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.
Admission requirements
- A portfolio
- A 100 to 300 word written statement on reasons and goals for seeking enrolment in
the program and indicating research about the profession - One reference letter
Applicants' portfolios should include 6-12 items. The work can come from a variety of
mediums, including, but not limited to:
- hand rendered sketching (pencil, ink)
- painting (water colour, oils, acrylics)
- collage (mixed media, other)
- photography
- 3D sculpture or prop building
- writing (essays, poems, blogs)
- digital work (commissioned or not)
- jewelry making
- pottery
- fabric work (original sewing, needle work)
- motion (video, digital)
- websites (blogs, animation)
- sound (music, recordings)
- journals (sketching, writing)
- process sketch books
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.
Portfolio Submissions
You don't have to be a master artist. Just take what you love to create and share it. Aim for 6–12 examples. Your work can be anything from art, to design work, to photography, to video, to collage, to poetry.
Submissions can be personal as well as assigned projects and can include sketches that show your explorations.
Submit your work to SlideRoom in any of the following formats:
- PDF, JPEG or TIFF.
- URL link to your work.
- URL and/or a PDF document with multiple pages.
Contact us with any questions. We hope to see you soon!
In the case of a discrepancy between this page and the program outline, the program outline takes priority. Check the program outline for official information.
There are only 24 seats available each year, so not everyone who qualifies can be admitted.