Title: Bachelor of Graphic Storytelling (GS)

Duration of the program: 4 years (240 ECTS), full time

Program start: August every two years (odd years only)

Language: English

Finances: Danish students can apply for SU. For more information on finances go to the 'Fees and finances'-section.

Study program: See the full study program here (PDF)

More Information:

• Graduate Survey (PDF)

Graphic Storytelling is designed to equip students with the tools, methods, and insights to turn their talent for drawing and storytelling into a livelihood. This will typically involve a combination of self-initiated projects and work for hire, and our curriculum is designed to reflect that.

As a student, you will spend seven hours a day at TAW listening to lectures and (mostly) working on assignments. After school hours, students often spend extra time finishing up work. The work load is considerable, because there is a lot to learn and because we want to prepare students for life after school.

Also, you should expect to be asked to present your work and ideas to teachers and classmates and to give and receive critiques on a regular basis. These are fundamental skills for professional creatives.

First year: Craft fundamentals and short form storytelling

The first semester is all about the fundamentals of comics, from various approaches to drawing and story to digital and traditional tools. The second semester focuses on clarity in visual storytelling and on writing and drawing short narratives, culminating in a collaborative comic book project.

Second year: Illustration, world-building, and long-form storytelling

The third semester focuses on color theory and on using color for storytelling and on illustration for books, magazines, and newspapers.

The fourth semester opens with a series of workshops on world building and IP generation before exploring a range of different storytelling genres and methods, culminating in a graphic novel pitch featuring 10 sample pages and a comprehensive synopsis, marking your first stab at a long-form story.

Third year: Related fields, interactive media, and Applied Comics

The fifth semester focuses on fields outside of comics, including background design, storyboarding, and video games. Furthermore, you will be introduced to interactive comics and start to create your professional portfolio. The sixth semester deepens into more advanced sequential storytelling, including advanced writing techniques. The semester also features a five-week production where you and your fellow students will create “Applied Comics”, ie. comics designed to convey a specific message to a specific target audience, together with outside clients.

Fourth year: Final Production, Internship and Bachelor Report

The seventh semester is dedicated to the Final Production, where you create an original comic, illustrated book or story bible. During the eight Semester you get hands-on experience from the industry in a relevant internship for at least ten weeks, and the semester ends with you handing in your Bachelor Report, analyzing your career plans based on both your Final Production and internship.

Read Cathrin's diary from her internship with Ed Piskor

We only admit students to Graphic Storytelling every second year in September - odd years only. This means that the next admissions round is in March 2023.

Admission to The Animation Workshop’s bachelor programs is talent based. We are looking for students with excellent drawing and storytelling skills. Therefore, all applicants must participate in an entrance test to show whether they qualify for admission. 

In addition to the entrance test, you are required to have an upper secondary diploma as well as documented English skills corresponding to Danish B-level.
Applicants who meet these criteria and who pass the portfolio entrance test, are invited to an admissions test.

Find more in depth information about requirements, procedures etc. on our admissions page

Important dates

• Application deadline: March 15, 2023 11:59 am (CET – midday)
• Test and interview: May 2023
• Program start: Late August, 2023
• Next Open House with review sessions: February 2023

Quick overview of the application procedure

1. You apply through the page www.optagelse.dk (comprehensive step by step-guides are available in Danish and English from the page). The page opens on February 1st and closes on March 15, 2023, at 11:59 am (CET - midday). Latecomers are not accepted!
2. With the application, you submit your entrance test portfolio. The required hand-in format is a single PDF-file
3. You receive a receipt for your application and are invited to log on to nemStudie, where you can keep track of your application
4. After the deadline, we evaluate the tests. Applicants who passes the first entrance test are invited to an admissions test and interview in Viborg in May 2023
5. The results of the admissions test are announced in June
6. The final enrolment is completed on the last workday of July 28, 2023

More information

• Go to the Admission page to get more information about requirements, procedures etc.
• Check out VIA's How to apply guide for non-Danish applicants

NB: We reserve the right not to create classes in the event of too few applicants.

All teaching and extracurricular activities at TAW are held in English. The student body as well as the teachers, community, and staff count many with an international background.

Read more about living and studying in Denmark

Applying to the educations with international background

International applicants apply on equal terms with Danish applicants, following the same deadlines and procedures. Please refer to our admissions pages for more information about application procedures, requirements and deadlines.

