Why should I choose Shillington over other study options?

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

On Campus Full-Time: 32.5 hours of live classes + 8 hours of homework per week

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

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 available 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 and get exclusive access to The Guide.

New York on campus graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion, create an industry-ready portfolio and get exclusive access to The Guide. We are licensed by the New York State Education Department.

London on campus graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion, create an industry-ready portfolio and get exclusive access to The Guide. We are not educationally accredited, but teach a commercially-driven portfolio course which prepares you for working in the design industry.

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 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 (online or on campus).

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 (online) or 3 evenings/1 Sunday* a week (on campus).

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

*London only

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 familiarize 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.

New York-based students will need to provide an official copy of their High School Diploma/Transcript (or the equivalent)*

*In compliance with the Department of Education, students studying at the New York campus can upload the following forms of documentation;

1. Copy of high school diploma
2. Official high school transcript showing graduation date
3. Copy of High School Equivalency Diploma or GED
4. Copy of associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree from a regionally accredited college or university or official transcript indicating the same.

We can accept students who are Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, India Young Professionals scheme visa holders, European Union (EU) members, European Economic Area (EEA) members and Swiss citizens. Find out more about studying design abroad!

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.

Yes! We offer the M-1 Student Visa at our New York campus in the United States. Find out more about studying design abroad. You can also check out videos from Chrystal Christie, who travelled from Sydney to New York to study. Watch her experience exploring NYC as a design student!

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 once you’ve enrolled, but students should expect to have a working computer (Mac preferred with Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma installed), general school supplies (sketchbook, pens, USB drive) and budget for portfolio and poster printing at the end of the course.

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

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.

VET FEE-HELP is not available for Shillington Australia. Only courses offered at a diploma level or above are eligible. Visit course dates and fees to discover payment plan options.

If you’re planning to study full-time in Australia, you may be eligible to apply for Austudy or Youth Allowance through Centrelink. Our course is approved for both. Contact Centrelink for more information. Our RTO number is 3527.

Yes! We’re proud to partner with Plenti for a simple, flexible, gimmick-free loan option for Australia-based students. Learn more.

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.

Definitely! If you can’t make an Info Session, get in contact with our Course Advisors to book in an online chat or a campus visit.

Totally! You can check out our campus at an Info Session. And if you can’t make an Info Session, you can book in a campus tour.

We set the minimum independent study requirement as 8 hours per week for On Campus Full-Time classes, 6 hours a week for Online and On-Campus Part-Time classes and 3.5 hours per day for the Online Full-Time class.

Our course is intensive, so you’ll need to commit to missing no more than four days if studying full-time, six nights if studying part-time in-person or 9 nights if studying online.

Course fees vary between study options. See our Online course dates and fees and on campus course dates and fees to learn more.

Our course curriculum and teaching methods are identical across all six campuses. Course fees vary between campus due to cost-of-living

Please refer to Shillington Online Terms and Conditions.

Our terms and conditions are different for depending on where you study: Shillington New York Terms & Conditions, Shillington United Kingdom Terms & Conditions and 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.

We recommend the use of Mac computers since it’s the design industry standard. A minimum of 8GB RAM is recommended to keep things running nice and fast. Depending on your budget, we recommend either a MacBook Pro or an iMac.

If you do not have access to a Mac computer—please note that, as a student, you are are required to have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma and a computer that supports these programs outside of the classroom, for the duration of the course.

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 domestic students and students from overseas. Find out more about studying design abroad!