CRICOS Code: 095717K

This program applies to students who commenced in 2021 or later.

Students should follow the program structure for the session start date relevant to the year they commenced.

For Commencement Year 2017 - 2020 - please refer to: 1839.1 Bachelor of Design/Bachelor of Creative Industries

Design graduates who previously would have planned a career in graphic design, media or advertising companies now face a future where they will be required to continuously adapt and reapply their skills to changing work environments. This double degree brings together the existing Design program with studies that explore emerging creative industries and allows students who are interested in pursuing careers as designers to also engage with new paradigms of creative and cultural production, developing skills in entrepreneurship and working in collaborative projects with creative industries in Greater Western Sydney (GWS).

Students have the option to travel to Penrith campus for a portion of the Creative Industries component.

• Director of Academic Program - Dr Nicole Bridges

Study Mode

Four years full-time or eight years part-time.

Program Advice

enquiriesHCA@westernsydney.edu.au

Location

Location

Campus	Attendance	Mode	Advice
Parramatta Campus - Victoria Road	Full Time	Internal	See above
Parramatta Campus - Victoria Road	Part Time	Internal	See above

Accreditation

Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) graduates are eligible for membership of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA).

Inherent Requirements

There are inherent requirements for this program that you must meet in order to complete your program and graduate. Make sure you read and understand the requirements for this program online.

Inherent requirements

There is a mandatory work component required for completion of this program.  Please contact the Program Advisor listed above for information.

International students should also refer to the link below for more information and a link to the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for international students

Admission

Applications from Australian and New Zealand citizens and holders of permanent resident visas may be made via the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) or directly through the Western Portal. Use the links below to apply via UAC or Western Sydney University. Applications made directly to Western Sydney do not have an application fee.

http://www.uac.edu.au/
https://westernsydney.uac.edu.au/ws/

Applicants who have undertaken studies overseas may have to provide proof of proficiency in English. Local applicants who are applying through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) will find details of minimum English proficiency requirements and acceptable proof on the UAC website. Local applicants applying directly to the University should also use the information provided on the UAC website.

International students currently completing an Australian Year 12 in or outside Australia, an International Baccalaureate in Australia or a New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) level 3 must apply via UAC International.

http://www.uac.edu.au/

All other International applicants must apply directly to the University via the International Office.  

International students applying to the University through the International Office can find details of minimum English proficiency requirements and acceptable proof on their website.

International Office

Overseas qualifications must be deemed by the Australian Education International - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) to be equivalent to Australian qualifications in order to be considered by UAC and Western Sydney University.

Program Structure

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 320 credit points as per the recommended sequence below.

Students must complete

• 80 credit points of Design core subjects
• 80 credit points of Creative Industries core subjects (which includes one Creative Industries Introduction to Major Pool subject)
• 80 credit points of Design subjects (which includes two Design subject pairings)
• 80 credit point Creative Industries Major

Creative Industries Introduction to Major Subject Pool

Students to select one of the following subjects as your Introduction Major Subject

Subject List

Subject	Title	Credit Points
MKTG 1001	Advertising: An Introduction	10
COMM 1010	Creative Writing: The Imaginative Life	10
HUMN 1066	Introduction to Culture and Society	10
LANG 1015	Introduction to Literary Studies	10
BUSM 1026	Organisational Behaviour	10
COMM 1018	News and Media Today	10
LAWS 1003	Fundamentals of Australian Law	10
PERF 1014	Music Production	10
MKTG 1009	Public Relations Theory and Practice	10
COMM 1039	Introduction to Screen Media	10

Equivalent Subjects

The subject listed below counts towards completion of the Introduction to Major Pool Subject for students who passed this subject in 2021 or earlier. 

HUMN 1017 - Everyday Life, replaced by HUMN 1066 Introduction to Culture and Society

Design Pairing Subjects

Students select two of the following Design subject pairings. There are four pairings to choose from.

