Graphic Design in the Caribbean

Do you want to stay in the Caribbean to study? No worries, Graphic Design courses are available for you.

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Academic Routes

Before you start an academic course, there are a few things that you should consider:

Entry Requirements
What subjects should I choose to get to be suitable for the career/s I have in mind.

Be sure to speak to us at Brain Food TCI or any career advisor you may have access to, if you need assistance where entry requirements are concerned.

Secondary and Post Secondary towards Higher Education

Most, if not all high schools require you to do CXC’s, GCSE’s or any other equivalent, to be able to excel to Higher Education (college/university). In institutions in the Caribbean such University of West Indies for example you are required to have 5 CXC (CSEC & CAPE) OR IGCSE & GCE Subjects including Mathematics and English. If an institution does not have any of these listed when searching what is required, search for equivalencies through their admissions page or contact them directly for more information. Also, some courses may require you to have certain subjects that relate to the course, so be sure to check the entry requirements to know exactly what is required. If you are a mature student, you are required to be 21 and over with at least 5 years working experience. To read on what documents are required click here.

Higher Education

As mentioned earlier, CXC’s and or other equivalents are required to proceed to this level. In higher education, you have the ability to obtain:

Undergraduate

Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree

Postgraduate

Masters Degree
Postgraduate

Depending on your journey and your career, you can decide how far you are willing to go in terms of further education. You do not need to go towards a Masters/PhD level unless it is required based on your field.

Academic Graphic Design Related Courses

In the Caribbean there are currently three universities which offer courses related to this topic and will be expounded on below:

UCC in partnership with iCreate institute in America, offers a Graphic Design, among other accredited technical courses. The course provides hands on training and covers topics such as Introduction to Colour and Typography and getting started with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Luckily for beginners, the course starts at intermediate level. As form of qualification, you will receive a Creative Certificate.

Intermediate: and intermediate class, course etc. is at a level of knowledge or skill that is between the basic level and the advanced level – [Longman Online]

UTECH, carries an undergraduate course, BSc. Animation Production and Development. This course requires a portfolio of your art work that can include sketches of people and locations. Enrolment on this course will strengthen digital art skills and techniques. Additionally, you will indulge in areas like digital tools and 2D/3D animation. Post completion of this degree, the opportunity to pursue careers in fields like Media, Video Production and Graphic Design are open.

UWI MONA, provides a design course in BA Digital Media Production. This tertiary level course is created to develop the skill of creative communication using digital tools. Its main focus and priority is to prepare you for the media and communication services that are increasing in today’s world. The programme will include classes such as Introduction to Video Production and Web Animation Fundamentals.

For more information on these courses, click on the links embedded.

Technical Routes

Apprenticeships and Internships, are non-academic options if you prefer a more technical route. However an easy web search of these schemes are difficult.

Therefore, making internship/apprenticeship enquiries at local media companies such as Business Solutions , Pure Prints and Melbourne is a great place to start. To master skills and heighten your chances of being hired, short courses (1+ weeks) are available online. Some options are Canva, Reed and Coursera. Companies will be more susceptible to hiring you if they see you bringing something to the table.

Starting a career in this field is an admirable step and from the information provided to you, can start right here in your region and at home. Feel free to embark on those opportunties. Always remember, embrace all opportunities near or far.