Graphic Storytelling

Learn to tell visual stories! Graphic Storytelling will equip you with a versatile toolbox relevant to creating comics and graphic novels, illustration, storyboarding, visual development and more!

Type and duration

Bachelor (4 years)

Study start and city

August, Viborg  

Application deadline

March 15, 12 noon

Admissions frequency

Once every odd-numbered year

What you will learn

1. year

Craft fundamentals and shortform 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.

2. 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.

3. year

Related fields, interactive media, and Applied Cartooning

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.

Final semester

Final Production, Internship and Bachelor's assignment

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.

Lecturers

Steven Seagle
  • Steven Seagle

  • Writer and world builder
    • Graphic novel memoir It's a Bird
    • Co-creating Ben 10 & Big Hero 6
    • Ultimate Spider-Man
See more from Steven
Cecil Castellucci
  • Cecil Castellucci

  • YA comics and book author
    • Writer and/or creator of The Plain Janes, Shade The Changing Girl, Batgirl, etc.
    • Three-time opera libretto author
    • Former front person of indie rock band Nerdy Girl
See more from Cecil
Thomas Wellmann
  • Thomas Wellmann

  • Freelance cartoonist
    • Working for Cartoon Network
    • Pimo & Rex
    • Storyboard artist on Adventure Time
    • His illustrations and comics can be found in Die Zeit, Zeit LEO etc.
See more from Thomas
Aimee de Jongh
  • Aimée de Jongh

  • Cartoonist and animator
    • Writer/artist of acclaimed graphic novels The Return of the Honey Buzzard, TAXI!, and more.
    • Illustrator of Blossoms in Autumn, and more.
    • Storyboarder on Amazon's Undone
See more from Aimée
Matthew Forsythe
  • Matthew Forsythe

  • Character designer and picture book author
    • Former lead designer on Adventure Time and Robin Robin
    • Creator of acclaimed picture books Mina and Pokko and the Drum
See more from Matt
Joana Mosi
  • Joana Mosi

  • Cartoonist and educator
    • Writer/artist of comics such as My Best Friend Lara, The Apartment and The Mongoose
    • Taught at ETIC Lisbon and Nextart Lisbon
See more from Joana
Martin Rauff-Nielsen
  • Martin Rauff-Nielsen

  • World builder and game, story and IP designer
    • Formerly Spilmester Martin on the Danish TV show Barda
    • Lead designer on the trading card game Chaotic
    • Musician and producer
See more from Martin
Maria Stoian
  • Maria Stoian

  • Illustrator and cartoonist
    • Writer/artist of the graphic novel Take it as a Compliment
    • Contributor to We Shall Fight Until We Win and Drawing Power
See more from Maria
Dan Berry
  • Dan Berry

  • Cartoonist and teacher
    • Co-creator of Rivers, The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head with David Gaffney
    • Videogame producer for Superbrothers A/V
    • Started the UK’s first degree programme in comics.
See more from Dan
Danielle Corsetto
  • Danielle Corsetto

  • Cartoonist
    • Creator of web comics Girls with Slingshots and Stuck at 32
    • Writer of three Adventure Time GNs and BOO! It’s Sex.
    • Currently serializing the graphic novel Elephant Town
See more from Danielle

Ready to apply?

Admission to the programme is talent-based

We are looking for students with excellent drawing and storytelling skills. Therefore, all applicants must complete an admissions test to show whether they qualify for enrolment.
Read more about admissions

Not yet qualified?

We have several courses available throughout the year designed to improve and develop a wide skillset, and most of these skills we also request our applicants to demonstrate when applying to our bachelor's degree programmes.

See our foundation courses

Need more information?

  • Shortly after you have been accepted into The Animation Workshop/VIA University College, you will be contacted by the school’s Housing Coordinator with specific housing information. You can choose to:

    • apply for a dorm room
    • make arrangements with private housing providers, for example shared apartments with fellow students

    The school itself has no accommodations. Our role is to provide various housing options and help create contact between housing providers and new students and to assist with language barriers if necessary. If you have questions about housing or need language assistance, please contact taw.housing@via.dk.

