Design - Construction University of Melbourne

Overview

Overview

It is an exciting and challenging time to be working in the construction field. Technologies are changing rapidly and our built environment has to respond quickly to difficult global environmental and resource challenges.

The Design - Construction program at University of Melbourne focuses on the management of people, processes and materials in the construction industry, and how these apply to specific building projects. Site visits and presentations by industry professionals deepen your understanding of real-world practice and give you opportunities to expand your network while you are studying.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Design course structure results in a flexible degree that allows students to explore different fields of study. You can choose your major immediately or make a decision before the beginning of second year.

In the first year of the Bachelor of Design, you will be immersed in a world of design and discovering new concepts and skills. You might be performing on a stage, writing code in a computer lab, contemplating design theory and putting it in to practice, or making 3D models. The subjects you complete in your first year provide the basis for your knowledge of design that will carry through for the rest of your degree.

By your second year you will deepen your understanding of your chosen design disciplines and be able to finalise your selection of majors, minors and specialisations.

In third year you will complete your major requirements. You will also be required to undertake a capstone subject. Capstones are designed to draw together the various theoretical strands. On the completion of third year graduates will possess strong written, oral and visual communication techniques, and will develop practical skills and apply these to problem-solving.

Career outcomes

Good construction managers must understand the physics of structures, construction methodologies, the properties of materials, and the consequences of design decisions, as well as construction law, good management techniques and the economics of building. Our students go on to work in roles like:

• Cadet quantity surveyor
• Consultant
• Contract administrator
• Junior cost estimator
• Junior project coordinator
• Research assistant
• Site coordinator