Study Guide

Objectives

A graphic designer is creative in visualization and makes communication visible. In addition to traditional print and digital media, a graphic designer needs multidisciplinary visualization and multimedia skills.

After you have graduated, you are able to utilize versatile professional graphic tools, software and methods, which you may apply in design processes in graphic design field. You know how to use in practice and combine artistic and creative thinking with technical and theoretical knowledge.
You are able to manage the broad spectrum of visual communication, and can critically assess the meaning and possibilities of graphic design in different media and develop them.

You know how to work as a professional graphic designer in multidisciplinary development teams and in cooperation with other visual professionals, such as copy writers, photographers, audiovisual media, product and service designers as well as with advertising and marketing.

Degree programme description

In graphic design studies, students get acquainted with the broad field of visual communication such as print and digital media and web design.

Core competence studies include composition, illustration techniques, layouts, typography, animation, photography and information graphics. These skills are needed in corporate identity and branding, advertising agency and marketing design and publication graphics.
A significant part of the complementary competence studies will be realized in concrete live projects.

The degree is composed of 240 ECTS credits and includes the following learning modules:
Core competence 135 ECTS credits
• Professional design 15 ECTS credits
• Languages 15 ECTS credits
• Workshops 15 ECTS credits
• Application of art 15 ECTS credits
• Visualization 15 ECTS credits
• Methods 15 ECTS credits
• Creative economy 15 ECTS credits
• PRACTICAL TRAINING 15 ECTS credits
• BACHELOR´S THESIS 15 ECTS credits

COMPLEMENTARY COMPETENCE 105 ECTS credits
• Graphic design 15 ECTS credits
• Corporate identity15 ECTS credits
• Advertising agency 15 ECTS credits
• RDI project 15 ECTS credits
• PRACTICAL TRAINING 15 ECTS credits
• OPTIONAL STUDIES 30 ECTS credits

Implementation of studies

Your own personal study plan (PSP) provides guidance for your choice of studies, practical training, thesis work and internationalization. The objective is that you can design your studies as well as possible according to your life situation.

Learning tracks

Xamk offers its students an opportunity to pursue studies flexibly to suit their various life situations. Students can choose between three learning tracks: the scheduled track, independent track and blended track.

Scheduled track

You will attend teaching and guidance sessions as specified in the schedule. Your study routine is determined by the scheduled group sessions and by the self-study assignments.

Independent track

You can speed up your studies by, for example, choosing independent modes of completing assignments, e.g. online, or by selecting courses from the schedule of another group. Independent learning assignments require more self-study of the subject field compared with the scheduled track. You can also complete courses independently even if you are otherwise following the scheduled track. In that case you can attend the classroom instruction as you see fit. However, you are required to complete the learning assignments independently.

If you have acquired prior learning in the subject field of a course – whether through work experience or through studies – you may receive full or partial credit for the course through the recognition of this learning (if you have no certificate to present, a demonstration of competence is required). If you are granted a partial credit, you need to independently complete the parts of the course that were not covered by the accreditation.

Blended track

If you are working in a company or an organization in your field of study, or in a project hosted by the university of applied sciences, you can complete all or part of a course or module in your workplace or within the project. You need to contact the course teacher at the beginning of the course and agree on a development assignment that you will perform for your workplace or for the project. In order to achieve the learning goals, your work must involve the subject matter of the course and you must learn to master it both in theory and in practice. You are required to prove your learning by means of a demonstration of competence, the form and extent of which are determined by the learning goals of the course.

Student counselling

Study guidance is a day-to-day activity that is based on the student's needs.
The whole personnel supports student wellbeing in many ways and with many services. In questions regarding studies, you can contact the studies coordinators and tutors, the student social worker, the counselling psychologist and the student health care.

BYOD – Bring Your Own Device

For students it means that they primarily use their own devices, such as laptops. New students arriving in Xamk will have our new policy in action. The new BYOD policy demands students bring their own devices, i.e. laptops, to campus.

Career opportunities

A graphic designer works in print and digital media as well as in web design, for example in advertisement and marketing agencies, book publishing houses, printing houses and newspapers and magazines. You may also work as a graphic designer, art director, visual communication designer, illustrator, web designer. You may also work as an entrepreneur.
You can act as a graphic designer together with the experts of the field in multidisciplinary teams and in project and development activities of the private and public sector or as the entrepreneur in your own design company. The studies let you follow the career paths which are in accordance with your own interests.

Career opportunities
• graphic designer
• graphic artist
• designer
• Art Director
• illustrator
• web designer
• book graphic artist
• visual communication designer
• web master
• entrepreneur

RDI and cooperation with world of work

In graphic design, there is cooperation between different education fields in Xamk, but also with partner institutions and companies in Finland and abroad. There are also regional partner agreements with companies and specialists making use of design.
The studies are carried out in cooperation with companies. During the studies, you participate in a variety of projects, which include assignments related to the theme of the study module, in cooperation with your student colleagues and actors of the field.

You can complete your practical training and/or Bachelor’s thesis in different R&D projects or as part of cooperation with companies/organizations.
Your task may be conducting preliminary studies and carrying out assignments as part of an expert group. In the final stages of studies, you could participate in a module, which forms a part of RDI activities, focusing on relevant subject matters and themes.

Learning environments

Kouvola campus features design studios suitable for different design assignments and computer classes equipped with up-to-date software for visualization, 3D modelling and documentation. We use 3D planning software generally used in the design field.