Frequently Asked Questions

Why Study Our Bachelor of Design Arts?

Increasingly contemporary designers cross over multiple design fields throughout their career or closely collaborate across the creative spectrum. If you have a keen interest in Design and Art, you will be aware of the many ‘collabs’ between different artists and designers or artists that cross the boundaries into design.

The Bachelor of Design Arts (BDA) offered by LCI Melbourne, supports people to be creative professionals, seeking opportunities to collaborate and able to curate a varied and interesting lifelong career as a design professional, across multiple fields.

Like the Bauhaus practitioners whose philosophy underpins our teaching and program design, we “reimagine the material world to reflect the unity of all the arts”. Our degree is not about competition between design fields and art but cross-pollinating one degree.

We encourage our students to work collaboratively and bring their unique professional attributes to common projects. For example, our photography students take the model shots for our fashion student’s collections, our graphic design students develop branding and logos for interior design students. It happens all the time when you bring creative people together.

I Want to Know More About When and How I Will Study...

Why is the BDA Only Two Years?

We responded to the demand from students who want to join the profession with- out delay. We designed the degree to deliver six trimesters in two years without compromising on the learning by reducing the semester breaks and starting and finishing later in the year.

What Will My Timetable Be Like?

LCI Melbourne is an Institute of Higher Education, like a university, so it is different to secondary school as it prepares you to transition to become a working professional designer or artist.

It is expected that you will do a considerable amount of your creative and academic work outside of the timetabled classes. A full-time load is approximately 15 hours in class activity and then allow approximately 20 hours a week for student directed additional work at your own pace. You will have 2 to 3 days per week on campus – although you can always hang out when you don’t have formal classes and use the resources and space.

*Also, there is no uniform and no school bell....

Will I Be Able to Study Part-Time and Off Campus?

From Trimester 1, 2023, the Bachelor of Design Arts will only be available full-time on campus.

In exceptional circumstances, however, students can request, through an internal process, to reduce their load.

Like many other institutes, during the pandemic and lockdowns we responded flexibly to our students needs and provided part-time and off-campus delivery
but for new intakes from 2023, we have decided that we can provide a great on- campus experience that supports our community of learners, artists and designers more effectively.

If you want to study part-time and on-line, you might like to consider our Higher Education Diploma of Fashion Design or Higher Education Diploma of Graphic Design which will be offered in part-time and on-line mode only. Both Diplomas pathway to the Bachelor of Design Arts in the second year.

What if I want to Take a Break?

Even with LCI Melbourne's support systems, students sometimes require time off during their studies due to personal difficulties or other reasons. At any time after commencement, you may apply for Leave of Absence, for a period of 2 to 3 trimesters. 

**This may be different if you are an international student because of visa requirements. Chat to our Student Services Team here if you want further advice.

If you decide to leave the program after successfully completing 4 trimesters full-time study, you can apply to receive an Associate Degree of Design Arts.

How Will LCI Help Me Achieve My goals?

At LCI Melbourne, we are solely focused on Art and Design education, and this focus ensures we invest our energy in creating the environment for our students to succeed. We use our experience and industry connections to support your learning and development.

Whilst LCI may be relatively new to Melbourne, our staff have been recruited because of their commitment to teaching and their connections to the art and design profession, which includes being practicing artists and/or designers. Our mentors are encouraged to maintain their professional activities and to use their experience and networks in the classroom to create a grounded and contemporary experience of working life as a designer or artist.

We refer to our teaching staff as “mentors” because of the mentoring approach that underpins their interactions with students. They discover the strengths in each individual and cultivate these so you will find your forte.

We have small classes so there are lots of one-on- one engagement that ensure we find your strengths and develop them. This also enables us to provide you with the support to get over the difficult hurdles and make sure you are achieving the outcomes you need.

We know our students. As an artist or designer, you will have your unique way of creating and we get to learn these with you, developing your style and giving you confidence to develop your way of working.

During 2020 and 2021 in Victoria, despite the pandemic and lockdowns, the creative industries continued to make significant contributions to the economy. Our friends at Creative Victoria shared the statistics: 171,149 people are employed in creative industries across design disciplines aligned to what we teach at LCI. At least 1 in 10 people in Victoria work in design related fields – that is significant.

Is it Hard to Get a Career in Art & Design?

The creative industries are thriving, as evidenced by the many corporations and businesses now seeking out experts in creativity, either through an agency, or to lead inhouse design divisions.

In recent years we have seen a growing trend of major global companies like Deloitte, KPMG and Price Waterhouse Cooper employing Creative Directors and this trend is expected to grow with medium sized enterprises realising the advantages of creative professionals.

Are There Study Tours or Exchanges?

With 23 campuses over 5 continents, we have a network that enables you to virtually connect or spend time at any of our global sites.

You can spend a trimester away in Montreal, Barcelona, Costa Rica or any of our other creative hotspots across the globe.

We also have study tours to Art & Design destinations such as Milan in Italy where students and staff attend the Milan Design Week events and get close to some of the world leading designers and design brands.