Courses Offered at Open Window Institute (Open Window) for 2027

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