Brand & Communication Design (BA) Full-time
Charakter Fresenius Hochschule · Düsseldorf, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Brand & Communication Design (BA) Full-time program at Charakter Fresenius Hochschule combines strategic brand communication with hands-on communication design skills across multiple media channels. You develop practical competence through project-based learning and applied creative work.
The program is designed to prepare you for professional roles in brand and communication design by building a strong foundation in visual communication, campaign thinking, and modern communication technologies. You graduate with a qualification that supports entry into agency and brand teams and further study paths.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Build your foundations in brand communication and design thinking through hands-on studio work.
- Develop core skills in communication strategy, visual language, and design fundamentals.
- Work on early projects to translate brand ideas into clear concepts and layouts.
- Deepen brand strategy and communication planning with practice-oriented projects.
- Expand your toolkit across communication design topics such as typography, motion, and digital communication (where included in the curriculum).
- Strengthen project work and production skills through iterative briefs and feedback cycles.
- Apply your skills in larger, real-world style communication and brand projects.
- Strengthen your ability to present, justify, and document design and communication decisions.
- Prepare for the practical integration of design and communication processes into brand work.
- Complete the final bachelor work as your concluding academic and design milestone.
- Consolidate brand communication design knowledge gained across the programme.
- Present and document your work in a professional format suitable for career entry.
Curriculum
210 CP undergraduate programme structure across 7 semesters (including a 30 CP internship), ending with Bachelor thesis and disputation.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Compulsory core modules | Digital Design | 5 | 32 |
| Fotografie | 5 | |||
| Kulturgeschichte Der Gestaltung I | 5 | |||
| Marketing I | 5 | |||
| Onboarding In Design Studies | 2 | |||
| Visuelle Kommunikation I | 5 | |||
| Zeichnerische Darstellungsformen | 5 | |||
| Semester 2 | Compulsory core modules | Basic Principles Of Sustainability | 1 | 31 |
| Editorial Design - Printmedien | 5 | |||
| Information & Medien | 5 | |||
| Kulturgeschichte Der Gestaltung II | 5 | |||
| Marketing II | 5 | |||
| Visuelle Kommunikation II | 5 | |||
| Web & Ux Design | 5 | |||
| Semester 3 | Compulsory core modules | Corporate Design | 6 | 30 |
| Frühjahrs- / Herbstakademie | 1 | |||
| Kommunikation Im Raum | 8 | |||
| Kulturgeschichte Der Gestaltung III | 5 | |||
| Marketing III | 5 | |||
| Typografie | 5 | |||
| Semester 4 | Compulsory core modules and elective lab module | Branding I | 6 | 29 |
| Digitale Magazinkonzeption & Gestaltung | 5 | |||
| Kampagne I | 5 | |||
| Theorie Des Kommunikationsdesigns | 5 | |||
| Wahlpflichtmodul I | 8 | |||
| Semester 5 | Practical placement module | Praktikum | 30 | 30 |
| Semester 6 | Compulsory modules and elective lab module | Branding II | 8 | 29 |
| Campaign II | 8 | |||
| Film Design & Producing | 5 | |||
| Wahlpflichtmodul II | 8 | |||
| Semester 7 | Final thesis and concluding modules | Ausstellung/Dokumentation | 2 | 27 |
| Bachelor-Arbeit | 12 | |||
| Bachelor-Disputation | 3 | |||
| Bewerbungsvorbereitung | 5 | |||
| Konzeptionelle Methodik | 5 | |||
| Total | All compulsory and elective modules plus practical placement and final thesis components | 210 CP | ||
Career outcomes
- You build job-ready brand and communication design skills that prepare you for roles in design studios, agencies, and in-house marketing/communication teams in Germany.
- You gain practical experience through project-based learning, so you can create and present campaign and brand communication outputs employers can evaluate.
- You strengthen your ability to translate strategy into visual communication, which is essential for brand strategy and communication planning roles.
- You develop portfolio-ready work that supports applications for creative, communication, and brand-focused positions at local and international employers.
- The BA qualification helps you progress into senior creative responsibility roles as your experience grows, including creative coordination and lead positions in brand communication work.
Employability rate
For Brand and Communication Design graduates in Germany, the labour market typically shows an employability rate of around 82% and an unemployment rate of about 18%, reflecting ongoing demand for creative and communication talent but also competitive hiring for entry roles.
Together, these figures point to a reasonably stable career outlook when you build a strong portfolio and gain practical project experience during your studies.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| University entrance qualification (foreign school leaving diploma) | International applicants need a university entrance qualification for bachelor studies that is considered valid for admission to a German higher education institution. Fresenius checks whether your foreign school-leaving certificate specifically qualifies you to study in Germany, as educational systems differ across countries. |
| If your foreign qualification does not grant access in Germany | If your secondary school leaving diploma does not specifically entitle you to study in Germany, you may be able to take the university qualification examination (Feststellungsprüfung / Studienkolleg). Fresenius also offers a free entrance examination (written online test plus an oral test) for international applicants who qualify for bachelor studies in their home country but do not meet German higher education entrance requirements. |
Language requirements
IELTS Academic
TOEFL iBT
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 0 / per year | |
| Registration fee | EUR 595 / one time | One-time registration fee of EUR 595 is mentioned for the programme. |
Proof of financial resources
- If you need a visa/residence permit for studies in Germany, you may need a blocked account (Sperrkonto) to prove sufficient financial resources for your stay.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A | N/A |
| Semester begins | N/A | N/A |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A | N/A |
🎓 Scholarship
| Provider | Scheme name | Coverage | Eligibility notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAAD | EPOS — Development-Related Postgraduate Courses | Tuition fees, monthly stipend, travel allowance, health insurance |
📝 How to Apply
Prepare your eligibility and documents
Check whether your foreign school-leaving qualification qualifies you for bachelor studies in Germany, as Fresenius will assess whether your diploma grants university access. If it does not, Fresenius describes options such as the university qualification examination (Feststellungsprüfung / Studienkolleg) or the Fresenius entrance examination for eligible applicants. Collect your CV and your secondary school leaving certificate early so you can upload them within the portal timeline.
Apply through the Fresenius application portal
Submit your application for the bachelor programme using the university's official application portal. To be considered, upload at least your CV and your secondary school leaving certificate within the next 10 days after applying. Ensure the documents are uploaded in the requested format and that your details are complete before submission.
Participate in the admission interview (if you meet requirements)
If you fulfil the admission requirements, your personal study advisor will invite you to an admission interview. The admission interview is scheduled for about 15 minutes and is not a knowledge test. The interview focuses on your personality, your reasons for choosing Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, and your motivation to study.
Receive your study contract and complete next steps
After successful completion of the admission interview, Fresenius sends you the study contract with details for the next steps. Follow the instructions carefully for enrolment and any remaining formalities. Plan ahead for your visa/residence steps if you are a non-EU/international applicant.