Design at Wenzhou-Kean University
Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU)

About the Program
Program Overview
Turn your creative ideas into visual communication, innovative products or inspiring interior spaces. Wenzhou-Kean University offers three English-taught design pathways built around studio practice, technology, professional feedback and an international creative community.
Choose Graphic Design, Industrial Design or Interior Design and build a professional portfolio while learning how strong design can communicate, solve problems and improve everyday experiences. Successful graduates receive bachelor’s degrees from both Wenzhou-Kean University and Kean University in the United States.
Create design for a changing world
Modern designers work across physical and digital environments. They need creativity, technical skill, research ability and an understanding of the people who will use what they create.
WKU combines an American design curriculum with small classes and project-based learning. You will develop ideas through experimentation, critique and revision, then learn to present your work with the confidence expected in professional design practice.
Choose the design pathway that fits you
Graphic Design — Bachelor of Fine Arts
Learn how visual communication can shape brands, information and digital experiences. The curriculum moves beyond traditional graphics into areas such as brand strategy, typography, motion graphics, advanced digital design, interface design and user experience.
Graphic Design is a Zhejiang Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Program with U.S. NASAD accreditation. Students can prepare for careers in branding, cultural media, visual communication, digital content, UI/UX, interaction design, design research, education and curation.
Industrial Design — Bachelor of Industrial Design
Design products that combine usefulness, aesthetics, technology and social responsibility. The program follows IDSA educational standards and places strong emphasis on sustainable design, innovation and developing products for real users.
Core study includes design delineation, production methods, 3D modelling and CAD, model design, furniture design and sustainable design. Career directions include consumer electronics, home appliances, furniture, medical equipment, new-energy vehicles, product design, user experience and design engineering.
Interior Design — Bachelor of Fine Arts
Learn to shape interior environments from the first concept through design development and construction documentation. The program follows CIDA standards and combines spatial planning with sustainability, materials, lighting, digital representation and the experience of people using a space.
The studio curriculum covers materials and finishes, the built environment, construction documents, architectural lighting, furniture design and professional business practice. Graduates can move into interior and residential design, architectural decoration, space planning, design consulting, project management or related product and architectural fields.
Build your portfolio through studio learning
Studio courses give you the time and guidance to turn research and early ideas into resolved design work. You will present projects, receive feedback from faculty and visiting professionals, and improve both your creative process and the way you communicate design decisions.
Each pathway includes portfolio development so that you graduate with a focused body of work for employment or postgraduate applications. Professional lectures, workshops, reviews, competitions and industry-connected projects add further opportunities to test your skills.
Use specialist design facilities
The Michael Graves College of Architecture and Design is based in GHK Hall, a dedicated building of more than 15,000 square metres. Facilities support both digital and hands-on creation.
Depending on your pathway, you can work in design studios, iMac laboratories, screen-printing and photography studios, 3D model and materials workshops, processing spaces and pin-up rooms. These resources help students move from sketches and digital concepts to prototypes, models and presentation-ready work.
Develop an international creative perspective
All courses are taught in English, and students learn from a globally recruited faculty. International workshops, industry guests and European travel-learning opportunities expose students to different creative cultures and professional approaches.
Design graduates have continued to leading institutions including Parsons School of Design, the Royal College of Art, University of the Arts London, Pratt Institute and Savannah College of Art and Design, while others begin creative careers across media, technology, products and the built environment.
Degree and study structure
Duration: Four years of full-time undergraduate study.
Teaching language: English.
Graphic Design award: Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Industrial Design award: Bachelor of Industrial Design.
Interior Design award: Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Dual degrees: Students who successfully satisfy all graduation requirements receive bachelor’s degrees from both Wenzhou-Kean University and Kean University.
Portfolio requirement
Design applicants need a portfolio containing a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 12 individual pieces of original creative work. The selection should demonstrate creative thinking, basic design ability and drawing skills through a variety of media and subjects.
The portfolio is reviewed for visualisation, visual form, technical ability, creativity, presentation and professionalism. An essay or application questions are also required. Asia Pathway will help you select, organise and present your strongest work.
International admission requirements
Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens holding a foreign passport and must have completed high school before enrolment. Students who are still finishing high school may apply with a pre-graduation certificate.
Asia Pathway will check your academic eligibility and portfolio readiness before submission.
English-language requirements
International applicants whose first language is not English normally need a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 79, TOEFL paper-based score of 550, IELTS score of 6.0 or Duolingo English Test score of 105.
