MASTER OF DESIGN
DEGREE
CURIOSITY.
COLLABORATION.
EXPERIMENTATION.
The Master of Design (Fashion) has returned in 2026 and is designed for makers who want to build at an advanced level.
The program will be delivered on campus at our new Sydney Flagship Campus, with a clear focus on high-end garment development, advanced patternmaking, and advanced Japanese patternmaking techniques, supported by contemporary digital skills through learning StyleCAD and CLO3D.
At the centre of the curriculum is a practice-led model that blends:
- Studio design development (concept to collection)
- Advanced workshop and construction
- Research and fashion context
- Industry engagement and professional practice
Across the year, you will continue to develop (or redevelop) your own collection or label identity, working toward two six-body collections in different seasonal directions (for example: Cruise + Spring/Summer, or Autumn/Winter + Resort). Where appropriate, one collection may be outsourced to reflect real-world production pathways and timelines.
GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
On completion of the Master of Design, graduates will demonstrate advanced, professional capability in fashion design practice, with the confidence to take a collection from concept to resolved outcome. Graduates will be able to:
- Apply advanced patternmaking and construction skills to produce high-quality garments with refined fit and finish
- Develop and deliver coherent collection narratives aligned to brand identity, seasonal direction, and market positioning
- Integrate digital patternmaking / 3D workflows to enhance development, iteration, and production readiness
- Undertake critical and practice-led research to support original design outcomes and informed decision-making
- Work independently and collaboratively to plan, organise and deliver complex design projects within real-world constraints
- Demonstrate reflective, socially responsible practice and professional readiness for industry pathways, employment, or label development
CULTURAL AND ACADEMIC COMMUNITIES
Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia intersects with many facets of the design industry with cultural organisations and academic communities. Opportunities are offered to students to engage in academic forums and workplace settings, to participate in industry competitions. Cultural liaisons also contribute to Whitehouse students’ ability to work effectively in our creative communities.
COURSE STRUCTURE AND SUBJECT THEMES
The Master of Design is structured as an applied, industry-aligned learning experience that builds capability in three connected areas:
1) Design + Material Culture (Studio)
MC7 – Explorations of Material Culture is your design subject, where your collection direction is developed through design thinking, material investigation, silhouette exploration, and iterative prototyping. Practice-led studio work supports original outcomes that are both creative and commercially aware.
2) Advanced Patternmaking + Construction (Workshop)
RW7 – Advanced Patternmaking Construction is the technical backbone of the program. You will refine advanced drafting, construction, fitting and finishing skills, with emphasis on high-end methods and Japanese patternmaking approaches.
Your workshop hours are complemented by digital development including StyleCAD and/or CLO3D, delivered in a newly upgraded, state-of-the-art computer lab to support digital patternmaking and 3D garment visualisation.
3) Research + Ideas Generation (Context)
IG7 – Research, Ideas Generation supports your design practice through research, concept articulation, visual communication, cultural analysis, and reflective practice—helping you position your work within contemporary fashion systems and design discourse.
Reading the Body and Space:
In this subject students focus on developing their perception of the body as it relates to space and visual culture, and applications in design projects.
Design Project:
Practice-led, socially responsible examinations and experiments are undertaken in this subject as a means by which to challenge and reframe existing design parameters.
Project Proposal:
Research documentation for a prospective project and communication processes available to designers as a means by which to persuade an audience is framed through this subject.
Design Studio:
This subject permits practice-led ethical examinations and experiments undertaken as a means by which to challenge and reframe existing production processes for innovative and socially responsible design.
Design Exhibition & Publication:
The capstone subject brings together work in previous subjects with a professionally produced product and associated exhibition and publication, which contribute to a personal portfolio and academic professional profile.
The Master of Design degree at WHITEHOUSE consists of three, 12-Week Study Periods, in a trimester model and is completed within 1 Year.
|:----|:----|:----|
|RW7|Research Workshop for Design|12 Credit Points|
|MC7|Explorations of Material Culture|12 Credit Points|
|IG7|Frameworks for Ideas Generation|12 Credit Points|
|BS8|Reading the Body and Space|12 Credit Points|
|DP8|Design Project|24 Credit Points|
|PP8|Project Proposal|24 Credit Points|
|DS9|Design Studio|24 Credit Points|
|DE10|Design Exhibition and Publication|24 Credit Points|
GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
Upon graduation from the Master of Design, students will have access to a body of knowledge, and mastery of selected skills prerequisite for professional practice in the creative industries. They will be able to independently plan, organise, conduct, and successfully participate in the resolution of complex design problems, drawing on contemporary scholarship, and socially responsible and innovative approaches to make and supply.
