Studying Visual Communication Design at QCA will equip you for a stimulating career in the visual design industries including print and corporate design, publishing and packaging, branding, advertising and marketing, television and digital media.
Our degree program prepares you for professional practice as a commercial designer. By combining practical training and theoretical knowledge with an awareness of the social, environmental and industrial implications of your work, the program will equip you for a dynamic future in industries that value creativity and innovative thinking and demand high professional standards.
- Packaging Design concept by Jasmine De La Vega Cruz
Study pathways
Undergraduate degree programs
The Bachelor of Design degree program in your first year consists of a design and theory foundation, focusing on the development of ideas and problem-solving techniques.
An Interior Design major will give you the skills to handle challenging roles in retail, hospitality, domestic and commercial sectors, events, exhibitions and trade shows, film and television modelling and set design; in fact any environment or space which requires people with a highly developed understanding of aesthetics, safety, sustainability and functionality in the design and development of interior spaces and fittings.
The Bachelor of Design is offered 3 years full time on campus at the South Bank campus.
The Bachelor of Design with Honours program will provide a fourth year of study for students who have completed the Bachelor of Design. You undertake advanced level study in design through 420 hours of industry practice and begin formal training in research through the completion of an independent honours research project.
Graduates will have immediate associate membership of the Design Institute of Australia and full membership will be available after two years of industry practice.
Postgraduate degree programs
The Graduate Certificate in Digital Design and Master of Digital Design are for graduates holding any Bachelors Degree from any recognised University and/or highly experienced professionals without a formal qualification working in Education, Design or IT areas who wish to extend their understanding and knowledge of digital media. These programs expose professionals from all disciplines strategised communication methods using image, video, text, sound, animation and interaction to imporove the understanding of a message.
The Master of Digital Design is offered full-time and part-time on campus at the South Bank campus. You may choose to study courses at other campuses if or where the program structure allows.
From 2011, specialisations include:
- Design in Education
- Motion Graphics
- Web Screen Design
Eligible students who wish to take their studies further and persue an individual research topic may undertake an Honours dissertation. The Honours program would provide them with an opportunity to progress to a research higher degree program.
Career opportunities include Web design, eLearning, education, advertising, marketing and public relations, visual communication design, multimedia development, digital publishing and broadcasting as well as e-commerce.
Research degree programs
The Higher Degree Research Qualifying Program provides an alternative route for entry into the Doctor of Philosophy or a Master of Philosophy program if you do not have the required qualifications for admission. The Higher Degree Research Qualifying Program is offered 2 semesters full time, 4 semesters part time.
The Master of Philosophy degree program is awarded on the basis of a thesis prepared under supervision, which presents the results of original research in a scholarly form. Demonstrating your knowledge of the research topic and the disciplines it embraces, the thesis will be judged by independent experts applying accepted contemporary international standards. The Master of Philosophy program is offered 1 year full time (maximum 2 years), 2 years part time (maximum 4 years).
The Doctor of Visual Arts professional development program is an integrated program of independent research and coursework. It is designed for graduates seeking to extend their studio research and practice, and make original conceptual advancements within their chosen discipline. You will possess the necessary expertise to provide leadership in respective fields through the quality of your professional practice, research skills and the ability to articulate a theoretical position within a visual arts discourse. The Doctor of Visual Arts program is offered 2 year full time (maximum 4 years), 2 years part time (maximum 8 years) at the South Bank campus.
The Master of Visual Arts program gives you the opportunity to extend studio expertise by identifying challenges, exploring innovative solutions and advancing your understanding of the concepts underlying your work and the context in which it is produced. Graduates demonstrate high performance levels in their studio practice, having developed a strong theoretical understanding of that practice. The Master of Visual Arts is offered 2 years full time, 4 years part time at the South Bank campus.
The Doctor of Philosophy is our premier research training degree. A PhD is awarded on the basis of a thesis prepared under supervision that makes an original, significant and extensive contribution to knowledge and understanding in the relevant field of study, as judged by independent experts applying accepted contemporary international standards. The Doctor of Philosophy program is offered full time minimum 2 years , maximum 4 years, or part time minimum 3 years, maximum 8 years. The program can be undertaken in schools and research centres.
The Doctor of Philosophy by Publication allows for formal recognition of established researchers who do not already hold a doctoral level qualification, and who have substantial international standing in their fields based on their record of academic publication. The degree will be awarded to a student who through published work has made an original scholarly contribution to knowledge and demonstrated a capacity for independent research. The Doctor of Philosophy by Publication is offered 1 year full time.