Communication within a multi-cultural society is a challenge for all future designers and artists. The Visual Communication program is designed to develop artistic and imaginative communicators; ones with an open-minded and responsible outlook that can design critically and creatively, communicators that can marry practical solutions with ideas that never fail to surprise.

In the Visual Communication Department, we place a strong emphasis on multi-lingual typography and multi-cultural art (within each of the concentrations offered in the department). We have been the first in the Arab world to give an Arabic type design course, calligraphy workshops and cultural events such as Kitabat (the first Arabic Calligraphy and Typography conference in the region). This has brought us several awards, a solo exhibition in Amsterdam , and much publicity in various local and international design magazines. We strongly believe that typography is an essential ingredient in the development and assertion of one's cultural identity, and a much needed skill and artistic endeavor to encourage in the new generation of the Arab/Islamic region. We aim to set a trend and create a small following in other educational institutions in the Middle East . In addition, our photography students have held several art exhibitions (some group shows and some solo exhibitions) at renown contemporary art galleries in Dubai . Their work has been positively received in the local art community and press.

The Visual Communication Department strives to:

• Instill in its students the quest for knowledge and the pursuit of intellectual growth by providing them with a number of theoretical courses and/or theoretical components within studio courses.
• Educate students about the history of art and the historical developments within the field of Visual Communication, in order to make them visually literate and critical in their evaluation of art/design work, and to help them understand contemporary thinking about art/design and about the intentions and achievements of leading artists/designers.
• Develop and strengthen the students' critical and creative thinking capabilities, by helping them develop logical written analysis of design problems, and conceptualize both rationally and intuitively in order to come up with creative and effective solutions.
• Instill in students the physical experience of creation, by teaching them to understand, control and use the visual (non-verbal) languages of art/design.
• Teach students the design process, methodologies, and techniques that are integral to and required for their chosen professional design/art field of study (ie concentration).
• Equip students with basic practical skills, and adequate technical proficiency in order to enable them to communicate using various media and processes.
• Develop their sensitivities for communicating in multi-cultural societies in order to operate professionally in various social/cultural contexts.
• Provide opportunities for students to undertake independent studies that display their level of expertise in their chosen field of Visual Communication study; combining their technical proficiency with their ability to research, document, analyze, and solve design/art problems creatively.
• Raise the standard of art/design and craftsmanship in the region, and promote ethical and responsible design practices, by graduating innovative and well-educated leaders (each in their respective fields).

The Visual Communication Department aims to remain at the forefront of design/art education in the region, providing an educational model that addresses and assesses the market needs in relation to contemporary design/art global trends.