Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Communication Design

This is a four-year double degree that pairs a business qualification with a communication design qualification. You graduate with two awards from Torrens University Australia: a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Communication Design. The structure is what makes it useful. Instead of picking between commerce and creative work, you study both, and the two halves feed each other. On the business side you cover the usual ground: accounting, marketing, management, economics, business law and strategy. On the design side you work through typography, branding, digital design, visual communication and studio practice. Some units bring the two together, so you might work on a brand identity project that has to answer to a client brief and a budget, not just look good.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are normally three years full time. A double degree adds a year, which is why this one runs for four. Study is organised by semester or trimester, depending on the institution, and each unit carries a set number of credit points. You need to pass a required total of credit points to graduate, split across the two awards. The first year is usually broad, core units in both business and design. Later years give you more choice, with electives and majors, and most double degrees finish with a capstone unit or a final studio project where you pull everything together into one piece of work. Torrens runs this course under CRICOS code 090257G, and the full unit list, credit point totals and any placement requirements sit on the official course page.

Skills you build

You learn to read a market and a brief at the same time. That means financial literacy, project management and marketing analysis alongside design software, layout, colour, type and user experience. You also learn to present work, take feedback and defend decisions, the part of design that employers actually pay for. Group projects are common, and they mirror how agencies and in-house teams work: a designer, an account manager and a strategist in the same room, arguing about the same problem.

Who it suits

This suits someone who wants to work in design but does not want to be limited to making things. If you are interested in running a studio, working as a creative director, or moving into brand strategy or marketing, the business half gives you the language and the numbers. It also suits students who are not sure yet which side they will end up on and would rather keep both doors open. International applicants need to meet English requirements, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Check the official page for current unit details, intake dates and fees.

• Graphic or visual designer, studios, agencies, in-house marketing teams and government communications units.
• Brand or marketing coordinator, retail, technology, hospitality and professional services firms.
• Digital designer or UX support, product teams, web agencies and media organisations.
• Creative director (with experience), advertising and design agencies across Australia.
• Business development or account manager, design and advertising agencies, where you sell and manage creative work.
• Small business owner or freelancer, running your own studio or design practice.
• Communications officer, not-for-profits, universities, councils and health organisations.

Graduates can apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream if they meet the requirements. While studying, student visa holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight.