Associate Degree of Design and Visual Communication

SAE Design graduates have been involved with companies in advertising, marketing and retail including The Printing Place, Harvey Norman, Berryme Frozen Yogurt and World Wide Printing.

Our Associate Degree is about much more than visual aesthetics, providing you with a detailed understanding and hands-on experience of the role of design in the contemporary world. You’ll explore branding and identity design, online and print design, digital image-making and user-centred design. You’ll create targeted designs with a particular audience in mind, and develop the skills to come up with creative solutions to complex problems in almost any context.

At SAE, you will engage in virtual collaborative learning and also one-on-one mentoring opportunities you may not find in a larger university. You’ll apply theoretical knowledge through studio best-practices and access the latest software like the Adobe Creative Suite as well as have the option to access on-campus facilities.

Areas of study

Creative problem solving skills and processes, cross disciplinary practice, entrepreneurial awareness of the role of design to industry and society, illustration and layout for screen and print-based design, information and communication structures and approaches, physical and print based interfaces, project management, teamwork and collaboration, typography, user experience design for digital, visual communication principles and techniques, visual identity and branding.

Career opportunities

Graphic designer, content manager, print and digital designer,  social media designer, UX Designer, UI Designer.

Practical experience

SAE offers hands on, practical and project based education – it’s what makes us unique. We recognised this back in 1976 and that’s why we pioneered our hands-on, industry focused, and personalised curriculum. You will truly sharpen your skills by doing, not watching. From day one, you’ll be in small classes, using the latest equipment. The more prac work the better – that’s our theory. Upon completion, you will have built a portfolio of work to share with potential employers or first clients.

Fees and charges

SAE offers a range of options to help students fund their studies. Current SAE fee information.