What type of computer will I need?

590 study hours over the duration of the course.

It’s the same whether you study:

Online Full-Time: 4 hours live classes + 3.5 hours independent learning per day

Online Part-Time: 9 hours of live classes + 6 hours of homework per week

Over the past 25 years we’ve developed an innovative approach to help students achieve amazing results in a seriously short amount of time. Ask our graduates—it’s completely different to any other course! Our intensive, fast-paced course isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a go-getter who wants to learn quickly and efficiently, Shillington’s right for you.

Absolutely. Our student work speaks for itself and Shillington graduates build incredible creative careers. Our graphic design course is expertly planned to teach technical skills, cover design theory and ingrain creative principles to help you create a well-rounded portfolio. Read more on the blog in Learn Graphic Design Fast or Fast, Good or Cheap. And if you want to hear it straight from our graduates, check out 21 Unbiased Shillington Reviews.

Yes! Shillington’s graphic design course is exclusively online.

Shillington prepares you for a wide variety of creative careers, and upskilling in design helps you put your best foot forward on the job hunt. You could work in digital design, focus on publishing or design packaging. There’s even opportunities to take on freelance clients and build your own business. The list is endless! Check out graduate testimonials or scroll through our graduates’ profiles on LinkedIn.

Online course graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion, create an industry-ready portfolio, a website showcasing their best work and get exclusive access to The Guide.

When employing a graphic designer, most employers will look at your portfolio before they look at your qualifications. Your portfolio shows the quality of your work, level of technical skill and your practical knowledge more than a certificate can. For more, read Checklist to Become an Employable Graphic Designer and What Creative Recruiters Really Think of Shillington Graduates on the blog.

If you study at Shillington in Australia, you will receive a Certificate IV in Design RTO Code 3527 and a portfolio showcasing your best work. The selected units of study for the Shillington graphic design course are as follows:

Core Units

BSBCRT411 – Apply critical thinking to work practices

CUADES305 – Source and apply information on the history and theory of design

CUADES411 – Generate design solutions

CUADES412 – Interpret and respond to a design brief

CUAWHS312 Apply work health and safety practic

CUAACD411 – Integrate colour theory and design processes

CUAPPR411 – Realise a creative project

Elective Units

CUADES301 – Explore the use of colour

CUADES302 – Explore and apply the creative design process to 2D forms

CUADES303 – Explore and apply the creative design process to 3D forms

CUADES304 – Source and apply design industry knowledge

CUADES413 – Develop and extend design skills and practice

CUAGRD311 – Prepare files for print

CUAGRD312 – Use typography techniques

CPPRP3250 – Create graphics using graphics applications

We encourage students to tackle their job hunt independently, but provide assistance along the way. During the course we make sure students are confident presenting their portfolio for future interviews. Students who give 100% to their studies are in an excellent position to land their first design job. We have a Jobs Board for employers seeking Shillington graduates and frequently share career advice on the blog.

Our online graphic design course is the same across full-time and part-time and graduates leave either with high quality graphic design portfolios. It’s just about how you want to get there.

Full-Time: 3 months, 5 days a week. 

Commit yourself 100% to design for three months and start your creative career as quickly as possible. 

Part-Time: 9 months, 3 live classes a week.

Study design without quitting your job and manage your own study time before embarking on your creative career.

Please apply at least 1 month before classes start to secure your spot.

Contact us for last-minute applications.

There’s no prior design experience required. Basic computer skills are a must for all of our courses globally. To ensure you succeed in the course, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the tools—Zoom, Slack and Gmail (Google Drive).

Additionally, we’ll need you to confirm language proficiency since our fast-paced course is taught in English.

Our course is taught at a high level of English, so you need to be proficient in spoken and written English. We recommend a minimum of IELTS Band 6.

We’ll send a list of suggested supplies a few weeks before the course begins, but students should expect to have a working computer (Mac preferred) with Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma & Google Drive installed, general creative supplies such sketchbooks & pens.

Membership to The Guide is included for all students enrolled at Shillington. After graduating, continuing access is available on a monthly subscription.

We typically offer Full Scholarships and Mentorships and Half Scholarships as part of our Diversity in Design program. For scholarship announcements, sign up for our email list and follow us on Instagram to be the first to know!

Yes! Check out this full list of awards won by Shillington students and graduates.

Yes. All of our teachers are practising graphic designers and we regularly welcome industry guest lecturers to share insights and experience. Check out industry connections and our Industry Interviews on the blog.

Visit our Info Sessions page to find out about upcoming Shillington events.

If you can’t make an Info Session—you can book in a chat with our Experience Team. We can also send you a a recording of our most recent Info Session.

590 study hours over the duration of the course. It’s the same whether you study:

Online Full-Time: 4 hours live classes + 3.5 hours independent learning per day

Online Part-Time: 9 hours of live classes + 6 hours of homework per week

Our course is intensive, so you’ll need to commit to missing no more than four days if studying full-time or nine nights if studying part-time.

Course fees vary between study options. See our Online course dates and fees.

Please refer to Shillington Online Terms and Conditions.

Our terms and conditions are found here: Shillington Online Terms & Conditions.

We’ll take you through the creative process from beginning to end—integrating idea generation, technical knowledge, design theory and studio skills at every step. Visit our course and approach to learn more.

Our course has a focus on digital design across platforms like mobile, tablet and web. We teach students Figma, run in-class workshops on UI and UX design and keep our course up-to-date with industry standards. We don’t teach code but don’t worry—most studios outsource this kind of work to developers. In graphic design, it’s the user interface that matters. We cover this in our curriculum. Find out more in our course and approach.

Our graphic design course is ideal for current creatives to revive software skills and enhance their understanding of the design fundamentals. If your software skills are self-taught, we’ll teach you how to work smoothly and efficiently across Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma. Or if your current portfolio isn’t up-to-scratch, we’ll help you craft a collection of your best work, showcasing an ability to work across a wide range of briefs. Meet 20 Inspiring Designers Who Studied at Shillington After Creative Degrees or Diplomas.

Throughout the course, you’ll take 10 quizzes on topics like typesetting, quick keys and design terminology. They’re quick and painless, and your teachers will give plenty of notice to prepare.

You need to purchase a subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat). You’ll be eligible for a student discount once you enrol and receive your Confirmation of Enrolment.

You will also need to download Figma, a digital design app, and Slack, an industry relevant communication tool. These are both free. During class time, we also utilise Google Drive to back up work—meaning you can open your work at home. This, in turn, means you’ll need to have your own Google account.

Not at all. During the course you will need to do rough sketches in order to develop ideas, but your drawing ability will not be judged. Design is about conveying ideas effectively, not creating artistic masterpieces. We’ll guide you through what you need to know.

Shillington course fees are the same for everyone, based on which course stream you choose. Check out our Course Dates & Fees!