Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)

That’s a really exciting double‑degree you’re looking at. The Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design) at QUT is very strong on hands‑on learning — it’s not just theory: you'll actively design, prototype, collaborate and engage with real-world business contexts as you go, which helps you graduate career-ready.

Here’s how the program builds practical, career-ready skills through real experiences: from day one, you work in impact lab units that bring you together with peers from different disciplines to tackle social and industry problems. In design studios, you’ll build your technical know-how through fabric studies and product development, while also learning to think ethically and sustainably. In later semesters, you’ll pull all this together in a major final-year project that’s very much about creating something real — whether a collection, a retail strategy or a business model.

Some of the key experiential-learning opportunities in this program include:

• Shared Impact Lab Units: In your early semesters, you take “impact labs” (such as Place, People, Planet, Purpose) where you collaborate across disciplines to address real societal or industry challenges through design.

• Hands-on Studio Work: You’ll learn fashion fabrication, prototyping and design in fully equipped studios — developing your technical skills to bring your creative ideas to life.

• Real-world Briefs & Projects: You work individually and in teams on industry‑informed design projects, giving you a feel for both creativity and client-driven problem solving.

• Ethics & Sustainability Focus: The curriculum incorporates global fashion culture and socially responsible design practices, preparing you to think critically about the wider impact of your work.

• Major Final-Year Project: Your final year culminates in a capstone design project. This isn’t just academic — you synthesise product development, business readiness, and creative vision into a tangible piece, collection or strategy.

• Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): The course includes opportunities for real business exposure through placements, internships or industry partnerships, blending your fashion‑design knowledge with business acumen.

• Double Degree Advantage: Because you’re earning both a business degree and a design degree, you graduate not only as a designer but someone who deeply understands the business of fashion — whether it's marketing, merchandising, forecasting or entrepreneurship.

• International Exchange: You have the option to spend a year abroad at partner universities (in places like the UK, USA, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Hong Kong), giving you global exposure, design insights, and expanded networks.

• Mentorship & Industry Engagement: Throughout the degree, you’re supported by experienced industry mentors and faculty with real fashion‑industry background, helping you build a relevant portfolio and professional relationships.

Progression & Future Opportunities
Completing this double degree sets you up for a wide range of exciting fashion-business careers. You could become a fashion buyer, a fashion marketer, a design forecaster, a fashion entrepreneur, or even a fashion business analyst — the possibilities are broad.

What this means for you:

Real-world experience while you study: At QUT, you don’t just learn theory — you’ll dive into work-integrated learning, projects, and placements that give you practical experience before you even graduate.

Industry-standard facilities & mentors: You’ll work in cutting-edge fashion studios with guidance from experienced fashion mentors. Real-world briefs focus on sustainability, ethics, and digital innovation, so your skills stay relevant and future-focused.

Global exposure: International exchange opportunities let you study in fashion capitals like London, Milan, Berlin, Amsterdam, or Delhi. You can also land internships with world-renowned brands like Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, and Tom Ford.

Balanced, versatile curriculum: With 384 credit points split evenly between business and design, you graduate with both creative flair and commercial smarts — a combination many fashion employers value highly.

Long-term professional recognition: The design component can lead to industry accreditation, such as membership with the Design Institute of Australia, giving your career an extra edge.

Graduation outcomes: With both business and design skills, you’re not limited to traditional design roles — you’ll be equipped to take on versatile positions across the fashion industry.

Further academic pathways:
After your double degree, you can deepen your design expertise with an Honours year, boosting your portfolio and preparing for senior roles or postgraduate study. From there, a Master of Design or specialized study in areas like sustainable fashion, fashion management, or research is possible.

Alternatively, your business background opens doors to a master’s in business — like an MBA — if you want to move into leadership, entrepreneurship, or global fashion brand management.