Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Queensland University of Technology

Program Overview

Program Overview (2 sentences):
This double degree combines creative design thinking with practical business skills, perfect for students who want to innovate while understanding how ideas succeed in the market. You’ll learn to design products that are functional, beautiful, and user-focused, while gaining business insight in areas like management, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:
You’ll start by exploring the foundations of both business and industrial design. In design, courses like Design Studio 1 and Materials and Manufacturing Processes introduce you to sketching, model-making, and understanding the physical properties of materials. On the business side, units such as Introduction to Management help you grasp how organisations function and the basics of marketing and accounting.

Year 2:
This year deepens your design skills and problem-solving abilities. Through Design Studio 2 and Human-Centred Design, you’ll create prototypes and learn to incorporate user needs into product development. Complementary business units, like Marketing Principles and Financial Management, give you insight into how your designs can thrive in the real world.

Year 3:
You’ll focus on advanced design projects and strategic thinking. Courses like Industrial Design Studio 3 challenge you to tackle complex briefs and develop professional portfolios, while Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Operations Management prepare you to bring your ideas to market. Industry engagement and project-based learning help you connect with professionals and gain practical experience.

Year 4:
In your final year, you’ll bring everything together through a capstone design project, applying both creative and business skills to solve real-world challenges. Units like Professional Practice and Design Management refine your professional expertise, preparing you for leadership roles in design-driven industries.

Focus Areas: Industrial design, product innovation, human-centred design, business strategy, entrepreneurship

Learning Outcomes: Graduate with the ability to design innovative products, understand market dynamics, manage projects, and communicate ideas professionally.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): This program is designed to equip you with the skills recognised by both design and business industries, ensuring you graduate ready for professional practice and leadership roles.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): QUT is consistently ranked among the top universities globally for employability and design excellence, recognised in QS World University Rankings and The Times Higher Education for its industry-focused approach.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

That’s such an exciting program to be exploring! The Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) at QUT is really special because it blends creative design skills with practical business know-how — and everything is tied to real-world experience.

From day one, you dive into hands-on design units, learning to think like a designer: brainstorming, sketching, prototyping — all while understanding how your ideas could actually make it into the market. On the business side, you’ll learn to think strategically about business models, entrepreneurship, and how design choices connect to ethical, real-world business decisions. And it’s not just in the classroom — this degree is packed with opportunities to work on live projects, collaborate with industry partners, and grow through internships. You’re not just studying design, you’re experiencing it.

Here’s a taste of the real-world learning you can expect:

Hands-on design units that go beyond theory — you’ll tackle real product and systems design challenges.
Project presentations where you pitch your ideas exactly like you would in a professional design role.
International study tours, giving you a first-hand look at how design works in different cultures and industries.
Entrepreneurial incubation programs built right into the curriculum, so your design projects can actually turn into start-up ventures.
Work-integrated learning and internships through QUT’s strong industry connections with big names like BMW, Bombardier, IDEO, and more.
BMW Group + QUT Design Academy opportunities, offering part-time internships, capstone projects, and even paid placements with BMW in countries like Germany or the UK.
Final-year capstone projects, where you tackle real industry briefs and put everything you’ve learned into practice.
Collaborative “impact lab” units, where you work across disciplines to solve social or community challenges, not just commercial design projects.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from this double degree means you’re not just a designer — you’re a designer who understands business. That combination opens up some very powerful and flexible career paths.

As a graduate, you could work in roles like:

Industrial Designer — designing products, systems, or everyday objects
Design Strategist / Design Manager — applying business thinking to lead design teams or innovation projects
Usability Expert / Interface Designer — focusing on user experience, human factors, ergonomics
Entrepreneur — launching your own product-driven business or startup

Here’s what this means for you:

Real connections to industry: QUT’s program is hands‑on, with project work, internships, and real-world collaborations. There are strong industry partnerships—students have worked on projects with companies such as BMW, IDEO, and more.
Support for employability: You’ll benefit from QUT’s work-integrated learning approach — practise skills in real settings with professional feedback.
Professional recognition: Graduates qualify for membership in the Design Institute of Australia, giving you a respected credential in the design community.
Strong career outcomes: Past graduates have gone on to work for major global organisations (think Boeing, Marvel Studios, Adidas), or started their own design ventures.
Long-term value: Because you’ll graduate with both business acumen and design expertise, you’re well-positioned for leadership roles, not just junior design jobs.

Further Academic Progression:

After finishing this double degree, you have several paths to deepen your learning:

Honours or Master’s in Design / Innovation: You could pursue a postgraduate degree in design, innovation, or even design leadership if you want to focus on strategy and advanced design thinking.
Business postgraduate options: With your business background, you could move into an MBA or a specialized Master’s (e.g., in entrepreneurship, innovation management) to scale your own venture or enter higher management.
Specialised design and engineering: If you’re passionate about engineering alongside design, QUT offers a pathway with their Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) + Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), which blends technical engineering with creative design and includes work-integrated learning.