Degree recognised by Design Institute of Australia
Employability units are built into the degree
Labs include Adobe suite and modelling software
Why choose design at Deakin
Harness your creativity to make an impact by studying a Bachelor of Design at Deakin. Design is a tangible way to solve complex problems and influence the world around you. No two days will be the same. Learn with design-thinking tools, used widely across industry – like journey mapping, empathy maps and visualisation. Work with industry-leading tools in our world-class facilities. By year two, your work will meet industry standards, giving you an understanding of professional practice in design.
Choose to major in either communication design or interactive and UX design. Then pick a second major or minors in complementary study areas, like brand design, public relations, animation and more. Work on industry projects and interpret client briefs as you build industry connections through internships and networking opportunities. Be supported by Deakin to choose an internship from 600+ employers or even design your own internship.
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Industry connected
Learn from leading academics and practitioners, who will challenge you to become the kind of well-rounded creative that employers value.
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Flexible majors
Major in communication design or interactive and UX (user experience) design, plus choose a second major such as advertising, journalism or visual arts.
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Experiential learning
Work on client briefs, build your portfolio, intern with one of Deakin’s 600+ partners, volunteer, network and collaborate with peers.
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Industry-leading studios
Create using professional tools and technologies in Deakin’s world-class design facilities at the #1 university in the state of Victoria for facilities and resources.
Connected to industry
Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.
Deakin puts employability first
Career outcomes
Build multidisciplinary skills for careers across graphic, digital and interactive design. Apply creative thinking and visual communication skills in agencies, organisations or freelance practice.
Designer
Create visual concepts for digital and print media, combining typography, imagery and layout to communicate ideas across branding, advertising, publications and online platforms.
- $95k
Typical salary in Australia
- 4/5
Job satisfaction
User experience designer
Create intuitive, accessible and useful digital products and services by putting users at the centre of the design process. Consider what people need, why they use a product and how they interact with it.
- $110k
Typical salary in Australia
- 4.3/5
Job satisfaction
Other jobs
- Digital designer
- Game designer
- Motion graphics designer
- Social media designer
- UI designer
- Web designer
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027
VTAC
FAQs
Yes – every Deakin student can access work-integrated learning (WIL) in their degree. Each year, more than 30,000+ students complete a placement or internship with partners including Microsoft, KPMG, EY and the National Australia Bank. You can access WIL through placements, industry projects, field-based experiences, simulations and global programs, helping you apply your skills and graduate with the experience and confidence employers value.
DeakinTALENT is Deakin's award-winning career service, and you can access it for life – not just while you're studying. From personalised career coaching sessions and AI-enhanced resume support to a jobs and internships board with employment opportunities, it’s designed to give you the career management skills and connections you need to stand out. Every Deakin degree is built with input from employers, so your course is designed around real workplace needs, now and into the future.
Entry requirements and the minimum ATAR vary by degree and are detailed on the degree page, but if your ATAR is below the cut-off, you still have options. Use the pathway finder tool to find the opportunities available to you, including associate degrees and Deakin Guaranteed ATAR, which offers eligible students a guaranteed entry score that's on average 10 points below the lowest selection rank. If you don't have an ATAR, Deakin Uni Ready is a free, supported program designed to build your skills and confidence and open doors to degrees in arts, health, science and business. Access programs and equity schemes are also available.
At Deakin, employability isn't an add-on – it's built in. Our degrees are designed with industry input, so your skills are aligned to what employers actually need. Every Deakin student can access work-integrated learning through opportunities such as placements, internships and industry projects, helping you build your professional network and practical experience before you even graduate. It's an approach that works: nine out of 10 Deakin graduates get a job within four to six months of finishing their degree.
Yes. Most eligible undergraduate students are offered a Commonwealth Supported Place meaning the government subsidises part of your tuition fees. If eligible, you can pay your student contribution using a HECS-HELP loan that you only start repaying once your income is above the repayment threshold. Deakin has scholarships that cater to our diverse student community, ranging from $5,000 per year for high ATAR achievers to $10,000 per year for students facing financial or personal hardship. The University also offers support services including financial counselling, budgeting help and access to short-term, interest-free loans to help you stay on track.
Deakin is the #1 Victorian university for student support and that starts the moment you accept your offer. Orientation is designed to help you feel welcome and get to know your community of classmates and teachers from day one. Across all campuses, there's a vibrant student community with clubs, events and opportunities to build real friendships. Deakin offers a range of services to help students stay healthy and safe, including sport and fitness facilities, free counselling, on-campus medical services and around-the-clock security.
Yes, and it's straightforward. You can transfer to Deakin in a few steps and apply for credit through recognition of prior learning (RPL), so you won't necessarily repeat subjects you've already completed. If you're coming from a TAFE partner, you may get guaranteed entry into second year with guaranteed RPL. Deakin's three-trimester system also means you may be able to start mid-year rather than waiting until March.
Most Deakin courses run across three trimesters per year instead of the traditional two semesters. Trimester 1 begins around March, Trimester 2 around July and Trimester 3 around November, each with roughly 12 weeks of teaching followed by an exam period. This means you can usually start your degree at three different points in the year and have more flexibility to manage your study load. Check the intakes by location section on the course page for details.
*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.
What will I study in the Bachelor of Design?
Learn the tools, strategies and design-thinking methodologies needed to become an adaptable multidisciplinary designer who makes an impact.
Build your design foundations
Design thinking foundations
Learn how designers frame problems, research audiences and test ideas. You will practise methods you can use across communication and digital contexts.
Creative making and critique
Develop your craft using industry-standard tools, then refine it through feedback. Learn to explain your choices clearly and improve your work with each iteration.
Employability from the beginning
Start mapping where design could take you in your career and build habits for professional study and teamwork.
Choose your focus and expand
Major-led skill development
Focus your learning in areas such as visual communication or interactive and user experience design, building stronger technical skills and creative confidence.
Broaden your creative toolkit
Add complementary studies across communication and creative arts to develop new perspectives, mediums and ways of creating.
Real briefs, real collaboration
Work on projects that reflect contemporary design practice, including interpreting client needs, prototyping solutions and collaborating.
Consolidate and go professional
Advanced studio practice
Take on complex design challenges, using your research, strategy and craft to produce work that is polished, purposeful and ready to share.
Industry experience and internship
Complete an internship or similar work-integrated learning options, with support to choose from 600+ employers or shape an opportunity that fits your goals.
Build your professional story
Curate and present your portfolio, sharpen your communication and build industry networks so you can step into roles across creative industries.
Course structure
To complete the Bachelor of Design, you must pass 24 credit points.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Are you a current student? For course information that applies to the year you started your degree, visit the handbook.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements
Units
Plus 1 credit point from:
Plus 1 credit point from:
All Bachelor of Design students are required to complete at least one major sequence from the following list:
Bachelor of Design major sequences
^ UX refers to User Experience
Students may choose to complete a second major sequence from the following list:
School of Communication and Creative Arts major sequences
- Advertising
- Animation
- Dance
- Digital and Social Media
- Journalism
- Photography
- Screen Development
- Public Relations
- Screen Production
- Theatre
- Visual Arts
- Writing
Please check the rules of each major sequence to see which units you need to complete to achieve the required credit points.
Refer to the details of each major sequence availability and sequence notes relating to incompatibility.
- 2D practices in the visual arts
- 3D practices in the visual arts
- animation and motion graphics
- brand design
- creative advertising
- creative writing
- dance
- design for social media
- digital media
- film studies
- gender and sexuality studies
- indigenous studies*
- interactive design
- journalism
- literature
- photography
- photojournalism
- professional writing
- public relations
- public relations strategy
- publication design
- screen production
- scriptwriting
- social media
- strategic advertising
- theatre
- technical production
- UX design^
- visual effects and virtual production
^ UX refers to User Experience
Please check the rules of each minor sequence to see which units you need to complete to achieve the required credit points.
Students are advised to refer to the details of each major or minor sequence for availability as some may be offered in campus and/or online mode only.
Professional recognition
Deakin’s Bachelor of Design is recognised by the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), so you will be up-to-date with the current industry practices and developments. The DIA also offers student membership and access to some of the biggest design events and experts in the nation.
