Qualifications

The Graphic Design School brings its ethos of teaching students beyond design skills. We aim to instill an understanding of the culture of design combined with the techniques of a solid design process, from design brief to idea generation, sketching and refining design comps to working in the Adobe suite.

More than just a graphic design course, CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design is an online in-depth course in graphic design. Graduates will gain the confidence needed to be able to market their design skills at the end of the course. This course will arm you with all the skills needed to be a graphic designer. You will complete the course with a well-rounded portfolio showcasing your skills.

You’ll cover 12 modules during the course and be issued a CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design qualification after successful completion.

The 12 modules within the course have been designed around the 15 units of competency comprised in the CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design training package.

Students have up to 15 months to complete the 12 modules. As the course is self-paced, you can decide how many hours a week you wish to concentrate on study. An approximate guide is 750 hours to complete the 12 Modules.

Course Outlines

Module 1

Introduction to Graphic Design

Module 2

Design Basics

Module 3

Introduction to Typography

Module 4

Colour

Module 5

Advanced Typography

Module 6

Photography

Module 7

Logotype Design

Module 8

Design Systems

Module 9

Layout Design

Module 10

Design Systems II

Module 11

Preparing your Portfolio

Module 12

Advanced Portfolio Refinement and Enhancement. Preparing for the Job

A breakdown of these modules can be found on the Course Curriculum page of this site.

We are Austudy approved. Students who wish to apply for Austudy may do so via this full enrolment option.

Below are the Units of Competency that are covered in the above 12 modules. These Units will appear on your qualification at the end of your course.

Core units of competency

BSBCRT301

Develop and extend critical and creative thinking skills

BSBDES305

Source and apply information on the history and theory of design

BSBDES401

Generate design solutions

BSBDES402

Interpret and respond to a design brief

BSBWHS201

Contribute to health and safety of self and others

CUAACD401

Integrate colour theory and design processes

CUAPPR401

Realise a creative project

Elective Units of Competency

BSBDES301

Explore the use of colour

BSBDES302

Explore and apply the creative design process to 2D forms

BSBDES303

Explore and apply the creative design process to 3D forms

BSBDES304

Source and apply design industry knowledge

CUAGRD302

Use typography techniques

CUAGRD401

Research and apply graphic design techniques

CUAPHI401

Capture images in response to a brief

CUAPHI403

Enhance, manipulate and output photo images

If you have successfully completed the Intensive Foundation Course and you need a qualification for your studies, we have the solution. Students who complete the Intensive Foundation Course are eligible to upgrade to the accredited Certificate IV in Design qualification.

The first step to upgrading to the Certificate IV in Design is a recognition process conducted by the school. Because you have submitted your work online, we have a record of your progress in our marking systems against the 15 units of competency in the CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design.

After you enrol in the accredited course, the work you submitted in Modules 1–11 is marked against the accredited qualification and its units of competency. So, you have a ton of recognition of high quality work that flows into the CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design assessment records.

As part of the upgrade you will submit 5 extra assessments and these will complete the accredited qualification criteria. These assessments are industry related and will prepare you all the more for workplace expectations. Approximate time to complete the upgrade is 30 hours.

What assessments will I have to do?

The extra 5 assessments for the CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design upgrade course are as follows:

• Refined Digital Portfolio
• Resumé & Cover Letter
• Industry Consultation on a past project
• OHS assessment
• Copyright questionnaire assessment

Students will also be given the opportunity to refine their portfolios according to feedback given in module 11 of the Intensive Foundation Course. The refined portfolio will then be submitted for review by tutors.

Approximate time to complete the 5 assessments in the course upgrade is 50 hours.

The qualification in perspective

The government accredited CUA40715 Certificate IV in Design qualification is recognised by employers and industry groups Australia wide. This qualification is part of the national vocational education and training (VET) system, competency based and based on Training Packages.

Unique Student Identifier (USI)

From 1 January 2015, Australian students participating in Nationally Recognised Training in Australia will need to have a Unique Student Identifier, or USI.

This includes students completing an apprenticeship, skill set, certificate or diploma course.

A USI gives you access to your online USI account and will contain all of your nationally recognised training records and results from 1 January 2015 onwards. Your results will be available in your USI account in 2016.

When applying for a job or enrolling in further study, you will often need to provide your training records and results. One of the main benefits of the USI is that you will have easy access to your training records and results throughout your life.

How to get a USI?

It is free and easy for you to create your own USI online at usi.gov.au.