Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Communication Design)

2014 Deakin University Handbook

Course sub-headings

• Course overview
• Pathways
• Course rules
• Course structure

Course overview

Deakin’s Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Communication Design) enables you to develop practical and theoretical skills in visual communication design. This course offers a dynamic combination of contemporary design theory with specialised studio practices and practical outcomes in a variety of design disciplines. Deakin’s Visual Communication Design program will give you the opportunity to gain digital technology skills and knowledge for professional practice in a specialised industry vocation or a broader role in the fields of culture and the arts. Final year students are introduced to theoretical knowledge important to positioning their own design practices in a global context. The Visual Communication Design program draws upon the expertise of its staff who are active practitioners in their fields, with industry, visiting, special guest and casual academic staff.

Pathways

This course has pathways from more than 20 Institutes of TAFE and universities in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Credit transfer and recognition is normally available from TAFE and university diplomas and advanced diplomas in arts, business, management, and humanities disciplines.  Students with graded advanced diplomas from TAFE or equivalent will be eligible for up to 12 credit points of electives.  Students with graded diplomas or equivalent from TAFE or equivalent will be eligible for up to 8 credit points of electives.  There is also a pathway from Deakin University's Associate Degree of Arts, Business and Sciences to this course with up to 16 credit points depending on units taken.

On completion of this course you may choose to apply for an Honours degree or postgraduate study. These studies normally provide professional qualifications directed to a particular career.  Students must have completed a major in the discipline or interdisciplinary area in which they wish to specialise in the honours course. Entry is based on a number of factors, including an average grade of Distinction or High Distinction in the Bachelor of Arts particularly in the discipline in which they want to study Honours and the availability of supervision.  Further honours information.

Transition to University study
The faculty offers two units ASC160 Introduction to University Study and ALW117 Writing for Professional Practice which are specifically designed to ease the transition into university study. New students are encouraged to enrol in one or both of these units in their first year.

Prerequisites
Because a number of disciplinary studies are cumulative in knowledge, technical competencies and/or study and research skills there are prerequisites which direct students to take some units before others. Students must seek advice from a course adviser before enrolling in units for which they do not have prerequisite or recommended units.

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Communication Design) a student must complete 24 credit points including:

• 12 credit points of core units
• 12 credit points of electives
• no more than 8 credit points taken outside the Faculty of Arts and Education
• no more than 10 credit points at level 1

Course structure

Electives

In choosing electives, students are encouraged to consider taking a major sequence or individual units from the following Creative Arts major sequences listed in:

Animation

Drama

Film Studies

Photography

Visual Arts

Dance

The following units are also available as elective options: 

Trimester 3

Trimester 1, Trimester 2 or Trimester 3

Course structure

Visual Communication Design Core units

Note: Students who commenced studies prior to 2011 may need to contact Student Services office for course advice. Burwood (Melbourne)  Tel 03 924 43843 or 03 924 43910 artsedstudentsupport@deakin.edu.au

Core units

Level 1

Trimester 1 and 2

Trimester 2

Level 2

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Level 3

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Course structure

Course structure

Other Course Information

Assessment

Assessment within the award of Bachelor of Creative Arts varies from written assignments and/or examination to practical and technical exercises and performance. In some units assessment may also include class participation, online exercises, seminar exercises and tests.

Cross-institutional arrangements
Continuing Deakin students may apply to study units offered by another Australian tertiary institution and have them credited to their Deakin University degree. Further information is available from Arts Student Services.