Faculty of Design

Summary

Mission

Since opening its doors in 1908 as a technical college, Swinburne has matured into an internationally acclaimed provider of higher education to over 40,000 students. The Parliament of Victoria conferred university status on Swinburne University of Technology in 1992.

Swinburne Faculty of Design includes the National Institute of Design. It has a proud history as a national leader in design education. Our revolutionary programs in Design and in Film and Television define international best practice. Our students benefit from expert staff, passionate about their profession and their research. We have one of the best design research units in Australia and an internationally recognised PhD program. We are proud of our graduates and their many achievements.

Swinburne is, and aspires to remain, an institution that transforms individual lives through high quality education, and society through world-class research. Thus, the University’s aim is to provide opportunities for a very broad cross-section of individuals and organisations to achieve their potential. The absolute focus is on maintaining the quality of education and research programs – without confusing quality with elitism.

In short, the University intends to build on its 100-year history and current strength to continue delivering world-class, practical outcomes. This means establishing a clear, differentiated position as a leading provider of transformational education and research, in Australia and globally, through:
• industry-relevant professional and vocational learning across the full spectrum of tertiary education qualification levels, with program delivery characterised by ‘real-world’ experiential learning, flexibility and a commitment to quality
• high-impact research, focussed through concentrations of research excellence responsive to industry and government priorities
• an international outlook, with staff and students coming to Swinburne’s Australian and Sarawak campuses from around the world, as well as working and studying offshore, and graduates from all programs well-prepared for the international workplace
• mutually-beneficial engagement with industry and the wider community
• a commitment to sustainability, manifest externally through practical contributions to environmental quality, social justice and economic prosperity, and internally through the University’s Sustainability and Social Inclusion Strategies and the integration of sustainability principles into education and research programs and practices.

The National Institute of Design, Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is a place where design matters, with sophisticated industries in communication design, advertising, multimedia design, film, architecture, interior design and fashion. As the undisputed cultural capital of Australia, Melbourne has thriving artistic communities, an energetic youth scene and is home to countless galleries, theatres and music venues. The city\\\'s vibrant Asian and European cultural mix is reflected in its rich history, and vibrant food, retail and cafe cultures.

Education

Faculties and departments

Faculty of Design
• National Institute of Design
- Communication Design
- Digital Media Design
- Design Anthropology
- Industrial Design
- Interior Design
• National Institute for Design Research
- Cultures-Based Innovation
- Design Education
- Neuro-affective Design
- Strategic Design

• Swinburne Design Factory
• Swinburne School of Film and Television

Bachelor level programs

Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) 6 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Digital Media Design) 6 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Interior Design) 6 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) 6 semesters
Bachelor of Film and Television 6 semesters
Bachelor of Engineering (Product Design Engineering) 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Communication Design)/Bachelor of Business 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Digital Media Design)/Bachelor of Business 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Interior Design)/Bachelor of Business 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)/Bachelor of Business 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) (Honours) 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Digital Media Design) (Honours) 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Interior Design) (Honours) 8 semesters
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) (Honours) 8 semesters
Bachelor of (Film and Television) (Honours) 8 semesters

Master level programs

Master of Design incorporating a Graduate Diploma of Design
Taught on-campus, some units available on-line.
The Graduate Diploma of Design (Design Anthropology) is delivered in online mode only.

Discipline Areas (majors): Communication Design, Design Anthropology, Digital Media Design,Industrial Design, Interior Design
Specialisations (electives): Indigenous Knowledge, Cross-Cultural Brand Identity Design, Sustainable Design, Innovative Spatial Design, Digital Visual Culture and Imaging, Global Product Innovation, Design Entrepreneurship
Postgraduate courses at Swinburne Faculty of Design aim to strengthen the quality of the design profession and to develop the design leaders of the future. They provide advanced study for designers who want to refocus their career or achieve a higher specialisation to meet the challenges of today\'s design industry.

Students of Swinburne’s postgraduate design programs benefit from its strong discipline focus, and integration of research with practice for value creation in business and industry. These programs give students extensive knowledge and skills in their field. Interdisciplinary teamwork among students leads to new and innovative solutions to solve design problems for individuals, businesses, communities, and economies.

Program Details
Specific information about program structure is available at: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/design/postgrad

Research

Doctorate level programs

Doctoral Program (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research degree that focuses on the generation of new design knowledge through scholarly investigation, using practices and processes central to design.
In the Design PhD students undertake independent research under the guidance of supervisors. To gain entry into this program candidates are expected to have demonstrated research capabilities, through a Masters by Research or First Class or Second Class A Honours degree in a relevant field of study.

Master of Design (by Research)

The Master of Design (by Research) focuses on mastery of a specific field of design knowledge through scholarly investigation, using practices and processes central to design.
The degree is aimed at designers who have not demonstrated the level of research capabilities required to enter a doctoral program. Graduates of this program will have an in-depth knowledge of their specific area of design and be in a position to undertake a doctoral program. The program is an individual research project supervised by two senior academics on one-on-one basis or through the use of panel supervision.
All Research Training is undertaken in one of the Faculty’s research priority areas:
Cultures-Based Innovation
Design Education
Neuro-Affective Design
Strategic Design
See http://www.swinburne.edu.au/research for more information

Exchange

Subject areas for exchange students

Exchange at the Faculty of Design is only available through institutions that have signed current agreements with Swinburne (Study abroad opportunities are considered on a case-by-case basis). Students on exchange agreements may apply to any subject (units) of study.

Application deadlines

Application (final deadline) for semester one 31 October
Application (final deadline) for semester two 31 March

Teaching languages

English

Level of English required: 6.0 overall with no band score below 6.0. Computer based TOEFL 213 with essay writing score of 5. Internet based TOEFL 80 with no band score below 20.
Applicants from Scandinavia, Finland and Germany may provide secondary school English results in support of their English ability.

Semester dates

Late February to June semester 1 (summer to winter)
Late July to November semester 2 (spring to summer)

Cost of living per month (studying and living)

$AU 1,700 approx. (2011)
See: http://www.swinburne.edu.au/abroad/ for more information