Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography

Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography

The Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography opened its doors in January 2003 in a quaint historic building on Dorp Street, but due to rapidly expanding application numbers soon had to relocate to Techno Park, the innovation hub of Stellenbosch. This has been our home ever since

In just a short period of time, the Academy became one of the top five creative institutions in South Africa and has maintained that rating for the past six years. Added to this, the Academy was named the number one creative institution in South Africa by the Loeries in 2012.

Our Academic team, led by Dr Ian Marley, are highly educated and experienced within their fields, offering the best instruction and inspiration this country has to offer. In the fast-paced media landscape in which we find ourselves, thinking on your feet and adapting to new tools, media and audiences is key.

Applying creative thinking to new sets of problems means new solutions every day and this is what gets us out of bed every morning. This infectious enthusiasm filters through to our students and results in graduates that can think on their feet and do us proud in the industry.

THREE THINGS THAT SET US APART

Our insistence on staying relevant and consistently reviewing our curriculum to ensure it is keeping pace with the lightning speed of the communications industry.

Our unwavering devotion towards producing the best creative work in South Africa

Our academic staff, handpicked for their enthusiasm, experience and talent ensuring engaging, challenging mentorship and guidance that brings out the best in our students.

With these three things in place, our graduates exit with a powerful combination of inter-disciplinary theoretical and practical skills that are without compare in the South African market. While we see our graduates as our measure of success, the creative industry has also recognised us and we are proud to say we have been in the top five creative institutions in South Africa for the past six years.

OUR ONE-OF-A-KIND CAMPUS

At the Academy the creative potential of our students is a huge motivation. Therefore the campus provides spaces for collaborative interaction, formal classes, research, and a stylish in-house cafe for down time. These multiple spaces allow for unexpected collaboration and fortuitous random meetings, where good ideas can become great. Our campus, situated within Stellenbosch’s innovation hub, is perfectly placed to encourage and foster the very best creative thinking.

We value sustainability and environmental consciousness and to that end our landscaping team have prepared an indigenous garden around the majority of the campus that is designed to absorb carbon dioxide. We have also recently started a vegetable and herb garden, where we encourage students to get involved. To further do our bit for the environment, our Academy bus travels to and from the Stellenbosch town centre – transporting our students while reducing our carbon footprint.

Our well-equipped media centre has all the latest books, magazines and DVD’s our students need to create the great work they are known for. Not only does our library provide much-needed reference books, it also gives our students some powerful inspiration to take their work even further.

We also have a relationship with the University of Stellenbosch (US) Library Services whereby personnel and students of the Academy can make use of their library services to do more in-depth research.

We provide all new students with training workshops during orientation week to ensure they are able to use our library facilities to their full potential. We always say the best projects start in the library!

The Academy’s student representative body, SISA, functions as the voice of the students within the organisation and also organises various community and social events.

However, to truly get an idea of what Academy life is like, we suggest visiting one of our many open days throughout the year, where you can get a feel for the space and see some of the amazing work our students are producing.

Programmes that we offer

Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication

The Stellenbosch Academy has a unique educational offering that aims to deliver creative, innovative and socially responsible tech-savvy graduates. This means our graduates leave with a combination of creative, business and theoretical skills and knowledge. As such, the curriculum has four interrelated components: Visual Studies (theory), Marketing (business-related theory), Discourse, and our Creative Majors.

Visual Studies develops students’ understanding of how historical and contemporary world events have shaped the production of specific images, photographs and designs. They are exposed to European, African and South African forms of visual communication practice and theory, the intention of which is to enable informed decision making in our students’ own creative practice.

Marketing engages with the world of modern marketing where students are introduced to the essential theories and concepts of marketing that are critical to managing profitable customer relationships in an ever-changing marketing and business environment.

Discourse is concerned with design and socially responsible design practice. In this context students are made aware of the power and responsibility that visual communicators have in shaping the way they treat humanity and the earth.

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Our tried and tested approach to teaching creative disciplines results in graduates we can be proud of; people who can hit the ground running, while expertly facing the challenges in their new working environments.

Year One

The first year of our degree programme serves as a foundation year, allowing students to have a hands-on experience of all possible majors. In semester one, students do a combination of all five majors. In semester two, they choose two to explore further. This equips them creatively with more than one skill, but most importantly allows them to make an informed choice on their major subject in second year.

