University of Technology Sydney

C10304v4 Bachelor of Design in Product Design

Award(s): Bachelor of Design in Product Design (BDesign)
UAC code: 602050 (Autumn session)
CRICOS code: 077331M
Commonwealth supported place?: Yes
Load credit points: 144
Course EFTSL: 3
Location: City campus

Overview
Course aims
Career options
Innovation and Transdisciplinary program
Course intended learning outcomes
Admission requirements
Inherent requirements
Applications
Assumed knowledge
Course duration and attendance
Course structure
Course completion requirements
Course diagram
Course program
Honours
Other information

Overview

The Bachelor of Design in Product Design prepares students for a career in the global product design industry. Students learn how to tackle complex problem solving, explore creative solutions, and develop realistic outcomes that could make a mark on the world.

UTS believes a hands-on approach is fundamental for every aspiring designer. As such, the student's starting point is the individual design and making of an object. Throughout their studies students learn how to design, prototype and test design solutions, drawing on cutting-edge technologies and approaches, such as UX (user experience), wearables and electronics and gain hands-on experience in the faculty's digital and fabrication workshops.

Alongside a strong technical base, the degree applies the creative problem-solving required to design experiences that make a difference to everyday life, whether in developing economies or digital cultures. Central to this approach is an understanding of the relationships between objects, culture, economy, technology, business and human behaviour.

Course aims

This integrated approach to education prepares graduates to work in product design and related design professions both locally and internationally. Alongside the core subjects, students can take electives that further develop a specialisation, such as furniture design; designer-maker enterprise; advanced digital design and manufacture; and environmentally responsible design practices. After graduation students can also pursue further study in specialised fields like vehicle design and clinical design, or further academic study in product design related research.

Career options

Career options include design for all aspects of life, from the everyday to the critical, including commercial and industrial product development, sports technology, health, future transport, packaging, exhibition design, service design, and humanitarian work. Product designers can work for individual manufacturers, industrial design and specialist design consultancies, or start their own enterprises.

Innovation and Transdisciplinary program

Transdisciplinarity and Innovation at UTS

All UTS students have the opportunity to develop distinctive capabilities around transdisciplinary thinking and innovation through the TD School. Transdisciplinary education at UTS brings together great minds from different disciplines to explore ideas that improve the way we live and work in the world. These offerings are unique to UTS and directly translate to many existing and emerging roles and careers.

Diploma in Innovation

The Diploma in Innovation (C20060) teaches innovation, supports personal transformation and provides the hard skills needed to support the inventors and inventions of the future. Students come out of the Diploma in Innovation, with the hard skills to create and support sectoral and societal transformation. Graduates are able to fluently integrate ideas, across professional disciplines and are inventors of the future.

All UTS undergraduate students (with the exception of students concurrently enrolled in the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation) can apply for the Diploma in Innovation upon admission in their chosen undergraduate degree. It is a complete degree program that runs in parallel to any undergraduate degree. The course is offered on a three-year, part-time basis, with subjects running in 3-week long intensive blocks in July, December and February sessions. More information including a link to apply is available at https://dipinn.uts.edu.au.

Transdisciplinary electives program

Transdisciplinary electives broaden students' horizons and supercharge their problem-solving skills, helping them to learn outside, beyond and across their degrees. Students enrolled in an undergraduate course that includes electives can choose to take a transdisciplinary subject (with the exception of students concurrently enrolled in the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation). More information about the TD Electives program is available here.

Course intended learning outcomes

A.1 Demonstrated engagement with ideas and learning
A.2 Commitment to ethical practices
A.3 Value for alternative points of view
A.4 Value for richly diverse and sustainable human cultures and environmental ecologies
C.1 Effective written and oral communication skills
C.2 Effective visual communication skills
C.3 Effective tangible 3D representation
C.4 Ability to work in teams and in multi-disciplinary contexts
I.1 Demonstrated ability for problem setting and problem solving
I.2 Demonstration of versatility, curiosity and imagination
I.3 Demonstration of aesthetic sensibility
I.4 Ability to propose, develop and rethink ideas
P.1 Industry specific practical and digital skills
P.2 Accuracy, rigour and care
P.3 Ability to self-manage, including task initiation, allocation of time and realisation of outcomes
P.4 Understanding of the global context of established and emergent industry practices
P.5 Acquire a comprehensive knowledge of cultural, historic and contemporary contexts that influence the lives of Indigenous Australians
P.6 Ability to critically evaluate ethical practices including the protection of Indigenous Intellectual property rights across Product Design projects and industry
P.7 Ability to apply ethical Indigenous practices and critically reflect on how this will influence future professional practice to work for and with Indigenous Australians across Product Design projects and industry
R.1 Identify and execute research methods appropriate to the project
R.2 Analyse complex contexts for design
R.3 Develop reasoned arguments supported by research
R.4 Reflective critical analysis

