
With our Communication & Multimedia Design degree you explore the many aspects of design and develop your own portfolio of work, giving you a headstart in your career
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Work on challenges set by industry to provide solutions to current issues
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Work with state-of-the-art tools & technology
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Specialise in your field with a minor subject
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Work on personal development with your study coach and map out your own study path
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Gain practical work experience with a paid internship
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Gain international experience with a period of study and an internship abroad
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Graduate from a programme accredited as Excellent by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) and rated as a Top Programme by the Dutch Higher Education Guide
Overview
What Communication & Multimedia Design offers
Wherever your interest in multimedia lies, whether it’s app development, games, graphic design or virtual reality, the Communication & Multimedia Design (CMD) programme sets you up to become a designer and multimedia specialist. With projects set by industry, you can expect a very hands-on approach that enables you to build your own portfolio of work while you study. As you develop your design skills, you also discover the learning skills you need to make design concepts and tools your own. With guidance from your personal coach, you’ll explore which skills you can best apply to learn different things. This is closely entwined with attitude and you’ll work closely with your coach, lecturers and fellow students on your drive for the industry. Each designer has their own voice and we want to help you find yours so that you can understand how you can have a positive impact on the world.
Communication & Multimedia Design in practice
You work on assignments from real companies in each year of the course, collaborating in small groups and drawing on the skills and experience of lecturers and professionals in the field. You could be working on an interactive advertising campaign for a major brand, developing a virtual reality experience for people with mental health issues, creating an app with stylish design for a music festival, or designing a campaign to stop cyber bullying. This method of working (Design-Based Education) means you learn to draw on feedback to adapt your ideas and become more flexible, while also developing your teamwork and leadership skills. It means you get hands-on experience of what it’s like to research and understand a client’s business, their target group and the many disciplines of design.
Gain international experience
Studying communication & multimedia design at NHL Stenden means exploring the different disciplines of design and how these are applied in different contexts and for different audiences. Our participation in RUN-EU means you can join Short Advanced Programmes and carry out projects with partner institutions in Europe. You can also go to one of the NHL Stenden’s Grand Tour locations in South Africa, Bali or Thailand in your third year. Or you can go on an exchange to a partner institution and delve into a totally new way of studying. With over 100 different minors on offer through NHL Stenden and held at locations all over the world, you're sure to find the perfect specialisation, from Game Development & 3D Design to Concepting to Visual Storytelling to Sustainable Design Solutions.
The #6 reasons to study at NHL Stenden
Have you seen our #6 reasons why you should most definitely, without a doubt, come study at NHL Stenden? Read about how our students and alumni not only value NHL Stenden’s top quality education and the amazing global network, but also feel that what they learn is really relevant thanks to our educational concept and the work opportunities we offer – and they get to enjoy a great, affordable student life while they’re at it.

Virtual Tour Leeuwarden
Programmes related to Communication & Multimedia Design
NHL Stenden offers degrees similar to Communication & Multimedia Design at associate, bachelor degree level and master’s.
More intensive than the four-year programme, this fast-track, three-year degree gives you more concentrated practical experience. And there’s more emphasis on self-study when it comes to learning theory.
- Bachelor’s Degree Creative Business (full-time, 4 years)
Develop your passion for media and communication by creating, producing and managing media productions during this two-year practice-oriented undergraduate degree or continue your studies with the bachelor’s degree in Creative Business.
- Associate Degree Creative Media Professional (full-time, 2 years)
Take your media skills to the next level with our master’s in Content & Media Strategy and develop your skills in developing content and media strategies that help organisations create meaningful communication.
- Master’s in Content & Media Strategy (full-time, 1 year)

Is this the degree for you?
If you're confident this degree is the one for you, then why not apply online straightaway? Or pick one of the other options to help you take the next step.