Creative Connections - Sat Nov 2
Join us on Saturday November 2, from 11am to 2pm
at our Richmond Campus for Creative Connections.
This free collaborative event will showcase programs
in the Wilson School of Design and KPU’s Faculty of Arts.
Featuring info sessions, hands-on workshops, campus tours, interactive demos and an opportunity to connect with KPU alumni working in creative industries, plus a chance to win great prizes! Register to attend here!
Fall 2025
Applications for Fall 2025 opened on October 1, 2024.
Have questions? Contact the Future Students' Office at 604-599-3030 or study@kpu.ca.
Foundations in Design
You have the creativity and desire to become a designer, but with all the career possibilities out there it’s hard to pick just one discipline. We can help.
Find your focus in our Foundations in Design (FIND) program. This one-year full-time certificate will give your design career a solid foundation. You’ll learn design fundamentals, explore your career options, and discover where your true passion lies. Our graduates go on to successful careers in everything from graphic design to furniture design to sustainable design.
Interested in design but already enrolled in another program?
Depending on availability, you could take any of these FIND courses:
- FIND 1120 - Design Connections: Then and Now
- FIND 1130 - Design Explorations
- FIND 1140 - Colour Theories
- FIND 1150 - Designing for Humanity
- FIND 1220 - Design History: 19th Century Onward
Why Study Foundations in Design @ KPU?
- In just eight months, you’ll graduate with a portfolio that will open doors to the top design schools across Canada.
- Our faculty of experienced, working professionals bring industry knowledge to guide your learning experience. Our small class sizes ensure that our faculty can mentor each and every student and help them realize their own unique potential.
- The purpose-built building for the KPU Wilson School of Design allows for collaboration and community-building with designers in all of our disciplines.
- We actively nurture our community of alumni to form a reservoir of support, connections, and advice which will not only assist our new graduates.
Who Studies Foundations in Design?
Are you curious about how things work? Do you build and dismantle things to understand them? Wonder how rooms and public spaces best serve the people who use them? Like photography or drawing? Look at magazines to see how fonts, colours and shapes are used? Maybe you play with fabrics to create new looks?
If you can relate to any or all the above, the FIND program is for you. Students in the FIND program have the opportunity of exploring various areas of design.
Program Overview
The Certificate in Foundations in Design (FIND) is focused on you. Your potential. Your future career. Your voice as a designer.
As a selective intake program, we offer seats in the program to the top 20 applicants based on an entrance package. This small class size gives you the personalized attention you deserve. Working closely with faculty and your fellow classmates, you'll learn and grow in a supportive community while achieving amazing results.
Lead by seasoned design professionals, this program gives you the opportunity to focus your studies in a creative environment on fundamental design skills such as drawing, 2D and 3D design, software such as Adobe Creative Suite, plus develop methods in the creative process. You'll grow your skills through a variety of hands-on projects while exploring the diverse career options open to design professionals.
You'll cap off this eight-month, two-semester program with a dynamic portfolio of work that will open the door to future studies in any number of design disciplines.
Tuition and Fees
For information on tuition, please visit our Tuition Estimator. There are also mandatory student fees and other fees that you are subject to. You should also be prepared to spend between $500-800 on books, supplies, project materials, photocopying and printing during the program.
You may be eligible for scholarships, student loans or other financial aid. Visit Student Awards and Financial Assistance for more information.
Laptop Requirements
In addition to the standard tuition and fees, students entering the Foundations in Design program should also factor in the cost of a laptop and recommended software to complete projects and course deliverables. To find out minimum specifications and required software, please visit Equipment & Software.
Admission Requirements
Once you have completed your application, you will receive instructions on how to submit your Entrance Package and other required documents through an online submission platform.
Your portfolio is your chance to show us your creative skills and interests. Our Admission Requirements section will help you submit the strongest portfolio possible.
To help you create the most effective portfolio possible, we offer workshops, feedback sessions and open houses. Visit our Events Calendar for more information on upcoming events.
Please visit How to Apply for more details about applying to KPU.
Career Information
Designers are found in many industries creating everything from furniture to fashion, apps and sports equipment, branding, websites, publishing and the built environment. Completing the Certificate in Foundations in Design can start you on a career path in one of these exciting disciplines:
- Fashion Design
- Architectural Design
- Graphic Design
- Landscape Design
- Interior Design
- Package Design
- Product Design
- Set/Theatre Design
- Environmental Design
- Wayfinding Design
- Green Design
- Design for Sustainability
- Transportation Design
- Entertainment Design
- Design Management
- Multimedia/Digital Design
- Museum Design
- Design Education
- Event Design
- Publication/Book Design
- Lighting Design
With the completion of the FIND certificate, graduates often seek further education to find a design-related career. Some go on to study at the top design schools in Canada in a wide range of design fields. Many others use their exceptional portfolios to continue their studies at the Wilson School of Design in one of our six other programs.