Bachelor of DesignFASHION DESIGN

The Bachelor of Design with specialisation in Fashion Design at Whitehouse Institute of Design prepares you for a professional career across the global fashion industry. It combines garment design, pattern making, construction and illustration with the business and marketing knowledge the industry runs on, taking you from first sketch through to a graduate runway show.

The Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design is an accelerated two-year degree of 288 credit points. At a full-time study load it is delivered across 6 trimesters, with five subjects each trimester, and it is also offered part-time.

You can study the Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design on campus at Whitehouse in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. There are three main intakes each year, in February, June and September, with the next intake in February 2027.

You'll learn flat pattern cutting, modelling on the stand, garment construction, tailoring and professional finishing, textiles and print design, and fashion illustration in hand and digital styles. You'll also cover Adobe Creative Cloud (free for every Whitehouse student) and StyleCAD, trend forecasting and research, and marketing, business and professional practice for the fashion industry.

It is strongly hands-on. The Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design includes 20+ hours of face-to-face studio contact per week, which Whitehouse notes is more than double the national average, and you work in fully equipped atelier studios. Past students have also interned with Vogue Australia, Country Road, MECCA, FENDI, Dior and LVMH, and at Fashion Weeks.

You complete six industry-focused projects, one each trimester, from a brief that gives you a client, a design problem and a trend-based colour palette. They progress from a skirt and customised shirt, to a daywear capsule collection, a print design dress and soft jacket, tailoring and menswear, a signature hero garment, and finally your Graduate Collection, presented at the annual Whitehouse Graduate Exhibition and Fashion Runway. You graduate with a professional portfolio built from these projects.

Whitehouse Fashion Design graduates go on to work as Fashion Designers, Pattern Makers, Machinists, Costume Designers, Assistant Fashion Designers and Textile Designers. Others move into retail and commercial roles such as Own Label, Fashion Buyer, Merchandiser or Trend Forecaster, or media and creative roles such as Fashion Illustrator, Fashion Writer, Creative Director, Fashion Stylist or Fashion Editor. You can also continue into the Master of Design, where Whitehouse Bachelor of Design graduates receive admissions preference.

No ATAR required. You need to have completed Year 12 or equivalent, attend a Design Meeting and provide a portfolio, then apply directly through the Whitehouse website with no application fee. International students also need a minimum level of English language skills and a valid visa for studying in Australia.

No. No ATAR required: all Whitehouse courses now have no ATAR requirement, because an ATAR does not assess how well a student will succeed creatively.

A creative portfolio is a selection of your best work, usually 4 to 6 examples, that demonstrates your creative potential. It can include illustration, digital design, photography, film, creative writing, textile design, fine artworks or other work relevant to Fashion Design, and Whitehouse looks for an understanding of design, innovative thinking and the ability to develop ideas independently.

Talk to Whitehouse on 1300 551 433 or email study@whitehouse-design.edu.au if you don't have a creative portfolio or have questions about yours. Whitehouse also runs short workshops throughout the year to help applicants with their portfolio development.

Recommended Year 11 and 12 subjects include Design & Technology, Visual Arts, Visual Communication, Textiles & Design, and Modern or Ancient History. Whitehouse has no compulsory prerequisite subjects, and its Certificate III in Design Fundamentals (VET for Secondary School Students), taken in Year 10, 11 or 12, offers graduates direct entry into the Bachelor of Design.

Yes, in effect. The Digital Design subjects are best described as a graphic design course within your degree, using Adobe Creative Cloud tools such as Photoshop, Lightroom and InDesign for photography, editorial layout, digital imaging and portfolio creation. The difference is that you apply these skills directly to your fashion projects rather than studying graphic design in isolation.

For 2026, the domestic tuition fee is $14,610 per trimester at a full-time study load, an indicative average of $2,922 per unit across 5 units, excluding course materials and technical kits. The course is FEE-HELP approved, so eligible domestic students need no upfront payment for tuition fees.

FEE-HELP limits apply. Check the latest limits and eligibility on the Australian Government's StudyAssist website.

Yes, you may be eligible. Whitehouse may award credit for single subjects for accredited study at another provider or relevant industry experience, and Advanced Standing for similar completed courses, which can mean direct articulation into study period two, three or four of the Bachelor of Design and a shorter course.

Yes. If you have received an offer but aren't ready to start, you can defer to the next intake without reapplying, as long as you do so before the census date. To talk through your application, call Whitehouse on 1300 551 433 or email study@whitehouse-design.edu.au.

The Bachelor of Design, Fashion Design is an AQF Level 7 qualification, the level for bachelor degrees under the Australian Qualifications Framework. It is a higher education award delivered by Whitehouse Institute of Design and is FEE-HELP approved.