Bachelor of Design
at The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory.
A three-year design degree at the ANU School of Art and Design in Canberra. Entry requires the minimum selection rank (80) plus a successful portfolio assessment, so no lowest selection rank is reported. Areas range from graphic and product design to creative code and user-experience design.
Lowest selection rank
ANU has not published a lowest selection rank for this course for recent intakes. That usually means too few ATAR-based offers were made to report one, or that selection also uses a portfolio, audition, interview or other criteria. Check the current entry requirements on the official course page.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
No formal Year 12 subject prerequisites; assumed knowledge may still apply.
What you will study
Study areas include animation, ceramics, creative code, data visualisation, design, front-end web design, furniture, glass, graphic design, photography, printmaking, product design, textiles, user-experience design, video and visual communication. Honours is available as an additional year, subject to progress requirements.
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as visual designers, UX designers and industrial designers in agencies and in-house teams.
- Common destinations include digital product agencies, advertising studios and the in-house design teams of major retailers and banks.
- Many alumni progress into design leadership, design strategy and freelance practice within five years.
Typical first jobs
- Junior visual designer at Canberra design studios (Coordinate, Swell Design Group, Folk)
- Communication designer in APS departments (DFAT, Treasury, PM&C, Defence)
- Junior UX or product designer at Canberra-based tech firms and APS digital teams (Digital Transformation Agency)
- Exhibition or graphic designer at the National Gallery, National Museum or National Library
- Industrial designer for product firms and Canberra start-ups
- Freelance designer for federal-government tender work
Graduate starting salary
$55,000 - $70,000 per year
Source: qilt.edu.au. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
After graduation
Graduates work in graphic, product, digital and UX design and the creative industries, or continue to Honours or postgraduate study.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Students who enjoy iterative design work and accepting critique in small studios
- People who balance hand-drawing, digital tools and physical making
- Those willing to invest in personal portfolio work outside class time
- Students drawn to Canberras concentration of APS in-house design teams
- Those comfortable with self-directed studio projects in the final year
It is probably not for you if
- Students wanting a structured timetable with clear right-or-wrong answers
- Those who avoid public critique of their work
- Anyone uncomfortable with materials, fabrication and physical workshops
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and selection ranks on the Australian National University website and on UAC before applying.