13
courses listed
5
qualification types
3
campuses
Open Window, trading as the Open Window Institute, is a private higher education institution that specialises in the creative arts and digital technologies. It started in 1989 offering one-year art and design courses, gained registration as a tertiary provider in the mid-1990s and received full accreditation from the Council on Higher Education in 2002. In 2010 it moved to its purpose-built campus in Southdowns, Irene (Centurion), between Pretoria and Johannesburg and a short bus ride from the Gautrain. A Stellenbosch campus followed in 2024 and a Johannesburg campus in Blairgowrie, Randburg, opened for 2026. Open Window is part of the UXi Private Education Group and has an associate institution in Lusaka, Zambia.
Open Window is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution (registration certificate 2000/HE07/016). Its qualifications are accredited by the CHE and registered on the NQF with SAQA, and it is also an accredited skills provider with MICTSETA.
Study areas
Teaching is grouped into four creative fields:
- Visual Communication: communication design, illustration and photography.
- Film Arts: film and television, screen acting, production design, screenwriting and sound design.
- Animation Arts: 3D animation, game design and motion design.
- Creative Technologies: user experience design, interactive development and industrial product design.
Qualifications
- Higher Certificates (NQF 5, 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time): 3D Animation: Modelling and Design, Graphic Design, Photography and Videography, User Interface Design, Digital Film Production and Creative Writing.
- Bachelor's degrees (NQF 7, 3 years): Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design, Bachelor of Film Arts, Bachelor of Arts in Game Design and Animation, and Bachelor of Creative Technologies. First-years take three compulsory subjects (Academic Practice, Drawing and Narrative, Media Perspectives) and sample four choice subjects before picking a single or double major.
- Postgraduate (NQF 8): Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Communication and the Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Practice, both 1 year full-time or 2 years extended.
- Master of Applied Arts in Creative Arts and Technologies (NQF 9), a practice-based research master's that Open Window lists for introduction from 2027.
How teaching works
Open Window uses what it calls a creative hybrid multimodal approach. Depending on the programme and campus, you learn through on-campus classes, live online (virtually-mediated) sessions, and rotation models where you spend a week on campus and a week online. Many higher certificate core subjects are streamed from Centurion to the other campuses. Facilities include a makerspace, film production studios, a library and a student gallery, and tuition covers Adobe software, library access, internet, parking and orientation.
Student support
There is a student support office, student council, clubs on each campus, and an academic calendar with clear rules on changes, cancellations and appeals. Open Window accepts a limited number of students through Recognition of Prior Learning and allows credit transfer of up to half of a qualification from another institution.
Fees and funding
Higher certificate tuition is listed at R55 250 a year, and the 2027 fee structure for the one-year honours shows a total of R151 200. On top of tuition you pay a R1 750 non-refundable application fee and a R12 000 registration fee. Fees paid in full by the end of January qualify for a discount, and cancellation charges rise each term. Open Window also runs an annual scholarship competition.
How to apply
Applying runs in three steps: enquire (meet a student advisor, submit certified documents and pay the application fee), apply (complete the form, get vetted and receive an acceptance letter) and register (pay the registration fee and complete the online form). Open days are held at each campus during the year. Contact Centurion on 012 648 9200 or info@openwindow.co.za.
Useful documents (official PDFs):
- 2027 OW Guide: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2027-OW-Guide.pdf
- Pathways Higher Certificate 2026: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pathways_Higher-Certificate-2026.pdf
- Pathways Undergrad 2026: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pathways_Undergrad-2026.pdf
- Pathways Postgrad 2026: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pathways_Postgrad-2026.pdf
- 2026 Mid Year Cohort Information Pack: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Mid-Year-Cohort-Information-Pack.pdf
- 2027 Fee Structure Honours: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2027-Fee-Structure_Honours_.pdf
- Higher Certificate in Digital Film Production: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Higher-Certificate-in-Digital-Film-Production.pdf
- 2026 OW YEARBOOK: https://www.openwindow.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026_OW-YEARBOOK-.pdf
Download
Open Window Prospectus 2027
The prospectus is the institution's own booklet of qualifications, entry requirements and faculty information for 2027. Open it below, then use the course list further down to check any programme in detail.
Published by Open Window Institute. Institutions sometimes release an updated copy mid season, so check their official site if a date or fee looks out of step.
Step by step
How to Apply to Open Window for 2027
We do not have confirmed 2027 application dates on file for Open Window Institute. Check the official site for the current window before you start.
- Pick your course. Use the list below and open the course page to read its exact entry requirements and subject rules.
- Check that you qualify. Compare your APS and subject marks against the requirement shown on the course page.
- Get your documents ready. Certified ID or passport, your latest results, and proof of payment if an application fee applies.
- Apply on the official portal. The button below opens Open Window Institute’s own application page.
- Track your application and reply quickly to any request for outstanding documents.
Ready to apply? This takes you straight to Open Window Institute’s own official application page.
Apply NowYou will leave studies.mycourses.co.za and apply directly with Open Window Institute.
13 listed
Courses Offered at Open Window for 2027
We don't hold APS figures for Open Window yet, so there is nothing to filter on here. Each course below links to the entry requirements the institution publishes for it.
All 13 courses at Open Window, grouped by qualification.
Open Window Higher Certificate Courses 6
Open Window Bachelor's Degree Courses 4
Open Window Bachelor Honours Degree Courses 1
Open Window Master's Degree Courses 1
Open Window Postgraduate Diploma Courses 1
Course information last checked 22 September 2026. Always confirm with Open Window Institute before you apply.
Entry
Admission Requirements at Open Window
Two things decide an offer: your APS, and the specific subjects a programme requires at a minimum level. A high APS does not help if a compulsory subject is missing, so check both on the course page before you apply.
We don't yet hold a numeric APS for any Open Window programme. The institution still scores applications, so treat each course page as the authority on what that qualification asks for, and confirm it with the faculty before you apply.
NQF levels offered
Qualifications here sit at 4 different NQF levels. The level tells you what a qualification is worth and what it lets you study next.
- NQF 5 6
- NQF 7 4
- NQF 8 2
- NQF 9 1
Structure
Open Window Faculties and What They Offer
The 13 courses listed here are split across 5 faculties. Open one to see only its courses.
Money
Fees and Funding at Open Window
As a private institution, Open Window Institute sets its own fees and is not funded by NSFAS. Ask the finance office about bursaries, payment plans and what the registration fee covers before you commit.
Fees differ by programme and year, so take the current figures from the institution itself: official Open Window site.
Where to study
Open Window Campuses
Centurion Campus
Main campusCenturion, Gauteng
John Vorster Drive Ext. East, Southdowns, Irene, Centurion
Tel: 012 648 9200
Johannesburg Campus (Blairgowrie)
Randburg, Gauteng
6 Geneva Road, Blairgowrie, Randburg, 2194
Tel: 084 482 4366
Stellenbosch Campus
Stellenbosch, Western Cape
1 Distillery Road, Oude Molen, Stellenbosch
Tel: 074 145 7484
After you graduate
Careers You Can Study For at Open Window
These are the occupations the qualifications listed here lead to, most common first. The number is how many Open Window courses prepare you for that career.
