- Overview
- Learning outcomes
- Program delivery and structure
BH104 - Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours)
Plan: BH104P15 - Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours)
Campus: City Campus
Program delivery and structure
Approach to learning and assessmentWork integrated learningProgram structureProgram transition planApproach to learning and assessment
The four year full-time Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) program gives significant scope to explore established and emerging disciplinary domains via four core study streams.
The Design Studies and Professional Practice stream explores the contemporary industrial design landscape, its histories, theories, methods and issues. The Specialist Knowledge and Skills stream provides practical and theoretical learning in methods of design visualization, representation and communication, and the material, manufacturing and technological constructs of Industrial Design practice. The Design Studio stream, which sits as the central and connective element of the curriculum, provides a diverse suite of applied, industry linked and research integrated design project experiences. Through these 'projects' the dimensions of particular needs and problems, in specific situations and contexts, are teased out in order to propose new and better alternatives through design. The Honours year courses provide a space for undertaking a large self-directed design research project and the articulation of the breadth and depth of that project in a variety of the forms.
The first year provides foundational exposures to the methods and nature of the designed form to the sociocultural factors of design and designing. The second year sees an increase of the technical, technological, and contextual complexity by which design activity and its implications are to be considered and provides avenues of choice in industrial design practice. The third year significantly defines individual design capabilities and interests. The fourth, and final year of the program provides the challenge of defining and demonstrating an area of professional engagement through a year-long, research-led and industry engaged design project.
Here, the many meanings, purposes of, and orientations to design are privileged: as an enabler of social reform and cultural enrichment; as a means of creative response to the issues and opportunities of sustainability; as a way of intervening in the problems of rapid technological advancement and the increasingly blurred intersections of our digital and material worlds, and as a form of play where the generative possibilities and delight of form, process and material are activated. Importantly the act of designing is positioned as a particular way of understanding and addressing the needs of clients, user groups and communities. Combined, these immersions manifest as a highly transferable mode of critically engaged, propositional and practical thinking, which acts as a scaffold for entry into the profession and opens up opportunities to pursue research and further study.
You will learn through a range of formal and informal encounters. These include participation in design studio and project oriented courses, lectures and tutorials, technical tuition in the use of specialist software and prototyping techniques, engaging with online materials and readings, exhibitions, exucrsions and field trips. You will work as an individual and as a member of design project teams, and a significant emphasis is placed on the ability to initiate individual and peer learning activitities and to be self-directed in your approach to study.
You will be assessed throughout the program on how well you meet the learning outcomes of each course, and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of your learning. You will be able to develop your work in relation to your own specific areas of interest in your professional practice and will receive ongoing formative feedback as you progress. This feedback comes from your lecturers, from industry guests and mentors, and from your peers in view of continuous improvement and greater degrees of reflectivity on your own learning.
If you have a disability, long-term illness and/or mental health condition or are the primary carer of individuals with a disability it is possible to have adjustments arranged and negotiated to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.
If you have already developed areas of skill and knowledge included in this program (for example, through prior studies or work experience), you can apply for credit once you have enrolled in this program. There is information on the RMIT University website about how to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Top of pageWork integrated learning
RMIT University is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice. As a student enrolled in this RMIT University program you will:
- undertake and be assessed on structured activities that allow you to learn, apply and demonstrate your professional or vocational practice;
- interact with industry and community when undertaking these activities;
- complete these activities in real work contexts or situations;
and in addition:
- these interactions and the work contexts provide distinctive sources of feedback to you to assist your learning.
Any or all of these aspects of a WIL experience may be simulated in a workplace environment.
The Industrial Design program has a strong set of relationships across a range of industry, research and community entities and works with industry in a variety of ways: through student engagement with academic and professional staff who are practitioners in the field; through the structure and content of courses that are often linked directly to, or taught by, industry partners, through assessment and feedback where industry practitioners will be involved in appraising and critiquing your design work; and, through specialised work placements via the Design Practicum and Atelier elective courses.
Typically these engagements occur through Design Studio , but are in fact common in all courses. Collaborative teaching relationships with other disciplines at RMIT and other universities both locally and abroad extend WIL opportunities so that you will learn to work with people from other fields. In addition the program frequently runs design studios and electives with students and practitioners from other programs at RMIT, including Architecture, Fine Art, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Textiles Design, Fashion Design, Engineering, and Business programs. These activities often involve external industry or community partners, provide you relevant and collaborative WIL opportunities, and offer you interdisciplinary learning opportunities within the realm of larger projects with other disciplines.
These industry and community connections contribute to the program and the development of your capabilities in the following ways:
- By situating commercial or speculative projects within the curriculum of design studio and electives courses
- By releasing practitioners as teaching staff across all courses and year levels in the program
- By participating in the review, assessment and moderation of your design projects, offering verbal and
written feedback. - By locating students’ design activities and outcomes within real-world professional activities including projects, exhibitions, competitions, and campaigns
The designated WIL Course is:
GRAP 1040 Industrial Design Honours Project Part Two: Design Research and Prototyping
This course is the capstone of the Bachelor Honours program and engages in work integrated learning through the inclusion of design industry practitioners and experts in relevant fields in the evaluation and feedback of individual design research projects as they develop. Professional practice in this course involves the communication of design research findings and propositions to industry and community stakeholders in a professional and scholarly manner, and to reflect deeply on the meanings and findings you have discovered in your particular approach to design practice. Additionally external industry specialists will contribute to the assessment of design research project outcomes.
Top of pageProgram Structure
| For students who commence their study in this program from 1 January 2016 onwards, please note that some courses listed in this structure will have their course marks count toward your program's weighted average mark. Your weighted average mark will determine the honours level of your award once you have completed the program. If a course counts toward your weighted average mark, that fact will be stated in its course guide. In Enrolment Online, after you completed your course enrolment, you will be notified which of the enrolled courses will count toward the weighted average mark. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year One of Program |
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| Complete the following Eight Courses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year Two of Program |
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| Complete the following Two (2) Courses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete Two (2) of the following Courses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete One (1) course from the Program Options List at the end of this program structure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete One (1) University Elective or another Program Option Course: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year Three of Program |
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| Complete the following Two (2) Core Courses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete Two (2) of the following courses that you have not taken or passed already. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete One (1) course from the Program Options list at the end of this program structure: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete One (1) Course from any University Elective or another Program Option course: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University Elective | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Year Four of Program |
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| Complete the following Four (4) Courses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete One (1) course from the Program Options list at the end of this program structure: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Select and Complete One (1) Courses from any University Elective or another Program Option: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University Elective | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Industrial Design: |
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Program transition plan
In Semester 1, 2022 the program structure of the BH104 Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) program was amended and the following changes applied:
Program Options
Course title change from GRAP2571 Design Practicum to GRAP2571 Design Internship
Active students who have completed this course under the previous name will not be required to repeat the course as a result of the title change.
In Semester 2, 2022, the program structure of the BH104 Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) was amended. For more information, please refer to the New and Updated Program Structure.
If you are undertaking a reduced load, are on Leave of Absence (LOA), or have deferred studies, you will not be disadvantaged by the change of program structure.
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