Graphic Design Pathway Program CUA50720

This Graphic Design Pathway program is perfect for people who are passionate about design but  have no experience in the industry or have not studied in a while.  

Combining the Graphic Design Essentials with the CUA50720 Diploma of Graphic Design means that you have a single progressive path to a graphic design career. 

If you are an existing worker or have experience in the related industry, please inform our enrolment consultants during your enrolment conversation. You may be eligible to enrol as an existing worker and complete your studies faster. Please note - limitations do apply.

During your studies, you will learn: 

• Design fundamentals, such as, typography, colour, visual communication and manipulation of graphics and layouts 
• How to master drawing and illustration, as well as print and packaging 
• How to understand and interpret branding and identity 
• How to understand and work with a client design brief 
• How to work in digital design 
• Creation of multiplatform assessments 
• Key skills around developing your own professional design practice, setting you up to work effectively as a freelancer, or in an agency environment 

Practitioners may work in many different commercial and community contexts across both print and digital media. The job roles that relate to this qualification may include Graphic Designer, and related roles such as Studio Manager. It may also provide pathways to other related roles in graphic design and associated industries.  

The duration for the course is self paced - maximum of 27 months. As a self-paced online course, the time it will take you to complete is flexible and dependent on ability and time available.

Entry Requirements

Mandatory Local Entry Requirements 

Students need to be able to demonstrate and/or provide evidence of their graphic design skills and ability. Students need to be able to: 

• Produce multiple examples of graphic design work that respond effectively to different design challenges 
• Produce typography that supports the overall design solution 
• Use graphic design software 

Successful completion of D0121 Graphic Design Essentials will provide you with the knowledge and skills to meet this entry requirement. 

If you already have knowledge and skills (from working or prior education) then you may be eligible to enrol directly in CUA50720 Diploma of Graphic Design and you should speak with an Enrolment Consultant about the direct entry requirements.  

Recommended Local Entry Requirements 

• Are 18 years old (students under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to enrol) 
• Have language, literacy and numeracy skills that ensure the ability to read and comprehend technical terms design terms, learn complex design task in an online self-paced environment, and communicate effectively through email. These skills are equivalent to those that would be required to successfully complete a qualification at Certificate IV level or higher 
• Access to a modern computer with high-speed internet 
• Access to Microsoft Office or equivalent 

To successfully complete this course, students will require the following basic computing skills on enrolment. This includes: 

• Basic skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign 
• Creating, saving and editing Microsoft Office documents 
• Accessing and searching the internet 
• Downloading and saving documents from websites 
• Uploading documents through websites/Cloud computing 
• Understanding of participating in online discussions 
• Attach and use peripheral devices such as scanners, digital cameras, media storage (e.g., flash drive for design storage). 
• Saving a compressed file (.zip) 
• Saving a PDF File and multipage PDF’s 
• Connecting digital cameras and downloading and storing images 
• Connecting digital video devices and downloading and storing videos 
• Compressing image audio and video files 

It is also highly desirable that entrants have: 

• Familiarity with Internet searches 
• Experience with social media platforms 
• Basic experience with Adobe Creative Cloud software 

It is recommended that a student achieves the following ACSF levels to successfully complete this course and be able to learn effectively in a self-paced online environment:  

• Learning,– Level 4 
• Reading, writing, oral communication & numeracy – Level 3 

If the student is still concerned about whether they have the skills to complete the course, they will be referred to Admissions as part of the enrolment process to complete a formal LLN assessment through BKSB. If the student does not achieve the recommended ACSF levels, their application will be sent to the Education Manager to determine if Open Colleges has the required level of support services available to support the needs of the student. In some cases, the student may be referred to an external provider such as their local TAFE to complete additional foundation skills training before being enrolled into the course. 

Minimum age

You will need to be at least 18 years old.

Equipment and tools

This course requires you to have access to a specific tools, equipment, and resources.   

Software Requirement (This is Mandatory Material) 

This course requires the use of design industry software.  

You will need access to the Adobe Creative Suite, which can be purchased on subscription through the Adobe Creative Cloud (ACC).  

The ACC subscription is not included in the course fee. Student subscriptions are available at a reduced price.  

Refer to the Adobe website for current pricing.  

IT Requirements 

It is recommended that students have the following hardware and additional software:

Operating System 

• Microsoft Windows 7 or higher (Windows 10 recommended) 
• Mac OS 10.11 (El Capitan) or higher

Note: (Microsoft Office 365 can only guarantee support on the current release of Mac OS, plus two previous versions. Older versions may work but may have issues) 

Processor: 2 GHz or faster, 2-core 

Memory: 8GB of RAM or higher z916GB recommended) 

Hard Drive Space: 2 GB free disk space 

Browser: Chrome is the preferred browser for students 

Software 

• Acrobat Reader 
• Microsoft Office 2017 or later (including MS Office 365).  Note: if using an equivalent office software (such as Open Office or Apple Pages etc), ensure that documents can be formatted correctly and exported to common file formats 
• Audio recording Software (Voice recorder app, Garageband, or Audacity) 
• Video editing software (iMovie, Video Editor app) 
• File compression software 

Internet Connection 

DSL, Cable, or Satellite with at least 2mbps upload speed 

Note: it is strongly recommended that you have access to the Internet from home. Expecting to access your course from your work internet or a public network like a library or coffee shop may be impractical due to your average weekly study hours. 

Printer/Scanner: Access to printing/scanning devices or facilities may be required for certain course activities 

Peripherals 

• 1280 x 800 display (1280 x 1024 recommended) with 16-bit colour and 512 MB of V RAM 
• Speakers or headset for audio playback 
• Microphone for audio recording 
• Webcam or equivalent (such as a smartphone with video recording capability) 
• External hard drive for back up of 1T or above 

E-Mail Capability 

Access to e-mail through an e-mail program or web-based e-mail system (e.g., Gmail, Hotmail, Mail for Android or Mail for iOS apps) 

Access to others 

Students will need to work with one or two other people to participate in video or audio roleplays. It is the responsibility of the student to find their own suitable role-play participants.