Bachelor of Design/Bachelor of Business

Overview

Learn effective design strategies for digital, marketing and communications collateral.

The Bachelor of Design / Bachelor of Business equips students with the knowledge and skills essential for a career that encompasses the challenging and dynamic area of design and business. Graduates will gain opportunities in both the design and business professions learning Photography, UX design and consulting skills.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the Bachelor of Design/Bachelor of Business, graduates will be able to:

• Develop knowledge and cognitive skills to exercise critical thinking, initiative, and judgement in the design process, while taking responsibility for their own learning and professional practice development
• Apply technical and practical skills as well as a broad understanding of the key concepts in communication design to generate design outcomes to a professional standard
• Curate the relevant knowledge, cognitive and creative skills to exercise critical thinking in identifying and solving problems independently and collaboratively, in diverse contexts
• Create design proposals that articulate a clear, coherent and independent exposition of knowledge and ideas to diverse audiences and stakeholders
• Develop design solutions that incorporate ethical and socio-ecological frameworks, demonstrating respect and inclusivity towards diverse audiences and Indigenous principles and practices
• Implement an organised schedule to deliver a complex design project which may include design research methods, collaborating with peers, academics, industry professionals and other stakeholders
• Apply and integrate business-relevant knowledge, theories, concepts, technologies, practices and processes
• Obtain, analyse and interpret relevant information and data to make informed business decisions
• Formulate innovative and sustainable solutions to business problems
• Articulate a line of reasoning demonstrating cultural responsiveness and critically analyse and offer authentic solutions to ethical challenges in business
• Effectively communicate business arguments and reasoning to a range of audiences
• Build on business and digital skills to continuously develop the intellectual independence to be critical and reflective learners
• Work collaboratively and purposefully in teams to achieve a common goal

Career opportunities

Career opportunities and roles are broad and include areas where design and business overlap. Opportunities extend across business practices in fields covered by the majors: marketing, management, administration, human resources, analytics, logistics, entrepreneurship and sports management. In the design industry, career opportunities extend across print and digital media in disciplines covered by the majors: communication design, user experience and interaction design, motion, photomedia and branded environments. Graduates may find employment across private and public sectors, including corporate and commercial, small and medium enterprise, government and non-government, civic, education and non-profit.

Professional recognition

The Finance major, in the Bachelor of Business and related double degrees, is recognised under the CFA Institute Affiliated University. The course covers at least 70% of Level 1 of the CFA program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) placing emphasis on the CFA Institute Codes of Ethics and Standards of Practice. This recognition signals to students, employers and the marketplace that that Swinburne’s curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing you for employment in the finance and investment industry, and for sitting the CFA examination. Students of the Finance major may be eligible for CFA Program Student Scholarships.

Course rules

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Design / Bachelor of Business, students must complete 400 credit points comprising of:

• sixteen [16] core units of study (200 credit points)
• seven [7] units of study from one of the following Design majors: Digital Media Design, Communication Design, Branded Environments, Photomedia, or UX Interaction Design. (100 credit points)
• eight [8] units of study from one of the following Business majors: Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Finance, Financial Planning, Human Resource Management, International Business, Information Systems, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Management, Marketing or Sports Management (SOL or on-campus) (100 credit points).

Students must not complete more than 150 credit points (normally 12 units) at Introductory level. A unit of study can only be counted once, where units are shared between majors and/or minors, students must choose an approved alternative.

Domestic students also have an opportunity to undertake a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Professional Placement. This option is not available to international students.

Professional placements

Students who undertake a 12 month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 500 credit points comprising:

• Eight (8) Design core units of study (100 credit points) AND
• Six (6) Business Fundamentals core units of study (75 credit points) AND
• Three (3) Business Practice core units of study (37.5 credit points) AND
• Seven (7) units of study from one of the Design majors (100 credit points) AND
• Seven (7) units of study from one of the Business Discipline majors (87.5 credit points) AND
• Four (4) Professional Placement units (100 credit points)
   

Students who elect to undertake a 6 month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 450 credit points comprising:

• Eight (8) Design core units of study (100 credit points) AND
• Six (6) Business Fundamentals core units of study (75 credit points) AND
• Three (3) Business Practice core units of study (37.5 credit points) AND
• Seven (7) units of study from one of the Design majors (100 credit points) AND
• Seven (7) units of study from one of the Business Discipline majors (87.5 credit points) AND
• Two (2) Professional Placement units (50 credit points)

Maximum Academic Credit

The maximum level of credit that can be granted for the Bachelor of Design/Bachelor of Business is 200 credit points (normally 16 units), 100 credit points maximum from each discipline.

B. Applicants with higher education study

Educational history 

An applicant's entire academic history, including results from previous higher education study will be considered for entry into this course. If previous higher education qualifications are incomplete, results must have been obtained in the last seven years. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

STAT/Bridging courses 

Results from the STAT Multiple Choice will be considered for applicants without an ATAR and whose post-secondary studies do not meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

C. Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study

Educational history 

An applicant's entire academic history from the past seven years, including complete and/or incomplete post-secondary VET studies, will be considered for entry into this course. Only graded results will be considered. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

STAT/Bridging courses 

Results from the STAT Multiple Choice will be considered for applicants without an ATAR and whose post-secondary studies do not meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.

D. Applicants with work and life experience

Entire academic record 

This course uses an applicant's entire academic record as part of its selection considerations, including an applicant's ATAR results from the last seven years can be considered for entry into this course. 

Meeting course prerequisites 

As for Year 12 or equivalent. 

STAT/Bridging courses 

Results from the STAT Multiple Choice will be considered for applicants without an ATAR and whose post-secondary studies do not meet the minimum requirements. Applicants who do not meet the English prerequisites can sit STAT Written English. STAT results are valid for two years.