Subject List

Subject	Title	Credit Points
Illustration
DESN 2007	Illustrating Narrative	10
DESN 3007	Illustrating Popular Culture	10
Interactive
DESN 3008	Interactive Design: Apps	10
COMM 2019	Interactive Design: Games	10
Photomedia
DESN 2013	Photomedia: Photographic Practice	10
VISU 3002	Photomedia: Fashion and Identity	10
Digital Design
DESN 2011	Motion Design	10
DESN 3002	Data Visualisation	10

Creative Industries Majors

The major for the Bachelor of Creative Industries component should be selected from the list below

Note: Each major must have no more than three Level 1 subjects and a minimum of three Level 3 subjects

Note: For the purposes of this double degree, students may not undertake the Graphic Design or Digital Cultures majors offered for 1838 Bachelor of Creative Industries. Therefore, DESN 1021 Web and Time-based Design  and DESN 1011 Image Design cannot count as an Introduction to Major subject in this program; they are to be completed as components of the Bachelor of Design core.

Recommended Sequence

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 320 credit points as per the recommended sequence below.

The recommended sequence is subject to variation based on the student's nominated Creative Industries major.

Students selecting Law and the Creative Industries as their major must complete the subject LAWS 1003 Fundamentals of Australian Law  as their core subject and Introduction to Major subject.

Full-time start-year intake

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Autumn session		Credit Points
DESN 1009	Graphic Design: Understanding the Principles	20
DESN 1011	Image Design	10
COMM 1036	Introduction to the Creative Industries	10
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
DESN 1021	Web and Time-based Design	10
BUSM 1010	Financing Enterprises	10
DESN 1018	Visual Storytelling	10
Select one subject from the Creative Industries Introduction to Major subject Pool		10
	Credit Points	40
Year 2
Autumn session
DESN 1003	Design Histories and Futures	10
DESN 2014	Researching the Visual	10
Select two Creative Industries Major Subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
BUSM 1008	Enterprise Leadership	10
BUSM 1006	Enterprise Innovation and Markets	10
DESN 2001	Australian Design	10
Select one Creative Industries Major Subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Year 3
Autumn session
Select two Design Pairing subjects		20
Select two Creative Industries Major Subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
COMM 3011	Creative TEAMS 1	10
Select two Design Pairing subjects		20
Select one Creative Industries Major Subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Year 4
Autumn session
COMM 1020	Media Cultures and Industries	10
DESN 3001	Contextual Design Studies	10
DESN 3013	Social Design: Research and Practice	10
COMM 3012	Creative TEAMS 2	10
	Credit Points	40
Spring session
DESN 3003	Design Research Project	10
COMM 3010	Creative Industries Professional Project or Internship	10
Select two Creative Industries Major Subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
	Total Credit Points	320

Full-time mid-year intake

The recommended sequence is subject to variation based on the student's nominated Creative Industries major.

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Spring session		Credit Points
DESN 1021	Web and Time-based Design	10
BUSM 1010	Financing Enterprises	10
DESN 1018	Visual Storytelling	10
Select one subject from the Creative Industries Introduction to Major subject Pool		10
	Credit Points	40
Autumn session
DESN 1009	Graphic Design: Understanding the Principles	20
COMM 1036	Introduction to the Creative Industries	10
DESN 1011	Image Design	10
	Credit Points	40
Year 2
Spring session
BUSM 1008	Enterprise Leadership	10
BUSM 1006	Enterprise Innovation and Markets	10
DESN 2001	Australian Design	10
Select one Creative Industries Major Subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Autumn session
DESN 1003	Design Histories and Futures	10
DESN 2014	Researching the Visual	10
Select two Creative Industries Major Subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Year 3
Spring session
COMM 3011	Creative TEAMS 1	10
Select two Design Pairing subjects		20
Select one Creative Industries Major Subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Autumn session
COMM 3012	Creative TEAMS 2	10
COMM 1020	Media Cultures and Industries	10
DESN 3013	Social Design: Research and Practice	10
Select one Creative Industries Major Subject		10
	Credit Points	40
Year 4
Spring session
DESN 3003	Design Research Project	10
COMM 3010	Creative Industries Professional Project or Internship	10
Select two Creative Industries Major Subjects		20
	Credit Points	40
Autumn session
DESN 3001	Contextual Design Studies	10
Select three Creative Industries Major Subjects		30
	Credit Points	40
	Total Credit Points	320