Furthermore, students will demonstrate the capacity for reflective practice and utilise socially responsible design for the betterment of our communities. Students will demonstrate design confidence and be creative practitioners who can understand clients’ needs and the challenges associated with commercial projects. They will be flexible thinkers who show responsiveness to change and who can drive future and emerging economies.
With purpose built design campuses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Whitehouse students are provided with state-of-the-art facilities within each of their subjects. Exclusive access to digital resources such as FREE Adobe Creative Cloud, trend-forecasting services, a specialist design library, one of the largest design collections from Louis Vuitton/Burberry/Sacai etc, student rooftop garden, student pool area and fully-equipped photography studios.
Whitehouse is continuously updating and improving resources to ensure that students have extensive design research support.
|:----|:----|:----|
|Graduate Certificate (Trimester one)|12 weeks|$6,977.00|
| Graduate Diploma (Trimester Two)|12 weeks|$11,630.00|
| Master of Design (Trimester Three)|12 weeks|$18,608.00|
The Tuition Fee schedules apply for 2025 only and are subject to annual review and alteration. All fees are in Australian Dollars and inclusive of GST where GST is applicable. The Fee documents attached are for tuition only.
TUITION FEE PAYMENT OPTIONS
You can choose to pay your tuition fees in the following ways:
- HELP Assistance (previously known as FEE-HELP Assistance)
- Pay Fees Upfront
- Upfront Payment for Single Unit/s + HELP
Tuition fees for each study period are to be paid in advance before the commencement of each study period. You can either elect to pay upfront, in full or a portion upfront, with the balance deferred to HELP. If you elect to pay your tuition fees up front, this does not prevent you from accessing HELP at any time, provided an electronic Commonwealth Assistance form (eCAF) to defer tuition to FEE-HELP assistance is lodged before the relevant Census Date for the study period.
HELP
HELP is a loan scheme that helps eligible Australian fee-paying students (full-time or part-time) pay their tuition fees. HELP can cover all or part of your tuition fees. The Australian Government pays the amount of the loan direct to Whitehouse. You’ll make repayments on your loan through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) whenever your income is above the threshold, or you can make voluntary repayment to ATO at any time. No interest or loan fees is charged on your HELP loan, however, it is indexed each year with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in line with the cost of living.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for HELP you must be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen eligible for a Special Category visa or hold a permanent humanitarian visa whilst remaining a resident in Australia, or a permanent visa holder who is undertaking study for overseas-trained professional and will be a resident in Australia for the duration of studies.
WHEN IS A HELP DEBT INCURRED?
You incur a HELP debt immediately after the census date for the study period for which you received HELP assistance. If you have requested a HELP loan, but change your mind about studying, you must cancel or defer your enrolment in writing from the subject(s) on or before the census date or you will incur a HELP debt to the Commonwealth Government.
2020 HELP Limit Changes
WHAT IS THE COMBINED HELP LOAN LIMIT?
The combined HELP loan limit is a cap on what you can borrow from the Australian Government to cover the costs of your tuition fees. The HELP loan limit will replace the current FEE-HELP limit from 1 January 2020.
WHAT ARE THE HELP LOAN LIMIT AMOUNTS?
For 2020, the HELP loan limit is $106,319 for most students.
DO MY PAST HELP OR VSL DEBTS COUNT?
Yes. Existing FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP and VET Student Loan debts will be carried over and count towards your HELP loan limit. On 1 January 2020, your FEE-HELP balance will become your HELP balance and subject to allowable loan limit.
* NOTE: This information is current as of 6 September 2019. For more information about HELP, changes to legislation, eligibility, your rights & obligations, please visit the Commonwealth Government website: –https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans
|:----|:----|:----|
|Graduate Certificate (Trimester one)|12 weeks|$8,334.00|
| Graduate Diploma (Trimester Two)|12 weeks|$13,958.00|
| Master of Design (Trimester Three)|12 weeks|$22,328.00|
The Tuition Fee schedules apply for 2025 only and are subject to annual review and alteration. All fees are in Australian Dollars and inclusive of GST where GST is applicable. The Fee documents attached are for tuition only.