Admission requirements

Applicants must have completed an Australian Year 12 qualification, Australian Qualifications Framework Diploma, or equivalent Australian or overseas qualification at the required level.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building may consider applications based on the results of the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) if students lack academic qualifications but have extensive professional experience. The STAT is conducted through Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

Students must refer to the inherent requirements for all degrees offered by Design and Architecture in the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.

Non-current school leavers are selected on the basis of academic merit or on the basis of portfolio and interview rank.

Students must refer to the portfolio eligibility for the faculty’s consideration in order to get a place.

The English proficiency requirement for international students or local applicants with international qualifications is: IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with a writing score of 6.0; or TOEFL iBT: 79-93 overall with a writing score of 21; or AE5: Pass; or PTE: 58-64 with a writing score of 50; or C1A/C2P: 176-184 with a writing score of 169.

Eligibility for admission does not guarantee offer of a place.

International students

Visa requirement: To obtain a student visa to study in Australia, international students must enrol full time and on campus. Australian student visa regulations also require international students studying on student visas to complete the course within the standard full-time duration. Students can extend their courses only in exceptional circumstances.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are academic and non-academic requirements that are essential to the successful completion of a course. For more information about inherent requirements and where prospective and current students can get assistance and advice regarding these, see the UTS Inherent requirements page.

Prospective and current students should carefully read the Inherent Requirements Statement below and consider whether they might experience challenges in successfully completing this course.

UTS will make reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional experiences, course related work experience and other course activities to facilitate maximum participation by students with disabilities, carer responsibilities, and religious or cultural obligations in their courses.

For course specific information see the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement.

Applications

International students

International students (excluding those studying in an Australian high school) must submit an application to UTS International (in person, by mail or online) or through an accredited UTS representative.

International students with an ATAR up to five points below the minimum cut-off must submit the following material:

  • a six-page digital portfolio in PDF format (landscape) of their work; this may include images, animation or video (max. size 5MB)
  • one of the pages must be a 150–200-word written submission that selects and identifies one of the submitted pieces of work, and addresses the aim of the work and why it succeeded (to enable this PDF to be easily viewed, text must be supplied in 16-point Helvetica font, with 1.5 line spacing).

The faculty reserves the right to request a portfolio from applicants.

Assumed knowledge

Any two units of English.

Design and Technology, Visual Arts are recommended.

Course duration and attendance

This course is offered on a three-year, full-time basis.

Course structure

Students must complete 144 credit points made up of 108 credit points of core subjects, 24 credit points of design studies and 12 credit points of electives.

Course completion requirements

STM91425 Core Subjects (Product Design) 108cp
STM91882 Design Studies 18cp
STM91883 Electives Choice 18cp
Total 144cp

Course diagram

Course diagram: C10304

Course program

A typical program is shown below.

Autumn commencing, full time
Year 1
Autumn session
84610 Inside Design   6cp
84111 Understanding Three-dimensional Form   6cp
84116 Product Design Communication A   6cp
85503 Thinking Through Design   6cp
Spring session
84611 Integrated Product Design   6cp
84117 Product Design Communication B   6cp
84118 Informing Product Design   6cp
85502 Researching Design Histories   6cp
Year 2
Autumn session
84712 Product Engineering   12cp
84909 Product Design and Sustainability   6cp
Select 6 credit points of options   6cp
Spring session
84910 Analogue and Digital UX   6cp
84711 User-centred Design   12cp
Select 6 credit points from the following:   6cp
85202 Designing Social Change 6cp  
85001 The Bio Kitchen 6cp  
88015 Global Studio A 6cp  
Year 3
Autumn session
84811 Smart Design   12cp
84911 Advanced Manufacturing Technology   6cp
Select 6 credit points of options   6cp
Spring session
84813 Product Design Professional Communication   6cp
Select 6 credit points of options   6cp
84812 Product Design Major Studio   12cp

Honours

The Bachelor of Design (Honours) (C09131) is available to meritorious students with an additional one year of full-time study.

Applications are submitted via the UTS Study website.

Other information

Further information is available from the UTS Student Centre on:

telephone 1300 ask UTS (1300 275 887)
or +61 2 9514 1222
Ask UTS
UTS: Design, Architecture and Building