Graphic Design Diploma is a diploma in Visual Arts programme offered by Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 45,388 per total (CAD 18,900 per total for local students).
The diploma covers advanced design tools, theory and processes for both print and web, developed in direct collaboration with public clients inside a mentored studio environment. Coursework spans traditional design principles, colour theory and typographic principles, Adobe Creative Cloud tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator, branding and visual identity work, packaging-focused design, editorial layouts and print formatting, web and UI/UX design work, and basic web development using HTML and CSS.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Standard entry into Year 1 needs only English 12 at a minimum 'C' grade or an equivalent. Advanced entry straight into Year 2 is separate: it requires a graphic design certificate from a post-secondary institution VCC accredits for the purpose, with additional first-year courses possibly still required, plus a portfolio of six to ten pieces prepared to VCC's published submission guidelines. VCC states this programme is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents and directs international students to VCC International, which lists separately the programmes open to them. College-wide rules also apply: applicants must be 16 or older or a secondary-school graduate, with some exceptions, and official transcripts and every required supporting document must reach VCC before the application counts as complete.
Application Details
Start Date:September intake only. VCC's academic year runs in three terms: Winter (January to April), Spring/Summer (May to August) and Fall (September to December).
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through EducationPlannerBC. VCC publishes this programme's windows term by term on its When to Apply page: Fall 2027 entry (September start) — open 1 October 2026, close 15 March 2027. Seats go to eligible applicants in the order their applications are completed, so the programme can close before the listed end date once it fills. Advanced entry straight into Year 2 needs a portfolio of six to ten pieces, which has to be ready by the same close date. VCC's page for this programme states it is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and points international students to VCC International, which lists separately the programmes and intakes open to them; there the application periods open on 1 February, 1 June and 1 October of the previous year for the Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall terms, with no fixed closing date — a programme accepts applications until roughly three to four months before classes begin, or until its seats are gone.
