Bachelor of Design Studies (exit only)

The Bachelor of Design Studies at Western Sydney University is a three-year degree built around graphic design and visual communication. It's an exit-only award, which means it's the qualification you receive if you leave the related design degree after completing the required first three years of study rather than continuing into an honours or double-degree pathway. You still graduate with a full bachelor degree, and the units you've passed count towards it.

Australian bachelor degrees are made up of units of study, usually eight per year, each worth a set number of credit points. At Western Sydney the academic year runs across sessions, and you'll typically complete 24 units over the three years to reach the credit points needed to graduate. Core design units cover typography, image-making, design history and theory, digital production, branding and visual identity, and studio practice. You'll work on briefs, critique your own work and your classmates', and build a portfolio across the degree. Most design degrees finish with a capstone studio or major project in the final year, where you take a brief from research through to a finished outcome. Work-integrated learning is common in this field, so expect the option of a placement or industry project unit, often with a studio, agency or in-house design team. Confirm the exact unit list, session structure and capstone requirements on the official course page.

Skills you come away with are practical: type and layout, colour and composition, software for vector and raster work, print and screen production, and the ability to explain your design decisions to a client. You also learn to work to a brief, take feedback, and manage a project from concept to delivery. These are the things employers actually test at interview, usually through your portfolio.

This degree suits school leavers who want to work in design but aren't yet sure which specialism fits, and it suits people already working in marketing, communications or media who want a formal qualification. If you're an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available after you finish, depending on your circumstances. English proficiency is required for entry; IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the usual undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 095776K. Check the official page for current entry requirements, unit details and fees.

• Graphic designer or visual designer in design studios, advertising and branding agencies
• In-house designer for publishers, retailers, not-for-profits, government departments and cultural institutions
• Digital designer working on websites, social media, campaigns and motion graphics
• Production and pre-press roles in print and packaging
• Junior art director or studio coordinator
• Freelance designer or contractor building a client base
• Design roles in Sydney's media, marketing and technology sectors, including Western Sydney's growing business districts