Associate Degree of Building Design

Apply TodayRegister Your Interest
Rank threshold
ATAR: 66 SR: 66
Duration
4 years part-time
Location
Online
Next start term
Term 1, 2026
Study mode
Online
Course code
CC01
First-year fee
$9,312 (Indicative) (CSP)
OverviewStructure & AvailabilityRequirementsFees & ScholarshipsHow to Apply
Apply Today
MKY Building Design 19_007.jpg

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 your course, you'll explore a wide range of topics, including building materials, construction legislation, building systems and services, and hand and digital drawing. This 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.

Upon successful completion of this course, you can advance your skills and knowledge further with our Bachelor of Building Design. You'll also be eligible to receive credit for majority of the units you have already completed. 

Study Experience

Discover more about your online Associate Degree of Building Design and how you'll benefit from flexible part-time study options and seamless pathways to advance your skills and knowledge. Click 'Explore Study Experience' for more information.

  • Flexible Online Study
  • Industry Accredited
  • Industry Relevant
  • 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):

  1. 1
    The core structure (16 units)

Unit Details

The units you'll study are listed below. Click on a unit to learn more.

Showing 8 of 16

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.

Browse 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. 

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. 

Learn more about paying for university.

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. 

Explore other study costs.

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.

Explore scholarships.

How to Apply

How to Apply

Check what you need to do to apply to study this course. 

Your Application Options

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 Queensland Tertiary Admission Centre (QTAC) open in August 2025.

More information will be available soon.

TAC codes

Related Courses

All Courses
All Courses

Bachelor of Building Design

Online

5 years part-time

Online

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil Design) and Diploma of Building Design

On Campus, Online

4.5 years full-time, 9 years part-time

Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Online, Rockhampton