What to expect while studying
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.
Prepare for your future by getting real world experience and the employability skills to succeed, while completing your degree. The Employability Stream is tailored to support you to be future ready. Deakin’s suite of Work Integrated Learning programs can connect you with internships, social impact programs and opportunities to extend your skills in settings across the globe.
Elective units may also provide additional opportunities for Work Integrated Learning experiences.
At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.
If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
When can I start?
When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.
Your course learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and capabilities you’ll develop and be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate. Built into your course through your units and assessments, they provide a clear picture of what you’ll be equipped to know, understand and do – preparing you to apply your learning with confidence beyond university.
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Apply theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the forms, functions, processes, languages and materials of communication design to meet client requirements in a rapidly changing industry setting. |
| Articulate ideas using design-specific language, concepts, and media to initiate, resolve and generate professional outcomes in response to design briefs. |
| Identify, evaluate and navigate a complex and ever-changing range of digital tools in order to strategically achieve successful outcomes in dynamic industry environments. |
| Critically analyse and evaluate design methodologies, concepts, modes and media in order to generate ideas and resolve complex problems to achieve professional industry-based outcomes. |
| Strategically evaluate design research methodologies to identify appropriate approaches to complex and ill-defined problems that generate and deliver diverse communication solutions. |
| Critically reflect on professional performance and growth in order to prioritise needs and maintain professional accountability in communication design settings. |
| Lead, deliver and perform respectfully and inclusively within a collaborative and professional team, applying agile and responsive approaches in the delivery of industry standard outcomes. |
| Evaluate and apply design’s capacity to act as an agent of change that is responsive to the social, cultural and ethical needs of diverse communities in global contexts. |
Approved by Faculty Board February 2022
- Award granted
- Bachelor of Design
- Year
2027 course information
- VTAC code
Design: 1400311991 - Regional Access Scheme - Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design: 1400311401 - Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design: 1400511401 - Burwood (Melbourne), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design: 1400611401 - Online, Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)Design (Communication Design major): 1400312171 - Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design (Communication Design major): 1400512171 - Burwood (Melbourne), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design (Communication Design major): 1400612171 - Online, Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design (Interactive and UX Design major): 1400312181 - Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design (Interactive and UX Design major): 1400512181 - Burwood (Melbourne), Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)
Design (Interactive and UX Design major): 1400612181 - Online, Commonwealth Supported Place (HECS)- Deakin code
- A319
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7
Fees
Estimated tuition fee
$12,676
for 1 yr full-time - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
The estimated tuition (student contribution) fee above is based on a typical first-year full-time enrolment of 8 credit points and is provided as a guide only. Your student contribution is determined by the units you enrol in and will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the course duration, and any approved recognition of prior learning. You may also be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan to defer payment of all or part of your student contribution.
Check your eligibility or learn more about CSP or HECS-HELP.
Scholarships
We want to help you excel at Deakin. Our scholarships recognise your dedication and achievements, providing financial support that can ease the cost of living and studying. With less pressure, you'll have more freedom to focus on what matters most – your education and future success.
Applications for 2027 are open
Ready to take the next step? Apply now to start your journey at Deakin and get ready for what’s next.
Key dates
Direct applications
Trimester 1 2027 applications close 7 February 2027
VTAC
Apply now
Apply direct
Simply create an account in the Deakin Application Portal, enter your personal and educational details, upload your supporting documents and submit your application.
Apply through VTAC
Applications are open. Apply through VTAC if you're:
- currently in Year 12 and applying for Trimester 1 or Semester 1
- applying for multiple undergraduate courses
Need help? Follow our step-by-step undergraduate guide to prepare and submit your application.
Recognition of prior learning
We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.
Not sure if you'll meet entry requirements?
If you don't have an ATAR, or it's been some time since you last studied, Deakin Uni Ready is a free online program that helps you build the academic skills and confidence needed for university study. The program prepares you for entry into a range of undergraduate degrees in arts, health, science or business.
Deakin offers a range of pathways into the Bachelor of Design to suit your background and goals. Explore the pathways finder to see how previous study, diplomas or alternative qualifications can lead you into the course.