    Dorm rooms

    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.

    The dormitory Camp Logos is located across the street from the school and houses many of our students. Rooms at Camp Logos come with furniture, a bathroom and a small kitchen. You should bring your own pillow, duvet and kitchen utensils.

    Merkur Kollegiet (The Merkur dormitory) is located in a newer residential area in Viborg's eastern district, 3.8 km from The Animation Workshop. All rooms are furnished with a bed and a desk, and all have cable TV and free internet access. Each room has a storage room.

    Shared apartments

    The cost of private rooms in shared apartments varies depending on size, location and other factors, but they are not drastically different from the cost of student accommodation.

    It is our experience that the majority of our students prefer to move into a shared apartment 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 vacating.

    These websites may also be helpful:

    • Danhousing (many large apartments in the city – suitable for sharing)
  • Tuition fee

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

    Students coming from countries outside of EU/EEA must pay the tuition fee, unless they hold a permanent Danish residence permit or a temporary residence permit that grants them free tuition. Visit Who is eligible for free tuition for further information. Paying the first year’s fee is a precondition for obtaining a student’s residence permit.

    The tuition fee is billed in Danish kroner.

    Deadline for paying tuition fee

    Deadline for payment of tuition fee is 1 June.

    Terms and agreements

    Terms and agreement between partners and VIA University College can be seen in the different contracts under Code of conduct (pdf)

    Living Costs

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

    Financial support

    Danish students can apply for SU. The bachelor's degree programme is approved for SU for the official duration:

    • Bachelor in Animation: 3½ years or 41 months
    • Bachelor in Graphic Storytelling: 4 years or 46 months

    Foreign students are not eligible for the Danish educational support scheme (SU). Some exceptions are made for refugees and relatives of refugees and 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

    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.

  • Students from a Nordic or EU/EEA country including Switzerland

    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.

    Students from outside the EU/EEA

    If you are coming to Denmark from outside the EU, you need a tourist Visa (valid for up to 3 months) or a residence permit (for stays exceeding 90 days). Check the Danish Immigrations Service’s website, nyidanmark.dk, or with your local Danish embassy or consulate, whether you need a Visa.  Applying for a residence permit is a part of the enrolment process for the bachelor's degree programmes and is initiated by the Admissions Center after you have paid for the tuition fee.

    When the assessment of your application has been completed, you will receive a contract. After having read this carefully, you must return a signed copy of the contract to the Admissions Center.

    Once the Admissions center has received your signed contract and payment of tuition fee, the application for a Student Visa from SIRI (The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) will be initiated by the Admissions Center.

    Once the application has been initiated you will receive a mail with a reference code that you need in order to fill in part 2 of the application form. This form must be filled in no later than 30 days after the initiation of the application.

    If further documentation is needed by SIRI, we advise you to send in all requested documents as soon as possible in order to speed up the process of the Student Visa application which must be ready before study start.

    You can find the fees and payment schedules in the Fees and finances section.

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

  • Students admitted to Graphic Storytelling in 2023 and onwards will be expected to bring their own personal computer.

    We also recommend the students bring a personal drawing tablet.

    Graphic Storytelling will still supply computer monitors as well as the software we teach.

    Read the PDF below for more information:

Meet Graphic Storytelling graduates

Catarina Azevedo

Catarina Azevedo

Catarina is a 2021 graduate of Graphic Storytelling and is now working as a freelance matte painter at Giant Animation.
Meet Catarina here!
Emei Olivia Burell

Emei Olivia Burell

Emei graduated from Graphic Storytelling at The Animation Workshop in 2019 and is now working as Senior Narrative Artist at Media Molecule.
Meet Emei here!
Tina Burholt

Tina Ley Burholt

In 2019, Tina graduated from Graphic Storytelling at The Animation Workshop and now she is a freelance illustrator. 

Meet Tina here!

Contact

  • Sofie Krogh Appel

  • Student Counsellor, TAW Bachelor Programmes