Are you interested in design and communicating ideas visually? Then studying a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at WSU could be the degree for you!
We’ll cover everything you need to know about studying this degree – from core units and majors to how to get in – in this handy guide.
Keep scrolling to find out more!
What is a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at WSU?
Core Units and Majors
How to Get into Visual Communication at WSU
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at WSU?
ABachelor of Design (Visual Communication)willequip you with practical skills and knowledge in design. While you will learn the fundamentals of design across different kinds of visual media, you can expect to also learn about the business side of the design world!
After three years, you can also choose to exit the program. This means that you will graduate with aBachelor of Design Studiesinstead.
Dean’s Scholars Program
High-achieving students can alsostudy a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication as a Dean’s Scholar.This is anadvanced version of the degreewhere students will have the opportunity to study additional subjects and complete a sub-major in Applied Leadership through学院!
Studying at The Academy will alsoallow students to attend special events and study in exclusive study spaces!
To be eligible for the Dean’s Scholars program, you will needan ATAR of 90 or higher,and you will need tomaintain a grade-point average (GPA) or 5 or moreduring your studies.
Find out more about the benefits of studying at The Academyhere!
Career Paths
Since so many aspects of life are visual, you canuse your Bachelor of Design to pursue a variety of careers, including:
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- Illustrator
- Art director
- Graphic designer
- Information designer
- Photographer
- Games designer
- Interactive designer
- Web designer
- Design educator
Once you graduate, you will also be eligible to become a member of theDesign Institute of Australia (DIA)and theAustralian Graphic Design Association (AGDA). Being a member of these associations will enable you tonetwork with other designers and potential clients, as well as access to design-focused events!
Core Units and Majors
What are the Core Units?
Studying Visual Communication at WSU willgive you a well-rounded education across different areas of design,so the core units are made up of a variety of design-related subjects.
In first year, you will learn about thefundamental principles and practices of graphic design, visual storytelling, and web design, as well as the historical movements and theoriesin design across six core units.
As you progress into second and third year, you can expect to completemore in-depth subjects in graphic design,as well asdesign research, social design, and Australian design units. You can also take the subjects from each of your chosen specialisations and electives!
In your final year, you will need to complete amajor design project, professional experience units, and electives.You willwork on the major design project across both semesters in consultation with an academic supervisor.The professional experience units will see you working in the Rabbit Hole studio as a junior designer.
Specialisations
While most degrees only let you choose one to major in, Bachelor of Design students arelucky enough to be able to choose two!For each specialisation that you choose, you willcomplete two units and have the option to complete additional practical units in these areas as electives.
The specialisations you can choose from are:
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- Illustration
- Interactive Design
- Photomedia
- Digital Design
You can alsochoose to use your elective units to complete a sub-major.These require less units than a full major and are offered for a range of subject areas, such asAdvertising Studies, Indigenous Australian Studies, and Business Sustainability.
Internships
Although internships arenot a required part of the degree, there areopportunities to gain professional experienceduring your studies.
在喝醉的rth year, you will get toexperience what it’s like to work as a designer by completing the professional experience units, and you canshow your work at WSU’s annual design showcases.These showcases are attended by people from the design world and are a great way to expand your professional network!
How to Get into Visual Communication at WSU
The ATAR cut off for a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) is anATAR of 75.If you don’t meet the ATAR requirements, there are several alternative pathways into your dream degree.
找出哪些路径way could work for you, headhere!
The College
A common pathway available for WSU students is The College. With a selection ofDiplomas, Extended Diplomas, and University Foundation Studiesavailable across faculties, you’re sure to find an option that suits you.
If you have anATAR of 55 or higher, you can apply for theDiploma in Design/Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication), complete the 12-month diploma, and transition directly into your second year of the Bachelor’s degree. Or you canapply for the Diploma in Design Extended (Visual Communication) without an ATAR and study for an additional trimesterbefore entering the Bachelor’s degree.
Are there any prerequisites or assumed knowledge?
