Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Design requires completion of 144 units, of which:

A maximum of 60 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses

A minimum of 84 units must come from completion of 2000- and 3000- level courses

The 144 units must consist of:

36 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

DESN1002 Visual Communication: Design and Production

DESN1003 Contemporary Design in Context

DESN1004 The Past as Prototype: History, Ethics and Concepts for Design in the Twenty-First Century

DESN2008 Design Thinking: Human-Centred Design Methodologies

DESN3010 Design Studio: Independent Practice

DESN3011 Design Studio: Engagement and Collaboration

A minimum of 6 units from the completion of foundation courses from the following list:

ARTV1020 Figure and Life

ARTV1021 Image and Object

ARTV1033 Hold Everything: Studio Foundation

DESA1021 Precise Drawing and Model Making

A minimum of 12 units from the completion of interdisciplinary concepts and theories courses from the following list:

ANTH1002 Culture and Human Diversity: Introducing Anthropology

ANTH1003 Global Citizen: Culture, Development and Inequality

ANTH2005 Traditional Australian Indigenous Cultures, Societies and Environment

ANTH2009 Culture and Development

ANTH2017 Culture, Social Justice and Aboriginal Society Today

ANTH2025 Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective

ANTH2026 Medicine, Healing and the Body

ANTH2132 Food for Thought: Anthropological Theories of Food and Eating

ANTH2134 States and Citizens: Anthropological Perspectives

ARTH1006 Art and Design Histories: Form and Space

ARTH1007 Art and Design Histories: Making and Meaning

ARTH2043 After the Bauhaus: Design from the Interwar Period to the Age of Climate Crisis

ARTH2162 Art in the Digital Age

ARTH2167 Issues in Contemporary Craft and Design

ARTH2080 Art and Visual Culture of the Long Eighteenth Century, 1660-1815

ARTH2098 Australian First Nations Art and Culture

ARTH2174 Art, Medicine, Gender from the Renaissance until Today

ENVS1001 Environment and Society: Geography of Sustainability

ENVS1003 Introduction to Environmental and Social Research

ENVS1004 Australia’s Environment

ENVS1008 Sustainable Development

GEND1001 Sex, Gender and Identity: An Introduction to Gender Studies

GEND1002 Reading Popular Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Studies

GEND2023 Gender, Sex and Sexuality: An Introduction to Feminist Theory

GEND2034 Going Public: Sex, Sexuality and Feminism

GEND2036 Excessive Appetites: Sociocultural Perspectives on Addiction and Drug Use

GEND2057 Relationships, Marriage and Family

HUMN1001 Digital Culture: Being Human in the Information Age

HUMN2001 Introduction to Digital Humanities and Public Culture - Tools, Theories and Methods

INDG1001 Indigenous Peoples, Populations and Communities

INDG1002 First Peoples' experiences and ways of being: resilience, agency, resurgence and rights

INDG2001 Indigenous Cultural and Natural Resource Management

PHIL1004 Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: An Introduction

PHIL1005 Logic and Critical Thinking

PHIL1007 What is Humanity?

PHIL1008 Introduction to Ethics

PSYC1003 Psychology 1: Understanding Mind, Brain and Behaviour

PSYC1004 Psychology 2: Understanding People in Context

PSYC1005 The Wellbeing Formula: The Science and Practice of Making a Good Life

SOCY1002 Self and Society

SOCY1004 Analysing the Social World: An Introduction to Social Psychology

SOCY1006 Society & Technological Change

A minimum of 24 units from completion of design courses from the following list:

DESN2001 Digital Form and Fabrication

DESN2002 Foundations of Creative Code

DESN2003 Creative Data Visualisation: Representing Data in Visual and Material Form

DESN2004 Dynamic Design and Generative Systems

DESN2006 Front-End Web: Crafting Online Experience

DESN2007 Design Fiction: Speculative and Critical Design

DESN2009 Typography in Context: Digital Typographic Design

DESN2010 Making Creative and Critical Technologies: Physical Computing for Art and Design

DESN2012 The Ethics of Making: Design for Reuse and Repair

A maximum of 18 units from completion of studio courses listed in the:

Visual Arts Practice Minor

48 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU

School of Art and Design studio courses have a limited enrolment capacity. Students are advised to enrol as early as possible to maximise the opportunity of securing a place.

