Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design

The Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design is a two-year qualification for people who want to work on the design side of civil infrastructure, the drawings, models and documentation that turn an engineer's concept into something a crew can build. You study roads, drainage, retaining structures, water and sewer networks, and the materials and standards that govern them. Most of the work is done in CAD and civil design software, producing plans that meet Australian standards and project specifications.

How the qualification is structured

This is an AQF diploma-level qualification, which sits below a bachelor degree. It is delivered over two years, typically across four study periods, and is made up of units of competency rather than the units of study and credit points you would see in a university degree. Each unit has a defined nominal hours value, and you need to complete all required units, core and elective, to graduate. Assessment is competency-based: you either demonstrate the skill or you don't, and you get another attempt rather than a grade. There is no honours year and no research thesis at this level. Some providers build in a capstone-style project in the final stage where you take a design brief through to a full set of drawings, and many include a work placement or simulated workplace project so you finish with something that resembles real project work.

What you actually learn

Expect to spend a lot of time in a computer lab. You learn to read and produce civil drawings, prepare site plans and longitudinal sections, calculate quantities and material requirements, apply surveying data, and work to Australian Standards and local council requirements. You also cover contract documentation, cost estimating, WHS in design, and how design decisions affect construction and maintenance. By the end you should be able to take a set of survey notes and a design brief and produce documentation a project team can use.

Who it suits

This suits school leavers who want a practical, job-focused path into civil design without committing to a four-year engineering degree, and it suits people already working in construction, drafting or surveying who want to move into a design role. It also works as a stepping stone, some graduates use it to gain credit towards a bachelor degree later. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream after you finish. English entry is usually IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, though the Student visa has its own separate English requirement set by the Department of Home Affairs. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 118412M, check the official page for current fees, intake dates and unit details.

• Civil design drafter
• Structural drafter
• CAD technician
• Engineering design assistant
• Road and drainage design officer
• Site documentation officer
• Estimator or project support officer

These roles sit with engineering consultancies, local councils, civil contractors, land development firms and infrastructure authorities across Australia. Employers include the state road and water agencies, private design practices and the construction companies that build subdivisions, bridges, drainage and water networks.