Graphic Design at VIU is evolving
The design industry is changing, and so are we.
Graphic design has always grown alongside new tools, new technologies and new ways of communicating. From print to digital, from branding to social media, from studio practice to emerging creative workflows, designers continue to adapt, rethink and shape the world around them.
As part of this evolution, VIU’s Graphic Design program will be pausing Year 1 intake for the 2026-27 academic year while we take time to refresh and strengthen the program for future students.
This pause applies only to new Year 1 intake for 2026. Students currently in Years 2, 3, and 4 will continue with their courses as planned and will be supported as they complete the program.
This is a moment to look ahead: to build a program that remains creative, practical, human-centred and connected to contemporary design practice.
At VIU, Graphic Design has always been about more than software. It is about ideas, communication, problem solving, visual storytelling, collaboration and learning how to think like a designer.
Those skills matter now more than ever.
100% Human. 100% Graphic Design. 100% VIU.
Interested in future Graphic Design opportunities at VIU?
Please check back for updates as we shape the next version of the program.
What exactly is Graphic Design?
Graphic design is communication. Designers communicate, through ads and brochures and logos, book covers and magazines, posters and websites (like this one), presentations and ebooks, apps for your phone or your tablet and more. Pretty much everything you see every day gets designed.
The Graphic Design Program at VIU is a 4-year program leading to a Bachelor’s of Design degree. We start with the fundamentals and advance to the bleeding edge of visual communication and design thinking. We create stuff.
Because thats what designers do.
You should, too.
Ten Reasons to Study Graphic Design at VIU
- Like to draw? Paint? Live for Photoshop? Earn a living with your skills by becoming a graphic designer.
- Work with creative people like you, who'll challenge and expand your abilities.
- Every company, every organization, every product needs a designer. There’s plenty of places for you to put your skills to work.
- Learning to think like a designer lets you bring your creativity to bear on real-world problems and projects, not just business cards and posters.
- You’ll have plenty of opportunities to work on projects that matter to you.
- Small classes mean lots of one-on-one time with your instructors.
- Your professors are designers and photographers, too—they bring real world experience to the classroom…
- …Except there are no classrooms. We work in studios—it’s as close to the real thing as we can get.
- Our courses don’t just teach the latest tools and technologies— they also teach you what to do with them, so you’ll be industry-ready.
- If you start your career in design at VIU’s Nanaimo campus, you’ll have all the opportunities of a full-size university, surrounded by the natural beauty of Vancouver Island.
Want to find out more about our program?
A few times a year we host an Open House, where you can ask questions about our program, explore possibilities, and start your application process at VIU. You can even bring your work and get a hand putting together an application portfolio that works for your goals. Check out our open house page for more details.
Learn Graphic Design at VIU, meet amazing people, learn awesome things and save some coin.
Interested in the opportunities of a BA in the Arts and Humanities? Visit the BA website for more information.