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QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 909931; External: 909935; Springfield campus: 929931

CRICOS code (International applicants): 103177G

You are currently viewing the 2023 Handbook. For study in 2024, please refer to the .

Notes

In 2023 the program follows the Semester calendar. The Academic Calendar and Important Dates webpage will allow you to view and download a copy of the important dates for the Semester calendar.

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Contact us

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Program aims

The program aims to produce graduates who:

1. draw from a broad and coherent body of knowledge in their specific creative design discipline

2. leverage from a broad knowledge of the historical, cultural and theoretical underpinnings of contemporary creative design practice

3. engage in critical thinking and analysis when identifying and solving problems with intellectual independence

4. proficiently use coherent written, verbal and visual communication in a variety of contexts

5. adapt knowledge and skills in the planning, development and realisation of a range of individual and collaborative practical, creative and scholastic outcomes

6. demonstrate responsibility and accountability for their own learning in collaboration with others within broad parameters.

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Program objectives

On successful completion of the Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies program, students should be able to:

1. use advanced studio-based knowledge, technical proficiency, and develop an individual work ethic necessary for practice as a skilled, professional digital media specialist;

2. examine the historical, ideological, critical, cultural and ethical perspectives in the fields of digital media and interactive technologies, both historically and in contemporary cultural, social contexts and industry;

3. apply a high level of critical and reflexivity and reflectivity in the design, implementation and evaluation of individual and group digital media projects with an ability to adapt knowledge and skills in problem solving;

4. flexibly and innovatively integrate digital media concepts and practice in their work with the wider community, and in a range of professional industries;

5. use a range of verbal, written and visual communicative forms that will enable effective and articulate engagement with relevant organisations, industry bodies and professional networks;

6. actively engage in the pursuit of ongoing research in the interactive media and design and their role in cultural growth.

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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 07. Graduates at this level will have broad and coherent knowledge and skills for professional work and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

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Program Information Set

View UniSQ’s admission criteria, student profiles and a summary of all offers made under via the QTAC website.

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

• Have achieved a minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 60, or equivalent qualification.^

• Or if no ATAR, successfully undertake an interview with portfolio and written statement

Subject Pre-requisites:

• English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 2.

Applicants are advised to also address the following:

• expectations: English (Units 3 & 4, C).

Interview Information

Applicants for the Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies who do not have an ATAR must partake in an interview and provide:

• a head shot style photo of themselves.

• a school exit statement or evidence of previous education standard achieved.

• a written statement (500 words) addressing what it is about design that inspires you to become a designer.

• a portfolio of examples of your design works at interview. This should contain at least 8-10 high quality images of past artwork.

The Design and Interactive Technology majors are offered across both the Toowoomba and Springfield campuses with a variety of on-campus and online offers.

All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«´«Ã½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of a students' higher education and students pay a , which varies depending on the courses undertaken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, external or online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program structure

The Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies (BDIT) consists of 24 units comprising 4 SCA Core units, courses within either a first 12-unit major, and 8 units of complimentary studies that can consist of a second 8-unit major, two 4-unit minors, or one 4-unit minor and/or approved elective courses as follows:

• one 12-unit major (Digital Media, or Apps & Interactive Systems Development), 4-unit SCA Core, and one 8-unit second major, ^*OR

• one 12-unit major (Digital Media, or Apps & Interactive Systems Development), 4-unit SCA Core and two 4-unit minors, OR

• one 12-unit major (Digital Media, or Apps & Interactive Systems Development), 4-unit SCA Core, one 4-unit minor and 4 units of elective courses).^{^}

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 9 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

• Year 1, Sem 1 and 3: SCA1001 Persuasive Communication: Presenting Yourself and Your Ideas

• Year 1, Sem 2 and 3: SCA1002 Introduction to Creative and Critical Thinking

• Year 2, Sem 1 and 3: SCA2001 Cultural Responsibilities and Creative Communities

• Year 2, Sem 2 and 3: SCA2002 Arts Business: Making and Managing Your Arts Career

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Major studies

The Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies program has two discipline-focused majors - Digital Media, and Apps and Interactive Systems Development.

Digital Media

As the worlds of entertainment, communication, IT and business continue to embrace virtual mediums, digital media competencies are more relevant than ever. This field, which encompasses communication through visual and virtual means is applicable in many industries and speaks to a growing need for new ways to exchange ideas, create innovative solutions and present information through compelling and immersive media.
From the graphic design found within our pages and on our screens, through to the immersive environments of VR and augmented reality systems, digital storytelling has become pivotal to the human experience. The Digital Media major found within the Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies combines critical elements from a range of disparate disciplines (such information technology, digital design and screen production) to provide students with the necessary skills to excel within these highly-skilled, high-performance environments. Upon the completion of this degree, graduates should be able to combine a comprehensive set of skills and knowledge from these areas to create sophisticated and innovative interdisciplinary solutions for an array of industries. They should also develop specialised knowledge around contemporary conceptual design and development practices, immersive and interactive systems, project management and new media creation.

Apps and Interactive Systems Development

Whether designing downloadable apps for Apple, Google or Windows-based systems, or creating a responsive system to provides immediate feedback within the Health, Education or Science sectors; the world is becoming increasingly reliant on innovative solutions offered by the contemporary app designers/developers. These people are on the forefront of world-altering technological shifts, helping to push our collective knowledge, experiences and research agendas further. The Apps and Interactive Systems major within the Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies combines critical elements from a range of disparate disciplines (such as information technology, and digital design) providing students with a range of opportunities to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to function very effectively within these high-performance environments. Upon the completion of this degree, graduates should be capable of combining those skills with knowledge from these areas to create sophisticated and innovative interdisciplinary solutions for an array of industries. They should also develop specialised knowledge around system design, project management, software quality assurance and programming practices.