Scholarships for international students
Strong applicants can compete for a freshman scholarship worth 30% or 60% of annual tuition. Awards can be renewed each year across the four-year program, subject to WKU’s annual review. Asia Pathway will help you identify the strongest qualifying academic or English-language result to support your scholarship application.
Who this program is for
Visual storytellers: Students interested in branding, typography, motion, digital media, interfaces and visual communication.
Product innovators: Students who want to combine creativity, engineering awareness and user needs to develop physical products.
Spatial designers: Students drawn to interiors, materials, lighting, furniture and the experience of built environments.
Portfolio-focused creatives: Students who want intensive studio experience and a professional body of work for employment or postgraduate study.
Apply with Asia Pathway
Asia Pathway will help you compare the three design pathways, assess your portfolio and connect your creative strengths with realistic study and career goals. We will review your eligibility, select and organise your strongest work, check your essay and English evidence, and prepare your scholarship submission.
Contact Asia Pathway to begin building your design application for Wenzhou-Kean University.
What to Expect
Choose Graphic, Industrial or Interior Design, build a professional portfolio and graduate with dual WKU and Kean University degrees.
About the Institution
Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU)

Wenzhou, Zhejiang
Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) is a Chinese-American university in Wenzhou, in China's Zhejiang province, jointly established by Kean University in the United States and Wenzhou University. Approved by China's Ministry of Education, it is a full American university campus in China where 100% of the curriculum comes from Kean and every class is taught in English.
Graduates receive dual degrees from both Wenzhou-Kean University and Kean University, an American degree earned with a Chinese and global experience. The university enrols more than 5,300 students from over 30 countries and regions, and 100% of its faculty are recruited globally, the majority holding PhDs with international teaching experience.
The 500-acre campus sits in the foothills of Zhejiang and keeps expanding as the student population grows, with modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, a stadium, cafes, music and recreation facilities and dormitories. Wenzhou is a coastal entrepreneurial city connected by high-speed rail to Hangzhou in about 1.5 hours and Shanghai in about 3 hours, with an international airport linking major cities across Asia and Europe.
WKU offers 18 undergraduate programs across four colleges: Business and Public Management; Liberal Arts; Science, Mathematics and Technology; and Architecture and Design. Students can change major freely in the first year, choose their general education courses, and take one to five terms of exchange at Kean in the United States. Eleven graduate programs are also offered, with priority admission for WKU undergraduates.
The academic model is small classes and inquiry-based learning using original American textbooks. The College of Business and Public Management is accredited by AACSB, a standard met by only a small share of business schools worldwide; Accounting is recognised by CPA Australia; Visual Communication Design is accredited by the United States NASAD; Architecture holds candidacy with the United States NAAB; and Psychology is recognised by the Psi Chi International Honor Society. WKU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Research is part of the undergraduate experience, with hundreds of faculty and student research projects, thousands of student presentations at the annual Student Research Day, and hundreds of papers published in international journals. In the QS Asian University Rankings 2026, WKU is placed in the 951 to 1000 band.
Graduate outcomes are a signature strength. In 2025 about 75% of graduates continued to further study, and across recent cohorts around 20% entered top-10, 60% top-50 and 83% top-100 global universities. Destinations include Harvard, Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, the University of Chicago, Duke, New York University and the University of Melbourne, along with Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, Imperial College London, the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.
For international undergraduate admissions, English requirements, scholarships and current fees, contact Asia Pathway for personalised support.
- Founded
- 2011
- Students
- 5,300+
- International
- 30+ countries and regions
- Undergraduate programs
- 18
- Graduates continuing study
- 75%
- Graduate outcomes
- 83% to global top 100
Near Campus
- Chen Tianlong Art Museum0.2 km
- Shan'gen Music Art Village3.1 km
- Wenzhou South Railway StationTrain12.0 km
- Wenzhou Longwan International Airport30.0 km
- 人文学院2.7 km
- 法学院2.7 km
Visa Information
Visa Requirements
Visa Details
Visa Type
X1 Student Visa (study >180 days)
Processing Time
4-10 working days
Key Requirements
- Passport
- Financial proof
- Academic records
- Proof of language
Plan Your Budget
Program Cost & Living Expenses
Tuition per semester
$6,550per semester
Living expenses · per semester
$1,559 – $3,469
Semester ≈ 4 months
*Estimates based on typical student spending. Actual costs vary by lifestyle, city, and exchange rates.
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