Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking
Course code E00
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A great student experience
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About this Course
The Design industry is expanding from traditional Graphic Design, Spatial Design, and Web Design to emerging fields such as Design Thinking, Service Design, and Human-Centred Design.
These new design practices are in high demand in areas such as Business Management, Communications, Public Health and Health Sciences. This shift offers new and exciting employment opportunities to graduates with Design Thinking competencies.
The Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking equips students with the skills and knowledge required in contemporary industry practices that require people-focused innovations. Focusing on emerging design skill sets and mindsets, this course delivers comprehensive training for graduates to engage with transformative capabilities through Design Thinking.
This course engages students in hands-on projects, collaborative exercises, and real-world simulations in social, cultural, technological and environmental challenges. Our staff members, consisting of research experts and industry leaders, will mentor students in developing a portfolio that showcases strong design abilities to prospective employers.
Upon graduation, students will be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and industry connections needed to embark on rewarding careers that involve Design Thinking and Human-Centred Design. Graduates may choose to work in established design agencies, corporate sectors, innovative tech companies, government and public sectors, or even launch their entrepreneurial ventures. The Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking program will provide them with a solid foundation to embark on the dynamic and ever-evolving world of design.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level
This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 8 Graduate Certificate Award.
Course code E00
Entry requirements
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Admissions
Fees
Domestic fee paying - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $11,350
See Fees and Scholarships for further information.
Availability & Campus
| Location | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Joondalup | ||
| Mount Lawley | FT PT | FT PT |
| South West | ||
| Online |
About this Course
The Design industry is expanding from traditional Graphic Design, Spatial Design, and Web Design to emerging fields such as Design Thinking, Service Design, and Human-Centred Design.
These new design practices are in high demand in areas such as Business Management, Communications, Public Health and Health Sciences. This shift offers new and exciting employment opportunities to graduates with Design Thinking competencies.
The Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking equips students with the skills and knowledge required in contemporary industry practices that require people-focused innovations. Focusing on emerging design skill sets and mindsets, this course delivers comprehensive training for graduates to engage with transformative capabilities through Design Thinking.
This course engages students in hands-on projects, collaborative exercises, and real-world simulations in social, cultural, technological and environmental challenges. Our staff members, consisting of research experts and industry leaders, will mentor students in developing a portfolio that showcases strong design abilities to prospective employers.
Upon graduation, students will be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and industry connections needed to embark on rewarding careers that involve Design Thinking and Human-Centred Design. Graduates may choose to work in established design agencies, corporate sectors, innovative tech companies, government and public sectors, or even launch their entrepreneurial ventures. The Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking program will provide them with a solid foundation to embark on the dynamic and ever-evolving world of design.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level
This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 8 Graduate Certificate Award.
Course code E00
CRICOS code 117364M
Entry requirements
ECU admission and English language requirements apply.
See Course Entry for further information.
Fees
International students - estimated 1st year indicative fee AUD $18,850
See Fees and Scholarships for further information.
Availability & Campus
| Location | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Joondalup | ||
| Mount Lawley | FT | FT |
| South West | ||
| Online |
Course Entry
Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.
-
Academic admission requirements (Band 6) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Bachelor degree; or
- Equivalent prior learning including at least five years relevant professional experience.
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English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0);
- Bachelor degree from a country specified on the English Proficiency Bands page;
- Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
- Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience; or
- Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.
Course Entry
Admission requirements you'll need to meet for this course.
-
Academic admission requirements (Band 6) may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- Bachelor degree; or
- Equivalent prior learning including at least five years relevant professional experience.
-
English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:
- IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.5 (no individual band less than 6.0);
- Bachelor degree from a country specified on the English Proficiency Bands page;
- Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at postgraduate level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
- Where accepted, equivalent prior learning, including at least five years relevant professional experience; or
- Other tests, courses or programs defined on the English Proficiency Bands page.
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
Complete the following 3 units (60 credit points):
E00|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
Course learning outcomes
- Communicate specialised Design Thinking and Human-Centred Design knowledge, concepts and skills to a variety of contexts and audiences.
- Apply critical thinking skills and independent judgment when analysing complex situations relevant to Design Thinking.
- Demonstrate self-management and creativity skills by devising, planning and evaluating initiatives that support design outcomes.
Course Details
Semester availability
Semester 1: Study full-time at Mount Lawley
Semester 2: Study full-time at Mount Lawley
Course Structure
Complete the following 3 units (60 credit points):
E00|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
Course learning outcomes
- Communicate specialised Design Thinking and Human-Centred Design knowledge, concepts and skills to a variety of contexts and audiences.
- Apply critical thinking skills and independent judgment when analysing complex situations relevant to Design Thinking.
- Demonstrate self-management and creativity skills by devising, planning and evaluating initiatives that support design outcomes.
Fees and Scholarships
Fees
- AUD $11,350 - Domestic fee paying 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
This course prepares graduates for jobs in Design Thinking, Human-Centred Design, Service Design and Design Research. These emerging design practices contribute creative thinking, empathy building and prototyping skillsets to sectors such as Public Service, Corporate, Not-For-Profit, Social, and Healthcare. Designers work to create products, systems, or environments that are functional and user-friendly, and are adept at working individually or as part of a team, collaborating with other professionals such as engineers, marketers, and project managers to bring their designs to life.
Possible future job titles
Design Thinking Consultant, Service Designer, Human-Centred Designer, Strategic Designer
Fees and Scholarships
Fees
- AUD $18,850 - International students estimated 1st year indicative fee 1
Note
1 The 'estimated 1st year indicative fee' is provided as a guide only, and has been calculated based on a typical enrolment of students undertaking the first year of this course. At ECU, you pay for each individual unit 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
This course prepares graduates for jobs in Design Thinking, Human-Centred Design, Service Design and Design Research. These emerging design practices contribute creative thinking, empathy building and prototyping skillsets to sectors such as Public Service, Corporate, Not-For-Profit, Social, and Healthcare. Designers work to create products, systems, or environments that are functional and user-friendly, and are adept at working individually or as part of a team, collaborating with other professionals such as engineers, marketers, and project managers to bring their designs to life.
Possible future job titles
Design Thinking Consultant, Service Designer, Human-Centred Designer, Strategic 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
Creative thinkers start here
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
-
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.
-
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.
-
Quick guide to uni-speak
-
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
-
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.
-
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.
-
Do you have any questions about the Graduate Certificate in Design Thinking?
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.