Bachelor of Design
Course code P79
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About this Course
Traditional industries are transforming, and designers are playing a central role in this, opening doors to exciting and in-demand career opportunities.
In this integrated degree, you’ll be introduced to the core design disciplines of graphic, spatial and digital interaction. You’ll develop expertise through hands-on design projects where you’ll explore the areas of design you are most passionate about, working alongside designers with complementary skills.
Through studio-based practice, you’ll create products and interfaces that are user friendly and functional, and learn how to collaborate effectively with other professionals, like engineers, marketers, and project managers to bring your designs to life.
When you graduate, you’ll have a portfolio of real client work to showcase your skills and launch your career in established design specialisations, as well as transforming industry practice through cutting edge fields like Service Design, Human-Centred Design, and Experience (UX) Design.
Course code P79
Entry requirements
70 Indicative ATAR
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Admissions
Fees
Commonwealth supported - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $9,350
See Fees and Scholarships for further information.
Availability & Campus
| Location | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Joondalup | ||
| Mount Lawley | FT PT | FT PT |
| South West | ||
| Online |
Course Entry
Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.
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All applicants must meet the academic admission requirements for this course. The indicative or guaranteed ATAR is as published (where applicable) or academic admission requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- AQF Cert IV;
- Successfully completed 0.25 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
- Undergraduate Certificate;
- Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test;*
- University Preparation Course;*
- Indigenous University Orientation Course; or*
- Experience Based Entry Scheme.*
* Further information can be found on the Study course entry page.
For international students, requirements include your secondary school results.
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English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Year 12 English ATAR/English Literature ATAR grade C or better or equivalent;
- Special Tertiary Admissions Test;*
- IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.0 (no individual band less than 6.0);
- Successfully completed 1.0 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher in the UK, Ireland, USA, NZ or Canada;
- University Preparation Course;
- Indigenous University Orientation Course;*
- AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree;
- Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent); or
- Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.
* Further information can be found on the Study course entry page.
Don't have an ATAR?
This course doesn't require an ATAR for entry.
Find out how to apply using our Creative Humanities Portfolio Entry pathway.
How to apply
Course Details
Semester availability
Semester 1: Study full-time at Mount Lawley
Semester 1: Study part-time at Mount Lawley
Semester 2: Study full-time at Mount Lawley
Semester 2: Study part-time at Mount Lawley
Course Structure
Students are required to complete 240 credit points of core units and 120 credit points of elective units. Students that complete a 4-unit, subject-based Elective Sequence may nominate to have this recorded on their transcript as a minor in the subject area. Alternatively, students may complete any other combination of major, minors, or elective units from the School of Arts and Humanities or other Schools in the university.
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| DES1600 | Design Foundations | 15 |
| DES1610 | Digital Design | 15 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| DES1615 | Design Knowledge | 15 |
| DES1605 | Design Prototyping | 15 |
| DES1620 | Design Thinking | 15 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| DES2600 | Design Studies | 15 |
| DES2650 | Experience Design Studio | 30 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| DES2114 | Strategic Visual Communication | 15 |
| DES2660 | Service and System Design Studio | 30 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| DES3650 | Design Studio 1 | 30 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| DES3610 | Design Futures | 15 |
| DES3660 | Design Studio 2 | 30 |
| Elective Unit | Unit from elective sequence, recommended electives or alternative elective option | 15 |
Students can choose any combination of electives from any of the recommended elective lists or any other combination of major, minors, or elective units from the School of Arts and Humanities or other Schools in the university. Students that complete a 4-unit subject-based Elective Sequence may nominate to have this recorded on their transcript as a minor in the subject area.
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| PHO1625 | Camera Work and Lighting | 15 |
| PHO2605 | Film Photography and Darkroom Practices | 15 |
| PHO2610 | Photography Reimagined | 15 |
| PHO3605 | Photography and Visual Storytelling | 15 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| VIS1800 | Foundations of Art Practice 1 | 15 |
| VIS2800 | Printmaking + Artists Books | 15 |
| VIS1820 | Painting | 15 |
| VIS2815 | Time-based Art | 15 |
| Unit Code | Unit Title | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|
| NOTE: Acceptance into SAH2650, SAH3650 and SAH3660 is by application only | ||
| IAS2340 | BlaK Matters: Indigenous Sci-fi and Futurisms, Ancient Knowledge for an Exciting Future | 15 |
| CMM1610 | Understanding Audiences | 15 |
| CMM2605 | Principles of Inclusive Communication | 15 |
| WRT3600 | Writing Speculative Fiction | 15 |
| PSY1101 | Introduction to Psychology | 15 |
| PSY1204 | Social Determinants of Behaviour | 15 |
| MKT1600 | Marketing Principles & Practices | 15 |
| MKT2608 | Understanding Buyer Behaviour | 15 |
| SAH2650 | Professional Experience: Internship | 15 |
| SAH3650 | Professional Placement 1 | 30 |
| SAH3660 | Professional Placement 2 | 30 |
P79|1
For more detailed unit information for this course take a look at our Handbook. To organise your life for next semester visit the Teaching timetable.
Student handbookCourse notes
Important course notes
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In SAH2650 Professional Experience: Internship, students will be able to select workplace-based or project-based environments. In the workplace-based track, students will embark on a minimum of 100 hours of professional placement work experience within a public, private or not-for-profit organisation relevant to their academic studies. In the project-based track, students will engage in a project for a public, private or not-for-profit organisation that tackles a
real-world challenge in collaboration or consultation with an industry partner.
In SAH3650 Professional Placement 1 and SAH3660 Professional Placement 2, students will gain relevant work experience by undertaking a minimum of 225 hours (per unit) of professional placement with a public, private or not-for-profit host organisation which is relevant to their academic studies.
Course learning outcomes
- Apply design concepts, approaches and processes to a range of situations and contexts.
- Think critically to analyse, interpret and conceptualise complex design scenarios.
- Apply creativity and design thinking to understand the complexity of a problem and co-design transformations in response.
- Use digital literacy skills to access, evaluate and synthesise relevant information from multiple sources, and create design outputs that are relevant to the community needs.
- Communicate design concepts and ideas clearly, coherently and with independence.
- Demonstrate a global outlook with respect for cultural diversity, including Indigenous cultural responsiveness.
- Work collaboratively and demonstrate initiative to implement social, sustainable, and ethical values in design situations and contexts.
- Demonstrate autonomy, accountability, judgement, planning and management for own learning and scholarship and/or professional practice.
Fees and Scholarships
Fees
- AUD $9,350 - Commonwealth supported estimated 1st year indicative fee 1
Note
1 The 'estimated 1st year indicative fee' is provided as a guide only, based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking the first year of this course. At ECU, you pay for the individual units you enrol in, not an overall course fee, so the total cost of your course will vary, depending on what units you choose. An indicative fee will be provided with your course offer, however you can use our Course Fee Calculator to estimate the actual amount you'll need to pay. ECU fees are adjusted annually.
Some units require the payment of a fee for incidental goods or services required to complete those units. For more information and the full list of incidental fees for courses and units, visit What are Incidental Fees.
Scholarships
ECU has a scholarship program that provides many opportunities each year to students undertaking studies here.
Find a scholarshipCareer Opportunities
With this degree, you’ll find employment in emerging areas like Service Design, Spatial Design, Healthcare Design, Strategic Design, User Experience (UX) Design, Design Research, Digital Design, Graphic and Interactive Design and roles that contribute to social change. Examples include designing services, creating apps for education and training, developing visualisations, and planning and managing public spaces. You could also work with information services such as libraries, archives, and museums, applying design thinking to a wide range of industries and challenges, driving innovation in both the private and public sectors.
Possible future job titles
Service Designer, User Experience (UX) Designer, Human-Centred Designer, Design Researcher, Design Consultant, Strategic Designer, Digital Designer, Social Innovation Designer, Interaction Designer, Digital Product Designer, Information Designer, Public Space Planner, App Designer, Spatial Designer
Need some help deciding what to study?
Our future student events include a mix of on-campus and online sessions designed to help you decide what to study at ECU.
Creative thinkers start here
Facilities
View our facilities
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Postgraduate Design Studio
Postgraduate Design Studio
View a 360 Degree virtual tour of the Postgraduate Design Studio -
Gallery 25 Exhibition Gallery
Gallery 25 Exhibition Gallery
View the Gallery 25 Exhibition Gallery 360 Degree virtual tour
Explore your options
Explore your options through the following media
Student stories
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I recommend getting a taste of as many different fields of Design while you are at university.
My tutor recommended I apply for the UX Designer role as part of the IBM-ECU Internship program. As I completed my internship, I was offered a position as a full-time graduate at IBM. I now work full-time with a major mining company client as the sole UX/UI Designer on my IBM team and as a Business Analyst.
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I constantly find myself looking at signs and symbols and thinking, oh, this could be designed better
And thinking, "What if we did this?" I was always a visual artist and I just wanted to figure out a way to get a consistent income working in that field.
Through the units in my degree, especially the Fremantle-based unit, The Happiness Project, I realised it wasn't just about graphic design. For me, it's about design communication, designing systems and figuring out how to help people – asking why are we doing this? Who does it affect? How is it helpful? Thinking with empathy.
I'd always wanted to help people, but I never thought as a creative that I would find a way to both earn an income and do that.
Quick guide to uni-speak
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The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is the national regulator of qualifications in the Australian education and training system. The AQF defines the essential characteristics, including the required learning outcomes, of the different types of qualifications issued across the higher education systems in Australia.
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ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.
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CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.
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A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.
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Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.
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If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.
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If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.
Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.
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Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.
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A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.
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We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points - that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.
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These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.
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An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.
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Do you have any questions about the Bachelor of Design?
The Important Things
Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.
Course Entry
There's more than one admission pathway into an ECU course. It depends on what you've studied already, or your work or life experience.
Fees & Scholarships
Course tuition fees can change, but we can give you an estimate of your costs. If you're eligible, a scholarship or student loan can help too.
Applying
Applying for a course is a fairly simple process, especially if you have scanned copies of qualifications, your resume or other paperwork, ready to upload.
ECU Experience
Starting a course is an exciting and sometimes daunting time, so we make a massive effort to ensure you get all the support you need to have a positive experience.