Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Design (Z0N)

Overview  2024

Entry Requirements

See entry requirements

Duration

Minimum 0.5 Years, up to a maximum of 1 Year

Duration

Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Location

Online
Semester 1, Semester 2

This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list of distance courses (i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students

Design is at work in every aspect of human existence. We are inherently change agents and with a design education, you can make change towards creative adaptation and positive impact in our constantly changing world.

In this course we’ll guide you to work with design thinking and design processes, visual language and form, design for inclusive interactions, and strategies and tools for creative enterprise. By understanding major shifts in how design fields now operate, you’ll gain foundational design knowledge and a framework for identifying opportunities.

Wherever you are, you can apply design skills to your interests in any sector or current role. Designing communications, services, experiences and new business models – with the technical, problem-solving and interpersonal skills valued in workplaces and community – are but a few of the many ways you can apply design.

You’ll be learning by doing with hands-on design activities developing, prototyping and testing ideas, and creating projects through which you can progress your goals. Our practice-based learning approach means your tutors are industry-embedded, guiding you to explore places, cases and practices relevant for you and always connecting people and planet.

You can also develop your design skill set toward a more specialist design role and gain credit towards the Associate Degree in Applied Design. This course expands your learning and offers three stream options: Communication Design, Digital Design and Business Design.

Commonwealth Supported Places are available for this course, see Fees & scholarships for more information.

Please visit our Certificates page for answers to frequently asked questions about the Job Ready Certificates.

Information on Undergraduate Certificates beyond 2025

The Australian Government has currently determined that Undergraduate Certificates programs will not extend beyond 30 June 2025. This means that should they not be extended; you will need to complete all required units in 2024 to graduate with an Undergraduate Certificate before this deadline.

Should you not be able to complete all required units in 2024, we can support you to continue your study with us in another course where you will receive full credit for all the Undergraduate Certificate units completed so far. The alternate course options for this Undergraduate Certificate are listed in the Entry Requirements section below.

For the latest information and updates, please visit the Undergraduate Certificate FAQs page. If you have a question from there, please contact one of our friendly team members via UConnect.

Key contacts

Current student enrolment questions and advice UConnect
Course Coordinator Jose Vicente Garcia Cesar
  • 1 Identify and apply design concepts, principles and practices to develop and present ideas and information.
  • 2 Generate and refine design propositions through iterative practice employing creative ideation and technical skills.
  • 3 Employ professional and collaborative conduct when applying principles of design practices.
  • Practice-based, experiential learning and portfolio development is a key component of the Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Design.

    We help you develop transferable skills by providing an authentic and engaging learning experience with work-based components that you can tailor to your individual circumstances. This means you can contextualise your learning to your personal interests through authentic simulated experiences, or for those already in the industry, you are encouraged to apply and complete relevant assessments within your work environment.

    You will be introduced to:

    • different methods of, and approaches to, practice,
    • how issues such as values, ethics, empathy and leadership are reflected in the workplace and
    • the role of reflection and deliberative thinking in developing workplace-based knowledge, skills, attitudes and aspirations.

    Career outcomes

    The Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Design is an introductory course for professional development for those who wish to understand more about design to apply to their current/future work.

    The course will give you foundational design skills relevant to various industries and provides a stepping stone for further design study.

    After completing the Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Design, you can transition into further study with credit towards an Associate Degree in Applied Design and/or the Bachelor of Design.

    Course structure

    The course structure comprises four core 12.5 credit point units 

    Design thinking draws on creative, iterative and collaborative approaches to problem-solving, including exploration of potential solutions though idea generation, rapid prototyping and testing. While conventional approaches to problem-solving often rely on the application of highly structured methodologies and process controls,…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1
    OnlineSemester 1
    OnlineSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    In this unit, you will investigate elements and principles of visual language in art and design, to understand the importance of aesthetics in design and its application to real-world projects. You will also be introduced to the nature of ‘aesthetics,’…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    OnlineSemester 1
    OnlineSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Through this unit you will explore and analyse spaces of interaction that operate on different scales and with different sets of relations, for example human and non-human, analogue and digital. Drawing from diverse design methodologies you will learn approaches to…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    OnlineSemester 1
    OnlineSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit introduces you to the creative industries and the roles of the so-called 'creative class' and creative entrepreneur in shaping communities, urban development and digital economies in recent decades. By delving critically into the discourse of creative entrepreneurship, you…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    OnlineSemester 1
    OnlineSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Entry requirements

    We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you are not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, the UTAS admissions team will work with you to find the best pathway option. 

    Enquire online for advice on the application process and the available pathways to study at UTAS.

    Domestic applicants who recently completed secondary education (in the past two years)

    This course does not use ATAR as part of the admission process. To be an eligible for an offer, applicants must have completed the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) or an equivalent qualification.

    Domestic applicants with higher education study

    To be eligible for an offer, you must have:

    • Partially completed an undergraduate course at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). You must have completed at least one unit of study (equivalent to 12.5 UTAS credit points) at 100 level or higher and which may include 100 level units completed in the UTAS Diploma of University Studies. If you have failed any units, your application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; OR
    • Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).

    Domestic applicants with VET / TAFE study

    To be eligible for an offer, you must have completed a completed Certificate III or higher (or equivalent) in any discipline.

    Applications on the basis of work or life experience

    Applicants without senior secondary, tertiary or VET / TAFE study can complete a personal competency statement.

    Applicants may be eligible for an offer if they have relevant work and / or life experiences which demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.

    This course is not available to international students. Please enquire online for advice on alternative course options.

    Passes in units in other incomplete courses in this University or another approved tertiary institution may be credited towards the undergraduate certificate and a course plan developed to detail the units required by the student to qualify for the undergraduate certificate. The maximum credit granted will be in accordance with the limits as stated in the Student Participation and Attainment Ordinance.

    Students completing the Undergraduate Certificate in Design will receive advanced standing for four 12.5 credit point units of the Associate Degree in Applied Design

    Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.

    Fees & scholarships

    Domestic students

    Options for this course

    Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.

    If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.

    You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.

    Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.

    Student contribution

    Student contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.

    Further information

    Detailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).

    Scholarships

    Scholarships for domestic students

    We have a range of opportunities for students from all backgrounds.

    Whether you’re looking for financial support or relocation assistance, experiencing educational disadvantage or seeking recognition of academic or sporting achievement, we have a scholarship for you.

    Support scholarships are automatically assessed as part of your course application. Merit and diversity scholarship applications open in August.

    For more information, visit Domestic Scholarships.

    How can we help?

    Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.

    Domestic
    13 8827 (13 UTAS)
    International
    +61 3 6226 6200
    Email
    Course.Info@utas.edu.au
    Online
    Online enquiries

    Next steps