About the Australian Academy of Design
The Australian Academy of Design specialises in tertiary-level art, design and multi media. The Academy is the first non-government design institute in Australia to be inducted into the prestigious global art and design organization, Cumulus. Established in 1998 the Academy offers the Bachelor of Design Arts degree, a three-year degree, which is the equivalent of a four-year university degree. Major and sub-major studies are available in advertising, fashion design, graphic design, photo media and visual arts, which can be combined to provide graduates with a greater range of job opportunities. The Academy’s creative approach suits students who prefer a supportive learning environment. Class sizes are kept small to facilitate better learning – as a consequence more than 90% of Academy students complete their studies.
The structure of the qualification is informed by industry advice about contemporary creative practice; specifically that to be competitive today, design graduates need skills in more than one major unit of study. The end result for Academy students is an expanded professional skill-set resulting in increased career options. Academy graduates have found professional success in a variety of creative roles, ranging from securing positions at top advertising agencies and design studios to one graduate being part of the Oscar winning production team for the film Happy Feet.
The Academy encourages individuality of style in its students and definitely does not impose a “school style”. The approach is based on the knowledge that each student is unique and different and will develop his/her own particular style of expression through the personalised approach to acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge.
Faculty
The faculty at the Australian Academy of Design includes professional advertising creatives and copywriters, fashion designers, graphic designers, photographers, multimedia designers and visual artists who are also committed and highly successful educators. It includes teaching staff and guest lecturers whose work is included in the collections of state and national public galleries in Australia. Visiting artists and designers supplement the teaching programs as guest lecturers.
International Exchanges
Between 2005-2011 the Academy established affiliation agreements with overseas institutions for the purpose of student and faculty exchanges and joint research. These agreements have been formalised with:
• BAU Escola Superior de Disseny, Barcelona, Spain
• Instituto Europeo di Design (I.E.D.) Barcelona, Spain
• ESDi Escola Superior de Disseny, Barcelona, Spain
• Instituto Europeo di Design (I.E.D.) Milan, Italy
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy (Graduate program only)
• Istituto Superiore di Design Napoli, Italy
• Utrecht School of Art, Netherlands
• Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands
• Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
• Parsons Paris School of Design, Paris, France
• University of Creative Arts, London, UK
Similar agreements are being discussed at leading art and design institutions in Sweden, UK and USA which will enable Academy students to study abroad for credit.
Contacts
Joanne Brodie – Public Relations Manager [email protected]
For further information on courses email [email protected]
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