Explore our courses

Masters degree

Drive meaningful change with strategic design expertise, or combine it with business thinking in a double degree that prepares you to lead innovation across industries.
Master of Design (Strategic Design)
Bachelor of Business/Master of Design (Strategic Design)

Graduate certificates and diplomas

Rapidly build your design credentials with the Graduate Certificate, or take your skills further with the Graduate Diploma, designed to solve innovation challenges for industry, government, and communities.
Graduate Certificate in Strategic Design
Graduate Diploma in Strategic Design

Short courses

Build your design capability with short, impactful microcredentials designed to deliver practical skills and creative strategies for today’s fast-changing world.

Fundamentals of Design Research Mastery Module 1

Fundamentals of Design Research Mastery Module 2

What is strategic design?

Strategic design allows you to translate your creative skills into strategic thinking and prudential decision making. This includes the consideration of ethical decision points when weighing up commercial and sustainability aspects, and developing intermediary skills to facilitate a mutually beneficial outcome for stakeholders while recognising competitors in the market.

Gain accreditation

Our graduates qualify for membership at the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), the professional body for Australian designers.

Members have exclusive access to a range of services, products and discounts to advance their careers.

A university with real-world partnerships

Led by QUT Design Lab Chief Investigator Associate Professor Rafael Gomez, the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy is the School of Design’s R&D hub in future mobility with a mission to strengthen and expand the strategic partnership between BMW and QUT through three bespoke programs: student internships, applied research, and special projects.The Academy focuses on innovation in future mobility by fostering design excellence and advancing cutting-edge transport and automotive technologies. We position design and creativity as an unparalleled and indispensable skillset the world’s best organisations use for strategic and sustainable outcomes.

Designing the future of healthcare

'With a balance of design thinking and creative problem solving as well as AI learning, I will be equipped with the skills to be an asset in any industry. I plan to use my master degree to strengthen my design thinking and strategic capabilities. My goal is to become a well-rounded doctor with the technical skills to creatively develop solutions to "wicked" problems in patient outcomes and hospital process management.'

Grace Nankivell
Master of Design (Strategic Design) student

Future-focused design

'I chose to undertake postgraduate study with QUT because I sensed the world was changing dramatically. QUT's reputation for leadership in design strategy, robotics, and technology made it the ideal place to expand my knowledge and find an exciting way to be part of shaping what comes next.'

Shelley McRae
Master of Design (Strategic Design) student

Why study design?

Drive meaningful change

Learn to lead the creation of holistic and sustainable solutions that address complex challenges in a range of contexts including social services, health, advanced manufacturing and infrastructure.

Solve real-world problems

Our design courses are embedded with real-world briefs direct from industry. Our research addresses challenges at the intersection of design, technology, creativity, place, and health.

Blend classroom with career

Address the increasing market demand for people with strategic design capabilities to work as leaders. Take advantage of the many strong partnerships with local and international players including Adobe, BMW Group, and Brisbane City Council.

Expert teaching staff

Learn from teaching staff who are active in their fields and are ready to share their insights. QUT teaching staff research alongside major institutions and bring their wealth of knowledge back into the classroom.

Industry connections

Address real industry briefs and form valuable connections with local and international organisations.

Here are some of the organisations and brands our students regularly work with.

Our experts

Find a supervisor to undertake a research degree, an industry expert for project specific advice, or a potential partner or collaborator.

Search now

Our research

Discover our research strengths, take the next step with our research degrees, or connect with our expertise, equipment and facilities.

Learn more
Associate Professor Rafael Gomez QUT Design Lab Chief Investigator

Our experts

Find a supervisor to undertake a research degree, an industry expert for project specific advice, or a potential partner or collaborator.

Search now

Our research

Discover our research strengths, take the next step with our research degrees, or connect with our expertise, equipment and facilities.

Learn more

News

23 Feb 2026

Well hi! QUT welcomes new students for 2026

From clubs on campus and cute critters, to pancakes, performers and pride – the 2026 QUT Welcome Week had something for everyone when the university’s first-year students arrived.

12 Nov 2026

Discover Creative Arts and Design at QUT 2026

Would you like your students to experience where studies in the Creative Arts or Design could take them?

23 Dec 2025

Yr 12 grads lock in uni for 2026

Goodbye school, hello uni! Thousands of Year 12 graduates across Queensland have today found out if they have been accepted into university, with QTAC releasing the first major round of offers for the 2026 uni year.

More news

Contact us now

Have questions? Reach out to our program leads to hear about how a postgraduate qualification in strategic design could be the next step towards your career goals. Email ciesj.support@qut.edu.au with your query, or complete the form below to receive future updates on our programs.

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