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Beautifully shaped steel building

Major

Design Thinking

Bachelor of Architectural Design
Overview Study details

Discover how design can drive innovation, sustainability and positive change across industries.

Build creative, strategic and human-centred design skills that can be used across architecture, business and society. This major focuses on how design can help solve complex problems and create better experiences, systems and places.

You’ll learn through collaborative studios and project-based learning, moving from research and empathy to sketches, models, prototypes and digital communication.

As you progress, you’ll explore how design can support sustainability, innovation and systems change.

In your final year, you’ll work with students from other disciplines on a real challenge and present evidence-based design solutions. You can also choose electives in human experience or strategic design in business contexts.

Graduate with an industry-ready portfolio that shows your ability to combine creativity, strategy and purpose. You'll be prepared for further study in architecture, planning or design innovation, or for careers that use design-led thinking to solve complex problems across industries.

Highlights

=40 in the world

QS World University Rankings 2027

=1 in Queensland for architecture and built environment

QS World University Rankings 2026

Career possibilities

Our programs prepare you for your first job and beyond. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:

  • Civil designer
  • Urban strategist
  • Architectural designer
  • Civil designer

Average annual salary range

Design Manager

$175–$195K

seek.com.au

Average annual salary range

Urban Planner

$90K–$100K

seek.com.au

Next steps after graduation

This major can support pathways into further study in architecture, planning, design innovation or related built environment fields.

It can also prepare you for roles where design-led thinking is used to understand people, solve complex problems and improve experiences, systems, services and places.

You'll be ready to apply your skills across business, government, community organisations, creative industries and innovation-focused teams.

How you'll learn

Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.

  • Lectures
  • Tutorials
  • Studios

What you'll study

At UQ, subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study:

  • Design for a Better World
  • Design for the Circular Economy [Core course]
  • Design Fabrication [Core course]
  • User Centred Design [Elective]
  • Design: Organisation [Elective]

See courses and program structure

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