Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Communication Design)
Course summary for local students
Student Information Centre
Tel 1300 334 733
enquire@deakin.edu.au
G = Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus
S = Geelong Waterfront Campus
W =Warrnambool Campus
X = Off campus
| Award granted | Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Communication Design) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Campus | Offered at Melbourne Burwood Campus | ||
| Off-campus | No | ||
| Length | 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent | ||
| Next available intake | March (Trimester 1), July (Trimester 2) | ||
| Indicative annual fee 2013 | $6,180* - Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS) | ||
| Faculty contacts | Arts and Education Student Support and Enrolment Enquiries artsedstudentsupport@deakin.edu.au
artsedstudentsupport@deakin.edu.au
Course Director Meghan Kelly, +61 3 924 46332, meghan.kelly@deakin.edu.au
Contact the Course Director for matters relating specifically to the academic content of this course - all enrolment related queries must go to the Student Support Office. | ||
| Level | Undergraduate | ||
| Clearly-in ATAR |
| ||
| VTAC Codes | 14481 - Burwood (Melbourne), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS) | ||
| CRICOS course code | 075372G | ||
| Deakin course code | A355 | ||
New course version commenced 2012. | |||
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Fees and charges
- Career opportunities
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Entry requirements - general
- Entry requirements - specific
- Pathways
- Credit for prior learning - general
- How to apply
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.
Fees and charges
Equivalent Full Time Student Load (EFTSL)EFTSL is the standard annual full time load. Eight credit points is the standard full time load for one year of study.
Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
A Commonwealth supported place is one for which the university receives some government funding. As such, students enrolled in these places are required to contribute only part of the cost of their course. To be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place you must be an Australian citizen, or a New Zealand citizen or holder of a permanent visa who will be residing in Australia for the duration of your unit/s of study.
* The "indicative annual course fee" cited has been provided as a guide only. It has been calculated on the basis of a typical enrolment of a student undertaking the course in 2013, and reflects the cost involved in undertaking a full-time quota of units within the specified discipline.
The actual fees charged by Deakin University will depend upon the discipline from which each individual unit is chosen, and may vary from the indicative course fee cited, particularly if units are chosen from a number of disciplines. The cost of each unit offered in 2013 can be viewed from the Unit Search.
Please note that the fees per unit/credit point may increase annually due to rises in the cost of course delivery and service.
Deakin assumes no responsibility for persons relying on "indicative course fees" to calculate the total future cost of their course.
Career opportunities
The program offers students a range of skills in Visual Communication Design; incorporating knowledge in illustration and composition with an in-depth understanding of new computer technology in Visual Communication Design. Students will apply this knowledge to computer-aided design with a particular emphasis on theories of typography, form and application. The history of Visual Communication Design will be taken in context with contemporary design processes to form an in-depth understanding of the industry from an Australian and global perspective. The program will offer students the opportunity to collaborate with students across arts disciplines to inform interesting dialogues and new art forms. The program draws upon the expertise of its staff, who have an international working background, active practitioners in their fields, and industry, through visiting, special guest and casual academic staff.
With a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Communication Design) degree, students will gain a range of skills that can be applied to a career in the exciting and creative fields of advertising, commercial design, web design and packaging. The program will give students opportunities to work with real clients and industry briefs so that they have a ‘working portfolio' at the finish of the degree. This gives Deakin students a competitive edge in the industry, which will allow students to forge successful post-University career opportunities.
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
Visual Communication Design Core units
Note: Students who commenced studies prior to 2011 may need to contact Student Support office for course advice. Melbourne Burwood Campus Tel 03 924 43843 or 03 924 43910 artsedstudentsupport@deakin.edu.au
Core units
Level 1
Trimester 1
| ACG101 | Design Fundamentals |
Trimester 1 and 2
| ACG103 | Design Skills |
Trimester 2
| ACG102 | Design and Typography |
| ACG104 | Evolution of Contemporary Art and Design |
Level 2
Trimester 1
| ACG203 | Packaging Design |
| ACG207 | Professional Practice in Design |
Trimester 2
| ACG204 | Design and Society |
Trimester 2 and 3
| ACG208 | Branding Design |
Level 3
Trimester 1
| ACG305 | Design Practice |
| ACG307 | Global Design Strategies |
Trimester 2
| ACC316 | Collaborative Major Creative Project (2 credit points) |
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:
The following units are also available as elective options in each trimester:
Trimester 1, Trimester 2 or Trimester 3
| ACM337 | Creative Arts International Project Or Study Tour |
| ALX321 | Creative Industries Internship |
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.
Entry requirements - general
Deakin University offers admission to undergraduate courses through a number of Admission categories.In all categories of admission, selection is based primarily on academic merit as indicated by an applicant's previous academic record.
For more information on the Deakin Admissions Policy visit The Guide.
Entry requirements - specific
Applicants should have successfully completed VCE, or equivalent. Prerequisites are Units 3 and 4–a study score of at least 25 in English (ESL) or 20 in any other English.
The Faculty offers alternative entry options for mature age and other special categories of applicants. Information about these is available in the VTAC guide and on the Deakin University’s website at http://www.deakin.edu.au/future-students/applications-enrolments/index.php
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.
Credit for prior learning - general
The University aims to provide students with as much credit as possible for approved prior study or informal learning which exceeds the normal entrance requirements for the course and is within the constraints of the course regulations. Students are required to complete a minimum of one-third of the course at Deakin University, or four credit points, whichever is the greater. In the case of certificates, including graduate certificates, a minimum of two credit points within the course must be completed at Deakin.
You can also refer to the Credit for Prior Learning (Credit Transfer) Search which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.
How to apply
Applications for on and off campus study for Trimester 1 must be made through the Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre (VTAC). For more information refer to VTAC (external site).
Applications for Trimester 2 and Trimester 3 must be made directly to the University through the Applicant Portal. For information on the application process and closing dates, see the Apply web page. Please note that closing dates may vary for individual courses.
Other Course Information
AssessmentAssessment 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, workshop 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 Support.