There areno prerequisites or assumed knowledgethat you will need to study Design at WSU, buthaving some artistic experience can be beneficial!
For instance,studying Visual Arts or taking some art classes can give you a head startwhen you begin to attend classes, especially if you choose to specialise in illustration.
Scholarships
WSU offers a range of scholarshipsfor students experiencing hardship, from remote areas, or for anyone undertaking an undergraduate degree.
Headherefor the full list of scholarships available!
What’s the Teaching Format?
To study a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at WSU as a full-time student, you’ll becompleting 3-4 subjects across two semesters a year.
类结构
If you choose to study Design at WSU, you can expect todevelop your theoretical and practical knowledge across lectures and tutorials.
Lectures
Lecturesform the bulk of your theory-based learning and generally run for 1-2 hours. These classes can vary in size, withup to 100 peopleattending at a time.
Some courses also offer客座演讲,where designers and other industry professionals come and explaindifferent concepts or share their experiences!
Tutorials
These classes aresmaller and more interactive than lectures,with around20 peopleper class, andrun for 2-3 hours.
Tutorialsinvolve a lot of group work, as well as giving and receiving feedback.This also means that you will often need to work on material before class so that you can receive feedback and continue to work on it during class time.
How many hours do you have to go to university?
Studying Design at WSU generally means that you will beattending classes between 2-3 days—or 8-12 hours — a week.
While this is a pretty light load compared to degrees from other faculties,there is the expectation that you will work on assessments and prepare for class, so it’s important to manage your time!
What are the assessments like?
Design is a very practical field, so you will beassessed through assignments and online quizzes. This also means that you won’t have to worry about studying for exams (for your core units at least)!
Assignments
Assignments areworth the majority of your mark (about 40-50%)但broken up into several smaller tasksthat you will complete throughout the semester.
这通常涉及到responding to a design brief,and tasks can include aresearch assignment, an analysis or reflection, and your final design or project.
Quizzes
You’re more likely tocome across these assessments in your theory-based courses, and are worth about as much as an assignment task! These areheld online and test your understanding of different theories and concepts.
Skills That You Refine and Learn
Not surprisingly, you’ll develop a host of skills in graphic design — thinktypography, branding, and image design— and your chosen specialisations. Along with those, you’ll become familiar with thetools and software that are used in the design industry, making the transition from university to working that much easier!
Responding to brief after brief will also help youdevelop your ability to put your theoretical knowledge into practice and hone your skills in research.
Thefocus on group workthroughout the degree will also make you an expert incommunicating with others and working in team environments.These skills are very versatile and can be handy to have for a variety of career paths and across industries!
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
Faculty and Culture
Since classes involve giving and receiving feedback, you’ll find thatboth lecturers and your classmates are supportive and happy to help out.The faculty ismade up of practising designers and academicswho are passionate and encouraging of their students.
While this can come with the pressure to perform well,rest assured that there are plenty of people you can turn to for help!
WSU alsohosts exhibitions to display the work of third and fourth-year students.
For third-year students, they candisplay the projects they completed for specific unitssuch asSocial Design: Research and Practice,在那里他们研究和概念化的活动to address social issues. Fourth-year Design and Visual Communication students canshow off their final projects at WSU’s yearlyGrad Show.
Societies
There are avariety of societies at WSU that cater to a range of professional and personal interests,so you’re sure to find one that interests you!
For Design students, you cansubmit photos, videos or articles toW’SUP, Western Sydney’s student newspaper. So if you want to give your artworks or compositions some exposure, send in your work to be published!
Check out the full list of societieshere!
Rachel Fieldhouseis a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and has just completed a double degree in Science and Arts at The University of Sydney, majoring in Chemistry, English, and Linguistics. Rachel’s writing has been published in Concrete Playground, Inside Enterprise, Planting Seeds, and SURG FM, and she currently writes blog posts for Remi AI, a Sydney-based Artificial Intelligence firm. When she’s not writing, you can find Rachel playing her saxophone or flute, or relaxing with some sudoku.
