Bachelor of Arts (Graphic Design) / Bachelor of Business Studies

What is this course about?

CSU's Bachelor of Arts (Graphic Design) / Bachelor of Business Studies encompasses a diverse range of disciplines and develops creative, theoretical and technical design skills combined with practical business skills.

About the course

Increasingly, graduates are finding employment in well established design houses or are themselves establishing boutique design agencies. In both cases a thorough understanding of business practices supporting design outcomes is required to ensure a succecssful business. The Bachelor of Arts (Graphic Design) / Bachelor of Business Studies double degree aims to fulfil this need.

Graduates will be highly qualified, technically knowledgeable and articulate designers with the ability to enhance any company or agency. They will attain a wide range of skills in both business and graphic design, allowing students to pursue particular interests and strengths through the selection of elective subjects.

The objectives of the double degree include that students will be able to:

• understand the technical, conceptual and professional requirements of an expanding graphic design industry, specifically in the fields of multimedia and digital imaging, illustration, corporate design, and advertising
• communicate both verbally and visually with clients and other professional graphic designers
• work unsupervised or as a member of a team to resolve questions concerning the visual presentation of strategies in areas such as marketing, advertising and corporate visual identity
• have a knowledge and understanding of a range of business theories and concepts relevant in operating small and medium sized businesses
• appreciate the relevance of business related theories and concepts to business practices and business networks
• appreciate the role and relevance of business skills for effective business operations and the value and need of continuous learning about business and its environmental contexts
• appreciate the significance of ethical practices in business
• evaluate alternative approaches to business decision making from a number of discipline perspectives
• apply business skills in differing situations and contexts.
  

During the course, students are encouraged to develop creative, theoretical and technical skills with a focus on aesthetic and professional understanding. Diversity underpins the structure of the course with a cross-section of specific subjects covering all aspects of design, advertising and new media ??? including web and video applications

Course components

The Bachelor of Arts (Graphic Design) at Charles Sturt University is structured in such way as to offer students a flexible platform for learning with an even mix of core subjects, contextual subjects and electives. The Bachelor of Business Studies continues this flexibility, allowing students to select from a wide range of subjects in areas such as business strategy, international business, marketing and product management.

Work experience program

On campus students receive hands-on experience through an extensive work experience program in second and third year. In third year students are also required to work collaboratively with small clients and/or non-profit organisations researching, designing and developing a variety of promotional strategies and awareness campaigns for their client.