• Project-based and solution-based learning.

• Motion design theory combined with studio practice.

• Creative problem-solving and concept development.

• Practical responses to design briefs.

• Interdisciplinary learning for July and September entrants.

• A capstone project for students following the interdisciplinary intake structure.

• A portfolio-focused approach that can help students demonstrate their creative and technical skills to prospective employers or clients.

Career Outcomes

MDS identifies the following potential career pathways:

• Animator or Digital Artist — creating moving images and visual narratives for advertising, digital content, social media, websites or television.

• Motion Graphics Designer — creating animated content for advertising, social media and video production, often using tools such as Adobe After Effects.

• Broadcast Designer — producing television graphics, title sequences, transitions and on-screen graphics for programmes or live events.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The official page lists 22 February 2027 and 19 July 2027 as upcoming starts, alongside the September 2026 date.

• The page currently displays an international Year 1 fee of NZD 35,549.80. However, MDS’s scholarship page states that updated 2027 tuition fees apply to students beginning in 2027. Applicants should therefore obtain a written fee quote for their chosen 2027 intake.

• A professional-standard portfolio is required.

• Applicants must submit a letter of intent and CV or résumé, plus academic records or evidence of relevant experience, depending on their entry pathway.

• Students must have suitable hardware to run the required software.

• The NZD 6,000 international scholarship is available for eligible applicants to the Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies, with separate deadlines for each 2027 intake.

• Students who plan to seek post-study work rights should check Immigration New Zealand’s rules for this exact qualification and study arrangement before enrolling.

International Student Visa Requirements

International students who intend to study on campus in Auckland generally need a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa, unless another visa category applies to their circumstances.

General requirements from Immigration New Zealand include:

• An offer of place from an approved education provider.

• Evidence of sufficient funds to pay tuition fees, or an acceptable scholarship arrangement.

• Evidence of sufficient living expenses or an acceptable sponsor.

• Medical and travel insurance acceptable to the education provider.

• Evidence of good health and character, where required.

• Genuine intentions to study and comply with visa conditions.

• A valid passport and evidence that the student can leave New Zealand at the end of their authorised stay.

• Any additional documents required for the individual application.

Financial requirements:

• For tertiary study lasting one year or longer, the published living-cost requirement is NZD 20,000 per year.

• For study lasting less than one year, the published requirement is NZD 1,667 per month.

• For this one-academic-year diploma, applicants should plan for at least NZD 20,000 in living expenses, in addition to tuition, insurance, travel and other costs, subject to Immigration New Zealand’s assessment.

Visa cost and processing:

• The Fee Paying Student Visa is listed at a cost from NZD 850.

• Immigration New Zealand states that 80% of applications are processed within seven weeks, though processing times can vary.

• It recommends applying at least three months before planned travel.

Work rights during study:

• Depending on the conditions granted, a student visa may permit work for up to 25 hours per week during study and full-time work during scheduled holidays.

• Work rights depend on the individual visa conditions and should be checked on the approved visa.

Post-study work visa:

• From 16 November 2026, Immigration New Zealand is extending Post-Study Work Visa eligibility to graduates who complete a Level 7 Graduate Diploma, study full-time in New Zealand for the full duration of that qualification, and hold a bachelor’s degree from New Zealand or overseas.

• The student must be enrolled in the Graduate Diploma for its full duration; cross-crediting or recognition of prior learning does not count for this eligibility.

• The visa may be granted for the time spent studying the Graduate Diploma in New Zealand, up to a maximum of one year.

• Applicants must provide their bachelor’s degree certificate and official academic transcript.

• A person who has already held a Post-Study Work Visa is not eligible for another.

• Because this programme includes directed online learning alongside scheduled classes, applicants should confirm that their actual enrolment and study arrangement satisfies the full-time-in-New-Zealand requirements. Fully offshore online study should not be assumed to qualify.