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Minor Studies

Minor studies are designed to enable students to widen their knowledge and perspectives.

As part of the eight units of complementary studies (see Program Structure above), if students are not undertaking a second major, they must take at least one of the Minors indicated in the section of the UniSQ handbook. The remaining courses can be used to undertake a second minor, or a maximum of 4 electives.

All of the discipline areas of the Creative Arts will offer suites of minors from their existing major course offerings but students may also select minors from any recognised area in the university (as listed in the Minor studies link above). Students should take courses to the value of at least four units in the selected minor study. Choice of a minor will depend on the availability of the subject area, timetabling constraints, quotas and other restrictions such as interviews in certain areas of the Creative Arts, as well as approval of the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.

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Electives/Approved courses

Elective courses are designed to enable students to further increase their knowledge and widen their perspectives. For recommendations on how electives can fit into the structure of their program, students should consult the Program Structure and Minor Studies sections above. Choice of an elective will depend on the availability of the course(s), timetabling constraints, quotas, and other restrictions such as auditions and interviews in certain areas of the Arts, as well as approval by the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.

Courses available for elective study are generally those found in Minor studies and are listed in the section.

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IT requirements

Students should visit the UniSQ to check that their computers are capable of running the appropriate software and versions of Internet web browsers and to check the minimum and recommended standards for software.

Students should refer to https://www.usq.edu.au/current-students/ict.

Access to high-level computers is necessary. On-campus students will access appropriately equipped laboratories, but should consider acquisition of their own computer. Students should visit the UniSQ minimum computing standards to check that their computers are capable of running the appropriate software and versions of Internet web browsers and to check the minimum and recommended standards for software.

External students should be able to access a computer with the minimum standards as advised by the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app. All students should have access to email and the Internet via a computer running the latest versions of Internet web browsers such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. The ¾«¶«´«Ã½app has a wireless network for on-campus students' computers. In order to take advantage of this facility and further enhance their on-campus learning environment, students should consider purchasing a notebook/laptop computer with wireless connectivity. A notebook/laptop may be required for some courses.

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Other program requirements

Students undertaking this programme will require personal storage space (e.g. portable external hard drive, cloud storage). Online students must have accesses to the required software and hardware for 2D, 3D, VR and AR applications.

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Articulation

Students undertaking aspects of degrees in the School of Creative Arts as an extension of TAFE studies, or through any of our current Articulation Agreements (such as the College of Creative Arts in Melbourne), are encouraged to visit the for current advice on enrolments.

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Exit points

Students who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete the Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies and who satisfy all of the requirements may exit with a Associate Degree of Creative Arts (ADCA).

Students may exit with the Associate Degree of Creative Arts (ADCA) if they have completed 16 courses as follows:

• A minimum of 4 SCA-coded Core courses from the Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies and

• 12 other courses from the Bachelor of Design and Interactive Technologies.

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Credit

Credit will normally only be granted on the basis of formal studies of equivalent material undertaken at a college of TAFE, college of advanced education or university. Studies successfully completed within the last five years are automatically eligible to be used as a basis for a claim for credit. Studies completed more than five years ago will be considered, but should be accompanied by evidence that the knowledge and skills acquired from those studies have been maintained. Students who believe that they may qualify for credit should consult the for further information about the content of courses and the procedures to be followed for credit claims.

Students who have been granted credit have a responsibility to ensure that their knowledge and skills are kept up to date in these areas. This is particularly important when they have been granted credit from a course which is a pre-requisite for another course. Refer to the section entitled Credit and Exemption Procedure in the Guide to policies and procedures.

Students who have completed a Diploma or Advanced Diploma in an area specifically related to one of the majors in this program within the last five years, will normally be eligible for up to 8 credits and up to 12 credits respectively.

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Course transfers

Students wishing to transfer from another degree into the Bachelor of Digital and Interactive Technologies may do so following consultation with the Program Manager.

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Honours

Students wishing to undertake further study, and who meet the entry requirements, may apply to enrol in the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours) program. Honours pathways are available in the Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts specialisations. Further information is available at BCAH Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours).

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Enrolment

All students are urged to adhere to the recommended enrolment patterns as detailed in relevant sections of this handbook. Completion of enrolment requirements will be necessary before a student will be permitted to enrol in more advanced courses.

Students should also heed the following advice:

• In addition to the School Cores and a choice of 12-unit major (see Program Structure above), one second major of eight units OR one minor study of four units OR four elective units may be taken from non-Creative Arts undergraduate programs with approval of the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts;

• on-campus students should take courses in the on-campus (ONC) mode and will only be permitted to take courses externally during Semester 1 and 2 with the approval of the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts or where a course is only available in online or external mode.

• students are required to monitor their own enrolments and seek help immediately the SoCA Programs Director or the discipline convenor if anomalies or confusion occurs.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

• Recommended enrolment pattern – Digital Media (12-unit major)
• Recommended enrolment pattern – Apps and Interactive Systems Development (12-unit major)

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Recommended enrolment pattern – Digital Media (12-unit major)

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Recommended enrolment pattern – Apps and Interactive Systems Development (12-unit major)