Associate Degree of Building Design
Overview
The Associate Degree of Building Design will equip you with the essential skills and knowledge to thrive in the building design industry. You will learn to design, document, and manage contracts for both residential and commercial buildings and gain practical skills and theoretical insights, ensuring you are proficient in the latest industry standards and technologies.
Throughout the course, you'll explore a wide range of topics, including building materials, construction legislation, building systems and services, and hand and digital drawing. The course will enable you to design and document residential and commercial buildings up to three stories above a lower level set aside for car parking.
Study Experience
- Flexible Online Study
- Industry Accredited
- Part-time Study
- Seamless Pathways
Career Opportunities
Building designers provide design solutions for residential and commercial buildings and work for design, architecture, planning, building or engineering firms, government departments and corporations with a large building portfolio.
Successful completion of this award satisfies the educational requirements for the Building Design - Medium Rise licence, issued by the Building Services Authority, Queensland.
Structure & Availability
The course structure and available locations can change depending on when you want to study. You can choose the intake that best suits you in the drop-down menu below.
Available Locations
Your Course
You must complete 16 units (96 credits):
- 1The core structure (16 units)
Unit Details
The units you'll study are listed below. Click on a unit to learn more.
Course Planner
To help you plan your studies and see which unit comes first, if one unit should be completed before another and when you will study each unit, check out our course planners.
Additional Information
Professional Practice - Building Designers Association of Australia
Core
The CC01 Associate Degree of Building Design Course is accredited by the Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA). Completion of this award satisfies the educational requirements for a Building Design - Low and Medium Rise Licence issued by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).
Professional Practice - Building Designers Association of Queensland Inc.
Core
Completion of this award satisfies the educational requirements for a Building Design - Medium Rise Licence issued by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC).
If you have completed prior study relevant to units within this course, you may be eligible for credit for your past studies. Learn more about credit and recognition of prior learning.
Requirements
To Be Eligible
For your application to be considered, you must meet the following entry requirements.
Student and Course Profiles
View the student and course profiles for this course and learn about CQU's Undergraduate Profile for Term 1, 2025 via our Institute Profile.
During Your Study
While not needed to apply, you'll need to meet the following requirements throughout your studies.
Fees & Scholarships
Indicative First-Year Fee
The Indicative First-Year Fee is the approximate cost of enrolling in this course for one full-time academic year (eight units over two terms) for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) and should be used as a guide only. Your actual fees may vary depending on the units you select to study and your study load. Check the Cost per Unit spreadsheet available on our Understanding Course Fees webpage.
Fees are reviewed each year and are subject to change. Fee estimates for the following year are expected to be available in November each year.
Commonwealth Supported Places
This course has Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) available, and as a domestic student, you'll be offered a CSP, provided you meet CSP eligibility requirements. CSPs are subsidised by the Australian Government, meaning you are only required to pay the student contribution rather than full tuition fees.
HECS-HELP Loan
You may be eligible for a HECS-HELP government loan if you are offered a CSP. HECS-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists you in paying your student contributions. Provided you meet the HECS-HELP eligibility criteria, you may use HECS-HELP to defer part or all of your student contribution fees.
Part of your course costs will include Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF). SSAF is charged in addition to your student contribution or tuition fees and is used to help enhance your study experience. There may also be other costs as part of your studies, such as textbooks, technology expenses, travel expenses, professional certifications, uniforms, or vaccinations.
We believe a quality education can be for everyone – regardless of background, location, or life circumstances. That's why we offer a variety of scholarships and bursaries that can give you a helping hand with a range of expenses and enhance your employability.
How to Apply
How to Apply
Check what you need to do to apply to study this course.
Your Application Options
Follow These Steps
Extra Admission Information
Prior to applying, take a look at important application dates and learn about our admission considerations, such as information for domestic students with overseas qualifications, indigenous support, and elite athlete, coach and performer support. You should also check out the adjustment schemes that might be available to you and how to access them. You can also explore our offer information to learn more about what happens after you've submitted an application and how to respond to an offer to study with CQU.
Applying for 2026
Applications for 2026 via the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) open in April 2025.
More information will be available soon.
