Inter-Disciplinary Design
Interior Design
Graphic Design
Game Design
Multimedia Design
Product & Furniture Design
2D & 3D Animation & Visual Art
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Compliment or ComplaintHigher Certificate In Design Thinking
SAQA ID: 97900, 120 Credits, NQF 5
GDC offers a Higher Certificate programme in Design Thinking specifically designed to channel students into our BA Degree programmes in Interior Design, Graphic Design and Multimedia Design. The programme equips learners with the fundamental toolkit to problem solve and develop 2D and 3D design solutions to a variety of problems while also learning the necessary software, graphic communication, prototyping and academic writing skills required for future study. Skill sets acquired in our higher certificate programme make the transition into the BA Degree programmes easy. Plus, students graduate with a standalone qualification at NQF level
Features and Benefits
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Learn critical industry-required skills plus the industry-standard software suite including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign with a 1-year student license.
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Get a free Office 365 Education A1 license, valid for the duration of your studies.
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Access to on-campus HP Latex 115 Large format printer and printing press.
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Showcase of student work at our annual design showcase and annual Date Night where potential industry partners are invited.
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Access to local and international student award entries
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Industry exposure from top industry key players
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Job placement assistance through our industry network and online recruitment portal, exclusively available to The Greenside Design Center.
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Access to our on-campus specialised labs. This programme incorporates our MakersLab and VRLab
- Specialized LabMakersLab
- Specialized LabVRLab
The MakersLab gives students the chance to see their designs, ideas and innovations become a reality.
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An interactive space that helps students explore the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality in the visualizing and presentation of data.
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Admission Requirements
- NQF4 (Competency in the English language)
- No matric? You still have an option to do our FET Certificate: Design Foundation NQF4
Articulation Options
On successful completion of this qualification, you can articulate into the
Hardware Requirements
Please note that you are required to have your own computer for this qualification. 
GDC, in partnership with Dell and TripleH committed to supplying every student with a Dell laptop to support our DigitalCampus initiative. Available exclusively to GDC students, devices can now be financed with your tuition fees. We provide two models:
- MEDIUMMedium Spec, Dell Latitude 5510, i7, 16GB
- HIGHHigh Spec, Dell Latitude 5510, i7, 32GB
R19 000.00Learn More
The foundation for intense graphic and processor heavy tasks.
11th Generation Intel Core i7-11370H(12M cache, up to 4.8GHz), 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Non-touch Narrow Border WVA Display, Camera & Microphone, Power Button without Touch Fingerprint Reader, 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 Non-ECC RAM, M.2 256GB PCIe NVMe Class 35 Solid State Drive, Nvidia GeForce MX450 w/2GB GDDR6 Graphics Memory, 4 Cell 54Whr Express Charge Capable Battery, Windows 10 Pro (64 Bit), 1Y Collect and Return Service
R21 500.00Learn More
Same foundation, more memory...for those who want to get a little more serious.
11th Generation Intel Core i7-11370H (15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare LED Backlight Non-Touch Narrow Border WVA Display, Camera & Microphone, Power Button without Touch Fingerprint Reader, 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 Non-ECC RAM, WLAN, M.2 256GB PCIe NVMe Class 35 Solid State Drive, Nvidia GeForce MX450 w/2GB GDDR6 Graphics Memory, Windows 10 Pro (64 Bit), 1Y Collect and Return Service
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Pricing & Payment Options
NEW SECTION -
Duration
Full Time
- Full Time, Contact Learning (Hybrid), 12 Months
- Full Time, Online Learning ,12 Months
- Classes from Monday to Friday, +- 20 hours/week
Part-Time
- Part Time, Flexi Online Learning, min 12 Months, Max 24 Months
- Classes conducted after hours over 2-3 sessions/week (on selective Saturdays)
* Class structures are subject to change without notification.
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Career Options
- Graduates are able to enter the design industry in junior positions
- ENROL NOW
What you get
On completion the student will earn:
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NQF level 5 Higher Certificate in Design Thinking
Additionaly you also get
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Portfolio of Evidence (worldclass)
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Access to all Adobe Software
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Access to All Microsoft software
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Access to Large-Format Printers
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Industry exposure by means of guest lectures, live briefs, date night, end-of-year exhibition
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Competitions: Loeries, Pendoring, GoldPack, Adobe Achievers, PPC Imaginarium, ISTD, Bio-Challenge
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International exposure by means of possible student exchanges, International Verifiers and Board members of Cumulus PADI , IFI, Ico-D (See accreditations page)
Our Learning Methods
Our learning methods is a technology mediated delivery model, focused on flexibility, accessibility, and academic support to provide the ultimate learning experience without compromising teaching time and quality.
#Flexibility
#AnywhereAnytime
#Accessibility
#StudentSupport
Full Time - Contact/Hybrid
Learning
A modern twist on traditional face-to-face, full-time learning. Our contact classes are delivered via Hybrid learning, providing students with the flexibility to attend on campus, virtually, or both.
Full Time, Online
Learning
Extending our reach with online only, full time learning. Our progressive technology platform and people-supported academic journey giving students access to our classes from anywhere in the world.
Part Time, Flexi Online
Learning
Designed for the working professional, our part time programmes provide you with the flexibility to manger your own schedule and pace of learning. Sessions are conducted after hours on selected weekdays, and on alternate Saturdays.
First Year:
- Principles and Theory of Design I
- Communications I
- Technology and Professional Practice I
- Critical Studies I
Please contact The CAD Corporation for more information and dates on this course.