LATEST TECHNICAL FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
DFI has extensive technical facilities and equipment. Our Online Course Selection and Curriculum Management System within our own DFI intranet takes students´ individual wishes and interests into account when their hourly schedules are drawn up.
Students can log on to the intranet and the internet via their computers throughout the entire school. What´s more, we are equipped with the most up-to-date Apple computers, extensive graphic arts and multimedia software, beamers, cameras, studio accessories, a screen-printing studio, video editing options and a great deal more. Our own specialised library supplements the technical facilities and equipment with opportunities for research that are not accessible online.
SEMESTER ABROAD
Our students have the opportunity to study for one semester at the International School of Communication Design at BNU, the Beijing Normal University in southern China (near Hong Kong). Depending on achievement in the studies performed there, the credits earned can be accredited towards the course of studies at DFI.
OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED AND APPROVED FOR STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
DFI has been training designers in graphic arts and communication in the media city of Hamburg, Germany since 1992. The school is officially recognised as a vocational college ('supplementary school') by the Senate of Hamburg and has been approved for "BAfög", financial aid for students, by Hamburg´s Ministry of Culture. With about 250 students presently attending, DFI numbers among the largest and most renowned private design colleges in northern Germany. Further information about the topic of "BAfög" at: www.bafoeg.de
FLEXIBLE COURSE SELECTION SYSTEM
Our Course Selection System during the main course of studies offers our students the opportunity to specialise in an area that corresponds best to their interests and abilities. The so-called 'majors' at DFI are Art Direction, Branding,
Editorial Design, Motion Design and Webdesign. We naturally give assistance towards decision-making and orientation in the course of specialisation.
ENTRY FROM OTHER FIELDS/SCHOOLS
Each semester we receive numerous queries from people who would like to 'jump in midstream' to continue their studies at DFI. Correspondent to their educational training and skills they have the chance to be placed in an upper semester. The possibility of entering the college in an upper semester is discussed individually in an advisory talk with the head of the school or the head of studies.
LINK TO THE DESIGN, ADVERTISING AND MEDIA INDUSTRIES
All lecturers at DFI work for renowned national, international agencies or publishers. As a result of the experience they have gained in day-to-day professional practice, classes are designed with an orientation towards the future and in proximity to the markets involved. The tasks posed in the courses are always chosen with an eye towards real-life situations, often in the form of so-called 'external briefings', job orders from clients in the industry.
This enables us to hear about trends and developments at an early stage, which we can react to by making adaptations and supplements to our syllabus on short notice. We invite external examiners to our exams in order to lend our diploma a high degree of objectivity. Numerous representatives from design, advertising and media agencies attend our graduation exhibit at the end of each semester to make first contacts with young, up-and-coming talent.
A multifaceted spectrum of internships can be found posted on our "blackboard" (in the intranet or the lounges). The first connections towards taking on a full-time job later on frequently arise right here.
INTERNATIONAL DEGREES
Our graduates can earn an internationally acknowledged Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in merely 9 months at the Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (Bucks New University) near London.
Those who have distinguished themselves can enter directly into the Master of Arts (M.A.) programme. With its tightly meshed connection to the design and advertising scene in London and New York, the course "B.A. in Graphic Design and Advertising" has become legendary. It has won more international prizes and awards than any other course in design. Last year Bucks won 17 prizes at the renowned D&AD Awards (2nd Place in the international overall ranking). Two of those were won by graduates of DFI.
The combination of 3 years at DFI Hamburg with a subsequent 9 months experiencing England and earning a B.A. degree can hardly be topped as a career start. In 2007, 18 of our graduates went on to BCUC. What´s more, until now 90 per cent of the graduates have landed a job afterwards in the industry! Many of them at top international agencies.