SEMESTER 1

  • VISUAL COMMUNICATION 1
  • VISUAL STUDIES 1
  • MARKETING 1
  • DISCOURSE 1
  • CDP 1

SEMESTER 2

  • ART DIRECTION 1
  • GRAPHIC DESIGN 1
  • ILLUSTRATION 1
  • PHOTOGRAPHY 1
  • MULTIMEDIA 1

VISUAL STUDIES 1

MARKETING 1

DISCOURSE 1

CDP 1

Year Two

One major is chosen at the beginning of second year from the two majors chosen in the second half of first year. This allows individual students to make decisions according to their strengths and interests, which can help define a rewarding and successful career path.

 Students choose one major subjects
  • ART DIRECTION 2
  • GRAPHIC DESIGN 2
  • ILLUSTRATION 2
  • PHOTOGRAPHY 2
  • MULTIMEDIA 2
  • VISUAL STUDIES 2
  • MARKETING 2
  • DISCOURSE
  • CDP 2

Year Three

As this is the final year, emphasis is placed on creating a highly individualised industry-ready portfolio based on the major discipline of the students. This prepares them to find the job of their dreams after they graduate. Students Choose one major subjects.

  • ART DIRECTION 3
  • GRAPHIC DESIGN
  • ILLUSTRATION 3
  • PHOTOGRAPHY 3
  • MULTIMEDIA 3
  • VISUAL STUDIES 3
  • BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

A little more on the major disciplines we have to offer at the Stellenbosch Academy

Art Direction

Art Direction is the ability to visually depict an idea in such a way as to strengthen the message a piece of communication is trying to convey.

Our Art Direction major prepares students to enter the advertising industry. Conceptual thinking is the cornerstone of Art Direction and students learn to produce advertising as a creative marketing tool and the development of “the big Idea”. These creative thinking skills are used to produce a large variety of advertising applications – from a single print advertisement to a fully integrated campaign with multiple media touch points.

Graphic Design

Graphic Design is a way to communicate visually using typography, space and imagery.

Our Graphic Design course equips graduates with the skills to review, consolidate, extend and apply Graphic Design knowledge, communication strategies and technical skills to professional contexts. These include branding, digital media design, education, illustration, packaging, publishing, research, as well as other niche communication design fields.

Illustration

Illustration is a specialised field that solves problems through image making.

Images can tell stories, convey ideas and beliefs, change behaviour and entertain an audience. Illustration stands separate from fine art because of its commercial core that focuses on mass media. Mediums that illustrators may use include drawing, painting, digital, printmaking, collage, photomontage and mixed media.

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Photography

Our Photography major aims to deliver well-rounded industry-ready photographers with a solid fundamental knowledge of the photography field, coupled with a specialisation in a specific photographic field.

An extended knowledge of photography is developed through theoretical and applied principles of photographic practice. This incorporates aspects such as project development, self-management and independence, and responding to research and project development.

Multimedia Design Studies

Multimedia Design is the discipline of developing communication that lives online or on mobile, using the multitude of tools available to do so.

Multimedia Design Studies provides learners with the essential knowledge and experience that centre on the design and development of new-media content and digital practices that include animation, user experiences, user interface design, web design, mobile application design, film & video production, and motion graphics.

Our Multimedia Design Studies students combine graphic design, animation, film & video, sound and computer programming skills to design meaningful media applications and digital communication through employing the latest industry methods and practices.

Higher Certificate in Commercial Photography

Higher Certificate

Our higher certificate programme in commercial photography gives students everything they need for entry-level photographic practice. This means our graduates leave with a solid grounding in photography and are ready to hit the ground running when they leave.

The programme covers a range of styles including: Advertising, portraiture, landscape and documentary photography.

If you’re looking for a rapid-fire course that delivers the basics so that you can get out there and do your thing, or you’re looking to understand more about the world of photography – this is the course you have been looking for.

Course breakdown for the higher certificate:

  • APPLIED PHOTOGRAPHY
  • TECHNICAL THEORY
  • VISUAL LITERACY
  • DIGITAL MEDIA
  • PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

All subjects are compulsory for the Higher Certificate in Commercial Photography

Duration: 1year

Short Courses

We offer various comprehensive short courses and workshops, covering various design and photography disciplines.

Please view our Short Course calendar below and book your place early to avoid disappointment.

For more information regarding dates and availability of specific short courses

APPLICATIONS & SELECTIONS

APPLICATIONS FOR THE BA IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND HIGHER CERTIFICATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE 13 JANUARY

Contact of Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography

Contact us for more information

41 Tegno Road

Techno Park

Stellenbosch

7600

South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)21 880 2623

E-mail: info@stellenboschacademy.co.za