Unitec Institute of Technology

Bachelor of Design and Visual Arts (Contemporary Craft)

Programme summary

Career opportunities

Courses & timetables

Admission requirements

[BDVA]

Programme summary

Immerse yourself in the world of decorative, functional, sculptural and conceptual objects. Make a range of real objects in our well-equipped workshop. Gain insight from award-winning jewellery designers and object makers, and plan and execute a public exhibition of your own work.

As a student of this practitioner-focused degree, you’ll become immersed in the world of decorative, functional and sculptural objects. Explore contemporary jewellery, ceramics and casting, furniture design, metal working and precious metal working, and digital technologies in a multi-disciplinary studio environment. You’ll work with ceramic, metal, plastic and wood-based materials, and experiment with conventional metal techniques and alternative materials and processes. Learn to draw with 2D/3D digital software, explore a range of computer software programs, and find out how new technologies relate to craft.

Highlights

• Design and make real objects.
• A chance to display your creations at Unitec’s student galleries and Grad Show.
• Access to some of the best-equipped workshops and digital milling and laser cutting facilities for tertiary craft students in New Zealand.
• Work experience with leading contemporary jewellers and object makers.
• Award-winning lecturers who specialise in working with wood, metals, ceramic and glass, and who regularly exhibit their work, supported by experienced technicians who provide expert advice.
• Staff who are recognised, both nationally and internationally, as leaders in the development and education of contemporary jewellers and object makers.
• Field trips, studio visits, group exhibitions and collaborative projects, studio critiques and visits from guest lecturers.
• Graduates and staff have been recognised by Creative NZ, Creative Communities, Objectspace, Think Tank (a European Initiative for the Applied Arts), WhiteBoard (National Jewellery Showcase), Collections of Auckland War Memorial Museum, NewDowse and Te Papa.