Interested in an exchange semester at The Animation Workshop?

Please visit the Exchange students section under the admissions pages to see more about availability, application procedures, requirements and deadlines.

Visa and residency

Coming to Denmark from a Nordic or EU/EEA country, including Switzerland, you are free to live, study and work in Denmark. However, you must register with the Danish Immigration Service as well as the local municipality, if you intend to stay more than 3 months.

If you are coming to Denmark from outside the EU, you need a tourist visa (valid up to 3 months) or a residence permit (for stays exceeding 90 days). Normally, you must apply for visa or residence permit prior to your arrival in Denmark. Applying for a visa is a part of the enrollment process for the bachelor educations and is initiated by the school after you have been admitted to the program.

For detailed information about the application process and requirements, please visit the website of the Danish Immigration service.

Registering for Danish Social Security number (CPR) and Danish Health Insurance scheme

You must register in order to receive a Danish CPR-number. It is a social identity code which is key to all public registration and services, including tax, opening a bank-account, etc. Furthermore, the CPR-number will guarantee free public health insurance for the entirety of your stay (after a quarantine for the first six weeks for non-EU citizens).

Tuition fees

Students coming from countries outside of EU/EEA must pay tuition fees, unless they hold a permanent Danish residence permit. Paying the first year’s fee is a precondition for obtaining a student’s residence permit.

The prices for tuition fees are requested in Danish kroner and the fees for students matriculating is DKK 53,000 for the first semester (DKK 23,000 for the internship semester). You can find the payment schedule for Character Animation below.

Payment schedule for Graphic Storytelling (PDF)

There are no tuition fees for students coming from Denmark, the Nordic countries, EU/EEA countries and Switzerland.   

Living Costs

You should expect average monthly living costs between 5000-7000 DKK (roughly 650-900 EUR), including accommodation.

Financial support for Danish students

The bachelor program is approved for SU for the official duration (4 years or 46 months). 

Apply for SU

Financial support for students from EU/ EEA countries 

Foreign students are not eligible for the Danish educational support scheme (SU). Some exceptions are made for refugees and relatives of refugees and for other foreign citizens. EU citizens may be eligible for SU if they have a contract for 10-12 work hours per week.

More information about SU for foreign students

Scholarships for highly qualified students from outside the EU and the EEA

Each year, VIA awards a limited number of scholarships to highly qualified students from countries outside the EU and the EEA. The scholarship can be applied for by all current, international and tuition-fee paying students who have completed the first year of studies at VIA (2 semesters). A maximum of two full semesters can be awarded during studies at VIA. 

You can read more about the scholarship (selection criteria and application dates) and find the application form here.

Shortly after you have been accepted into TAW, you will be contacted by the school’s Housing Coordinator with specific housing information.

TAW itself has no accommodation. The school's role is to provide various opportunities for housing and help create contact between housing providers and new students - and to assist with language barriers if necessary. If you need language assistance, please contact taw.housing@via.dk. Students can choose to apply for a dorm room - or make arrangements with private housing providers - for example for shared apartments with fellow students.

Cost of Living 

Dorm rooms in Viborg typically cost between 2500-3500 DKK (250-470 EUR) per month depending on size and whether you are willing to share facilities. Utility expenses, like electricity, internet and heating, are often paid separately and cost around 600 DKK (80 EUR) per month. Private rooms in shared apartments can range depending on size, location and other factors, but aren’t drastically different from the cost of student accommodation.

Camp Logos 

The dormitory Camp Logos is located across the street from the school and houses many of our students. Rooms at Camp Logos come with basic furniture. The availability in Camp Logos is very limited at this point. The school will contact you with further information about Camp Logos, prices and availability, shortly after you have been accepted into TAW. 

Shared apartments

It is our experience that the majority of our students prefer to move into a shared flat in the city. Join our Facebook Housing group to team up with other students looking for roommates and new tenants for the apartments, they are leaving themselves.

These websites may also be helpful:

• Boligselskabet Sct. Jørgen (Camp Logos and various rentals across city) 
• Boligselskabet Viborg (Various rentals across city)
• Danhousing (many large apartments in the city – suitable for sharing) 
• BoligPortal
• Boligdeal.dk 

If you have questions about housing or need language assistance, please contact taw.housing@via.dk