Master of DesignFASHION DESIGN

The Master of Design (Fashion Design) is a postgraduate degree at AQF Level 9, the highest coursework level in the Australian Qualifications Framework below a doctorate. At Whitehouse Institute of Design it is a practice-led fashion design degree of 144 credit points, built around a single major project taken from research question to finished, exhibited collection.

The Master of Design is 1 year accelerated (36 weeks): three twelve-week trimesters totalling 144 credit points. The trimesters run back to back, so it carries a credit load comparable to many two-year masters within a shorter calendar.

No. The Whitehouse Master of Design is offered full time only, across 1 to 2 weekdays per week, which suits applicants working part-time alongside their degree. Classes are typically between 9am and 6pm, subject to scheduling, and part-time or exclusively after-hours classes are not available.

The Master of Design is taught in Sydney only, on campus at Whitehouse Institute of Design, 55 Renwick Street, Redfern, a short walk from Redfern Station. There is one intake each year, in February, with the next intake in February 2027.

It is for designers who want to spend a year developing one body of work to a professional standard. That might be someone finishing a Bachelor of Design at Whitehouse or elsewhere, a designer a few years into the industry, or someone who trained overseas and wants an Australian qualification at AQF Level 9.

Yes. The studio subjects cover advanced garment construction, advanced draping, experimental patternmaking and producing a fashion collection, so you are expected to arrive with prior knowledge, such as a Bachelors degree or significant experience, or an existing design practice, and a portfolio that evidences it.

Yes. Whitehouse assesses applicants without an undergraduate degree, or with one in a non-creative field, on their industry professional practice, which must include significant experience in patternmaking and garment construction.

No. The Whitehouse Master of Design is practical in nature, and evidence of patternmaking and garment construction experience is required.

You produce a collection of at least five to eight finished, styled looks, some with full industry specification packs covering style sheets, garment details, grading and costing. You also produce a professional portfolio, a pattern folio, a digital exhibition, a runway presentation at an industry showcase and a design thesis of 5,000 to 6,000 words.

They are nested awards within the same Whitehouse postgraduate program. The Graduate Certificate of Design is 36 credit points after trimester one, the Graduate Diploma of Design is 96 credit points after trimester two, and the Master of Design is 144 credit points after trimester three, and moving from one to the next does not require a new application.

You need a Bachelors degree or significant industry experience, evidence of patternmaking and garment construction, a portfolio and a 2,000-word project proposal. You also need an academic transcript with Credit to Distinction results in most subjects, personal and academic documents, and to attend an online Design Meeting and an interview with the National Creative Director.

To be eligible for the Master of Design you must prepare a 2,000-word project proposal, and the postgraduate entry requirements include a guide. The Graduate Certificate of Design requires a simplified 500-word proposal and allows for articulation into the Master of Design.

Submit a direct application through the Whitehouse Institute of Design website, then submit your portfolio, project proposal and documents. You'll attend an online Design Meeting and an interview with the National Creative Director, and receive an outcome within 48 hours of your interview, with no application fees.

For 2027, domestic tuition fees for the Master of Design total $44,620: $8,334 for Trimester 1, $13,958 for Trimester 2 and $22,328 for Trimester 3, excluding course materials and technical kits. Fees are in Australian dollars, inclusive of GST where applicable, and subject to annual review; 2027 international fees are to be confirmed.

Yes. The Master of Design is FEE-HELP approved, so eligible students can defer all or part of their tuition and repay it through the tax system once their income passes the threshold. FEE-HELP limits apply, and Youth Allowance, Austudy and Abstudy may be available to eligible Australian citizens.

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

You leave with a finished collection, a portfolio built to specification and spec packs with grading and costing, the basis for launching your own label or for a role in a design room. Because the Master of Design sits at AQF Level 9, the entry qualification for doctoral study, its research strand also supports a move into teaching or a PhD. Along the way the course includes industry guests, designer studio visits, internship opportunities and international fashion travel opportunities.