Program Description
The International Foundation Studies Program is a one year pathway program for international students seeking entry into the first year of the majority of undergraduate degrees at the University of Canberra. It is a non-award program designed to equip international students with the skills and capabilities for successful undergraduate study.
It is a pre-university year and the curriculum is equivalent to the Australian Year 12. The curriculum has a strong focus on the development of both English language skills and tertiary preparation skills. The curriculum is also focused on developing those preparation skills for study in the Australian tertiary environment. The course can be delivered both onshore and offshore.
The program is designed as a generalist (multi-field) program. This provides international students with the opportunity to seek admission to a broad range of degrees. The unit offerings span a range of disciplines and include the following key learning areas:
- English
- Mathematics
- Technology
- The Arts/Humanities/ Society
Whilst the current program consists of 12 core units of study, it has also been structured to ensure that as future opportunities arise there is capacity to introduce specialisations (streams). Possible examples include business, information technology and communication. This would be achieved through the introduction of electives.
The teaching calendar consists of 3 terms of study. Each term consists of 12 weeks of teaching, a one week mid term break and 1 week of assessment. Typically there are three recess weeks for students between each term.
The Diploma of Design develops students' knowledge and skills in creative thinking, visual communication, technology, 2D and 3D design and will focus on the investigation and development of design projects in a studio environment. This diploma enables students with to study a generic design program which provides a clear pathway to a variety of bachelor degrees in the field of design.
Study a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication Design) and set yourself on the path to a successful design career. You’ll explore how, as humans, we communicate and organise information in visually accessible ways, and develop a well-rounded understanding of the theory and practice of communication design. The course investigates both a traditional print-based design perspective and one which covers web-based applications and new technologies.
The degree has a strong focus on visual communication in the global marketplace and how to design for both business and consumer audiences across different cultural contexts. You’ll graduate with a thorough knowledge of typography, logotype design, layout, publication design, environmental graphics, packaging and digital design.
Study a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication Design) at UC and you will:
- employ innovative use of different visual and emerging media types across print, screen and packaging
- develop effective design solutions for specific audiences
- gain fluency in the visual vocabulary and technical skills relevant to visual communication design
- acquire image-making expertise and the ability to develop visual design artefacts using a range of analogue and digital media.