TUITION FEE PAYMENT OPTIONS
You can choose to pay your tuition fees in the following ways:
- HELP Assistance (previously known as FEE-HELP Assistance)
- Pay Fees Upfront
- Upfront Payment for Single Unit/s + HELP
Tuition fees for each study period are to be paid in advance before the commencement of each study period. You can either elect to pay upfront, in full or a portion upfront, with the balance deferred to HELP. If you elect to pay your tuition fees up front, this does not prevent you from accessing HELP at any time, provided an electronic Commonwealth Assistance form (eCAF) to defer tuition to FEE-HELP assistance is lodged before the relevant Census Date for the study period.
HELP
HELP is a loan scheme that helps eligible Australian fee-paying students (full-time or part-time) pay their tuition fees. HELP can cover all or part of your tuition fees. The Australian Government pays the amount of the loan direct to Whitehouse. You’ll make repayments on your loan through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) whenever your income is above the threshold, or you can make voluntary repayment to ATO at any time. No interest or loan fees is charged on your HELP loan, however, it is indexed each year with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in line with the cost of living.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for HELP you must be an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen eligible for a Special Category visa or hold a permanent humanitarian visa whilst remaining a resident in Australia, or a permanent visa holder who is undertaking study for overseas-trained professional and will be a resident in Australia for the duration of studies.
WHEN IS A HELP DEBT INCURRED?
You incur a HELP debt immediately after the census date for the study period for which you received HELP assistance. If you have requested a HELP loan, but change your mind about studying, you must cancel or defer your enrolment in writing from the subject(s) on or before the census date or you will incur a HELP debt to the Commonwealth Government.
2020 HELP Limit Changes
WHAT IS THE COMBINED HELP LOAN LIMIT?
The combined HELP loan limit is a cap on what you can borrow from the Australian Government to cover the costs of your tuition fees. The HELP loan limit will replace the current FEE-HELP limit from 1 January 2020.
WHAT ARE THE HELP LOAN LIMIT AMOUNTS?
For 2020, the HELP loan limit is $106,319 for most students.
DO MY PAST HELP OR VSL DEBTS COUNT?
Yes. Existing FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP and VET Student Loan debts will be carried over and count towards your HELP loan limit. On 1 January 2020, your FEE-HELP balance will become your HELP balance and subject to allowable loan limit.
* NOTE: This information is current as of 6 September 2019. For more information about HELP, changes to legislation, eligibility, your rights & obligations, please visit the Commonwealth Government website: –https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans
ACCREDITATION
Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia is a private higher education provider registered by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). Whitehouse is approved to deliver the accredited Master of Design with specialisations in Fashion Design, Interior Design and Styling & Creative Direction to local and overseas students in Victoria and New South Wales. The registration details are included in the TESQA National Register. TESQA Provider No: PRV12065.
FURTHER POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Please refer to the website for further information on Policies and Procedures governing the Whitehouse Institute.
DISCLAIMER
Whitehouse Institute Pty Ltd. trading as Whitehouse Institute of Design Australia reserves the right not to admit students who, in its view, are unlikely to be able to meet the academic, creative, technical, and linguistic or workplace health and safety requirements of its courses. All courses offered by Whitehouse Institute are subject to minimum numbers.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
By accepting a place in any one of the Whitehouse Institute’s courses, the student enters into an agreement to study a course for the expected published duration of the enrolled program of study – their enrolment then is bound by the terms and conditions of the Cancellation and Refund Policy. Download a copy of the Cancellation and Refund Policy.
TUITION ASSURANCE
Click here to read the Tuition Assurance Statement in full, and arrangements that have been put in place.
Yes. We consider all applicants who may not have completed an undergraduate degree, or have completed an undergraduate degree but in a non-creative field. We assess these students on their Industry Professional Practise, which must include significant experience.
To be eligible for the Master of Design, you should have completed an Undergraduate degree in a creative field, or have extensive industry experience. You would be required to collate your projects into a portfolio for your application.
Absolutely, we are here to help. We recommend meeting with us, giving us a call or coming in for a tour. You can do any of those by clicking on the links below.
Call now 1300 551 433
Email us study@whitehouse-design.edu.au
Please read the course page and the "frequently asked questions" section carefully, you should find the answers to your questions.
If not, please use the contact form below.