The Bachelor of Design Arts (BDA) follows the structure of the Bachelor of Visual Arts in the School of Art, beginning with a common Core Studies program in semester one. In later semesters, Design students share space resources and expertise with Visual Arts students, while at the same time, developing professionally oriented applied design outcomes through project-based coursework and application of existing media and technologies. The methodology of the Design Arts programs will utilize a variety of skill sets gained through a combination of old and new technologies, employing both hand-built and computer-aided design and manufacturing processes.

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The BDA aims to prepare students for careers as professional designer/makers based on the range of contemporary visual arts, crafts and design practices encompassed by the School's Workshops and Studios. Students will develop their creative, critical, analytical, research and communication skills enabling them to participate and contribute to the practical and theoretical discourse in their professional field. The program will provide students with personal support and academic guidance in making informed choices relating to their path of study and career development.

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The student-centred teaching and learning approach will focus on intellectual independence and project-management skills. A student’s initiative in learning, skill development and research capacity will be developed through a project-oriented study proposal will embody an emphasis on design processes and principles such as design for reproduction, design for economies of scale, materials and processes as well as ecological imperatives. A growing expertise in the relevance of style, fashion and communication outcomes appropriate to the level of study is embedded in each program. Such studies will be directed to professional/commercial design for production and small-scale individual craft production.

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The Master of Design Arts course is intended to provide continuity of studies for students completing their Bachelor of Design Arts, within the existing framework of Coursework Master programs offered within the School of Art. The MDA enables graduates of the BDA (or equivalent) to undertake project-based design studies at a higher level of acheivement than undergraduate studies. Direct entry candidates will take advantage of this pathway to persue design-oriented careers, which build on the expertise and resources available in the School of Art.

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Graduates of these degrees wiil be able to run a contemporary Design-oriented professional practice in their major media diisciplines. They will design and create individual objects ready for exhibition, studio-based production, manufacture or potential mass production. As a Designer/Maker they will also be able to respond creatively to a design brief, working on solutions individually, or as part of a team. Graduates will draw on extensive material and knowledge combined with professional skills in Computer-Aided Design and prototyping and digital information and communication literacy.