The Open Window (Pty) Ltd

Open Window is a registered private higher education institution founded in 1993 that teaches creative arts and technologies at postgraduate, degree and higher certificate level. It is part of the UXi Private Education Group, belongs to South Africa Private Higher Education (SAPHE) and is affiliated to international educational institutions. Its main campus is in Southdowns, Irene, Centurion (John Vorster Drive Ext. East), with additional campuses in Johannesburg (Blairgowrie, Randburg) and Stellenbosch.

Study is organised into four schools: Visual Communication (Communication Design, Illustration, Photography), Film Arts (Film and Television, Screenwriting, Screen Acting, Production Design, Sound Design), Animation Arts (3D Animation, Game Design, Motion Design) and Creative Technologies (User Experience Design, Interactive Development, Industrial Product Design). Degrees are the Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design, Bachelor of Creative Technologies, Bachelor of Arts in Game Design and Animation and Bachelor of Film Arts (all NQF 7, three years). Higher certificates are offered in 3D Animation: Modelling and Design, Graphic Design, Photography and Videography, User Interface Design and Digital Film Production. Postgraduate qualifications are the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Communication (NQF 8), the Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Practice (NQF 8) and the Master of Applied Arts in Creative Arts and Technologies (NQF 9).

In the degrees, first-year students take Academic Practice, Drawing and Narrative and Media Perspectives and choose four subjects that lead to a major; from second year they continue in a single major or a double major. A mid-year route at the Johannesburg campus lets students begin a Higher Certificate in July and fast-track into a degree, graduating with both qualifications in 3.5 years.

The Centurion campus has a high-tech auditorium, air-conditioned studios and lecture halls, a film production area with overhead lighting and green screen, a makerspace, photography workshops, a library with Mac workstations and a coffee shop on site. The campus has 24-hour security and secure parking, and the Centurion Gautrain station is a short ride away on the Gautrain bus route, with the stop in front of the campus. Tuition fees cover a welcome pack, orientation week, a drawing pack, library access, student portal access, secure parking, Adobe software, internet access and a student card.

Student services include a Student Information Centre, student liaison staff, academic and emotional support, an orientation and buddy programme, an SRC, clubs and a Student Services Manager, with administrative and student support mailboxes. The academic calendar and student portal are online, and teaching uses a creative hybrid multimodal approach with Canvas.

International applicants must obtain a SAQA letter verifying the NQF level of their qualification (postgraduate) or a USAf exemption certificate or SAQA evaluation (undergraduate and higher certificates), and the institution publishes an international prospectus.