Unless otherwise stated, a course used to satisfy the requirements of one list may not be double counted towards satisfying the requirements of another list.

Capstone Courses

Minors

Elective Study

Once you have met the program requirements of your degree, you may have enough electives to complete an additional elective major, minor or specialisation.

Study Options

Admission Requirements

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not guarantee entry into the program.

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors.

The University reserves the right to alter or discontinue its programs and change admission requirements as needed.

Domestic applicants

Before applying for a program, you should review the general information about domestic undergraduate admission to ANU programs and how to apply, and the program-specific information below.

Applicants with recent secondary education are assessed on:

o  completion of Australian Year 12 or equivalent, and the minimum Selection Rank (from their academic qualifications, plus any adjustment factors) requirement for this program; and

o  co-curricular or service requirement (applies to applicants who complete secondary education in the year prior to commencing at ANU); and

o  English language proficiency; and

o  any program-specific requirements listed below.

Applicants with higher education study are assessed on:

o  previous higher education studies; or secondary education results if completed less than one full-time equivalent year (1.0 FTE) of a degree; or the result from a bridging or preparatory course; and

o  English language proficiency; and

o  any program-specific requirements listed below.

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are assessed on:

o  previously completed VET qualifications at AQF level 5 or higher (i.e. a Diploma or above); or secondary education results if the VET qualification is not completed; and

o  English language proficiency; and

o  any program-specific requirements listed below.

Applicants with work and life experience are assessed on:

o  ATAR or equivalent if secondary education was completed; or the Special Adult Entry Scheme (SAES); or work experience; and

o  English language proficiency; and

o  any program-specific requirements listed below.

International applicants

Applicants who complete a recognised secondary/senior secondary/post-secondary/tertiary sequence of study will be assessed on the basis of an equivalent selection rank that is calculated upon application. A list of commonly observed international qualifications and corresponding admission requirements can be found here. Applicants must also meet any program specific requirements that are listed below.

Diversity factors & English language proficiency 

As Australia's national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe. If required, competitive ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency.

Further information is available for English Language Requirements for Admission 

Additional Requirements

Entry into the Bachelor of Design is based on completion of an Australian Year 12 or equivalent and interview and portfolio. Once an application has been lodged, applicants are required to register for an interview and upload a portfolio on the ANU School of Art and Design website at: soad.cass.anu.edu.au/students/apply.

Adjustment Factors

Adjustment factors are additional points added to an applicant's Selection Rank (for example an applicant's ATAR). ANU offers adjustment factors based on performance and equity principles, such as for high achievement in nationally strategic senior secondary subjects and for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies. 

Selection Rank adjustments are granted in accordance with the approved schedules, and no more than 15 (maximum 5 subject/performance-based adjustment factors and maximum 10 equity-based adjustment factors) can be awarded. 

You may be considered for adjustment factors if you have:

• applied for an eligible ANU Bachelor degree program
• undertaken Australian Year 12 or the International Baccalaureate
• achieved an ATAR or equivalent at or above 70
• not previously attempted tertiary study.

Please visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Employment Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Design may find careers in fields including object design, visual communication, data visualisation, user experience design, graphic design, web design, interface design, design thinking and strategic design.

Learning Outcomes

1. demonstrate skills and knowledge of the practices, languages, forms, materials and technologies in their relevant discipline;

2. research, develop and evaluate design concepts and processes by thinking creatively, critically and reflectively;

3. apply skills and knowledge to the creation, visualisation and production of design projects;

4. work independently and collaboratively on design projects and respond to project demands;

5. interpret, communicate and present ideas, problems and arguments in modes suited to a range of audiences; and

6. recognise and reflect on social, cultural technological, environmental and ethical issues of creative practice and design considering local and international perspectives.

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirement is currently not available for this program

Other Requirements

Information on inherent requirement is currently not available for this program