How to Apply to Design at UTS: Three-Year Degrees in Visual Communication, Fashion and Textiles and Product Design, a 5–10 Piece Portfolio Listed for International Applicants, and Portfolio Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), undergraduate design is taught by the Faculty of Design and Society, mainly through three degrees: the Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication, the Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles and the Bachelor of Design in Product Design. Here is what you need to know for 2027 entry, based on UTS’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. The three design degrees

• Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication: UTS code C10308, CRICOS 077339C, UAC 602070. Three years full time (six part time). Studio-based study of typography, image-making, interaction, motion graphics, web media, user experience, print and publication design, photography, illustration and more; the final year has advanced projects, an internship, an optional Global Studio and live briefs with industry and the social and service sectors. Listed areas include branding and identity, creative technologies and digital experience, print and digital publication, motion design and graphic animation, illustration, photography and the moving image, and socially responsive and inclusive design.
• Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles: UTS code C10306, CRICOS 077334G, UAC 602040. Three years full time (six part time). You learn to design, illustrate and construct garments, and to design and create fabrics and other textiles.
• Bachelor of Design in Product Design: UTS code C10304, CRICOS 077331M, UAC 602050. Three years full time. Core subjects include socially and ecologically responsible design and advanced manufacturing systems; the final year covers interactive and integrated technologies, advanced manufacturing and professional communication, with a self-directed major product design project that prepares you for work or the Product Design honours program.
• Intakes: for 2027, the Visual Communication and Product Design pages list Autumn (February/March start) and Spring (July start). The Fashion and Textiles page lists Autumn and Spring sessions for 2026 and 2027, but its UAC code is marked Autumn Session only, so check with UTS before applying for Spring.
• Other: each degree can be combined with the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation, and graduates can go on to the Bachelor of Design (Honours). All are taught at the City campus.
• Assumed knowledge: any two units of English; Design and Technology and Visual Arts are recommended.

2. Portfolio

• International applicants page: under the documents you need, it says design students should provide 5–10 pieces of work, check the UTS Handbook for specific rules, and not send their only original copy. The Handbook site’s robots.txt does not allow crawling, so this guide could not read those rules.
• Course pages: the admission requirements for all three degrees only say that non-current school leavers are selected on academic merit or on the basis of portfolio and interview, and point to the Design portfolio scheme.
• Design portfolio scheme: UTS states it is only for domestic applicants (Australian or New Zealand citizens, or Australian permanent resident or humanitarian visa holders) who are not completing Year 12 in 2026, through UAC. For 2027 entry, portfolio applications open on 12 November 2026 and close on 27 November 2026. The portfolio is one PDF of up to 5MB with six A4 pages (landscape for Visual Communication and Fashion and Textiles, portrait for Product Design, which must include photographs of artefacts you have made): your name and UAC application number on the first page, five pages of original design work, and a one-page 150–200 word written submission on the aims and success of at least one piece, in 16-point Helvetica with 1.5 line spacing.
• The two official pages differ: the international applicants page asks design students for 5–10 pieces of work, while the portfolio scheme is only for domestic non-current school leavers. Check with UTS whether and how international applicants must submit a portfolio.

3. Entry scores

• Domestic reference: the lowest selection score (ATAR plus adjustments) for a recent school leaver offered Visual Communication in Autumn 2026 was 77.05.
• International applicants: the course pages only say you need an Australian Year 12 qualification, an Australian diploma or an equivalent overseas qualification at the required level; the specific Gaokao, IB and A-Level scores are not published, and you can ask UTS through the course enquiry form. UTS notes that eligibility does not guarantee an offer.

4. Students at high schools in China

• You can apply with the Gaokao: UTS says applicants from China need a Gaokao total that meets the entry standard, or at least one full-time year of bachelor’s study at a recognised university. The score is not published.
• A-Level and IB: A-Level is the aggregate of the best three A2 subjects (A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1); the IB requires the full Diploma with a total that meets the entry standard.
• Portfolio: prepare 5–10 pieces of work as the international applicants page says, and include a personal statement on why you want to study the course and why you will succeed.
• Gaokao scholarship: new undergraduates from China admitted on the Gaokao are automatically considered for the UTS Scholarship for Gaokao Students: two 75% tuition-fee reductions for Autumn and one 50% reduction for Spring, awarded in order of Gaokao score. To be considered for Autumn you must apply by 30 September of the year before, so the Autumn 2027 window has passed; Spring is still possible.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• UTS’s Canadian standard: the Ontario Secondary School Diploma with six university or university/college preparation courses; qualifications from other provinces may also be acceptable.
• BC students: UTS does not list BC requirements separately, so check with the university before applying.
• English: Canada is on UTS’s list of recognised English-speaking countries, and secondary study completed in English and equivalent to the NSW HSC can meet the English requirement.

6. English requirements

• The design degrees are not on the English page’s list of course-specific exceptions, so the standard for most undergraduate courses applies:
• IELTS (academic, online or One Skill Retake): 6.5 overall, writing 6.0.
• TOEFL iBT: 79, writing 21; 4.5 on the 1–6 scale.
• PTE: 58, writing 50.
• Cambridge C1/C2: 176, writing 169; or a pass in UTS College Academic English Level 5 (AE5).

7. Transfer students

• At least one full-time year of bachelor’s study at a recognised university can be the basis of your application, and UTS has an entry route for changing from another undergraduate course.
• Credit: subjects completed at another university or recognised institution that the faculty considers equivalent can count through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL); submit the RPL form with your application.
• There is also an entry route for students with a relevant TAFE/VET qualification.

8. Timeline (2027 entry)

• International deadlines (applicants outside Australia / in Australia): Autumn (February/March start) 30 November / 15 January; Spring (July start) 30 April / 31 May.
• Applications are reviewed only once complete, usually within one to two weeks. Submit certified transcripts, English results and a personal statement, plus the design work the application page asks for.

9. Fees and scholarships

• International tuition (2027 indicative): AUD 51,015 for the first year of each degree, and about AUD 159,248 for the whole degree (including estimated annual increases). UTS graduates get 10% off fees for a further UTS course.
• Scholarships: UTS international undergraduate scholarships include the Vice-Chancellor’s International Undergraduate Scholarship (full tuition), A-Level and IB scholarships and Academic Excellence International Scholarships, most awarded automatically to eligible students; see the scholarships page. For the Gaokao scholarship, see above.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• A Gaokao total that meets the entry standard (ask UTS for the score), or A-Level / IB Diploma
• 5–10 pieces of work and a personal statement; confirm portfolio requirements with UTS first
• IELTS 6.5 (writing 6.0), TOEFL 79 or PTE 58
• Autumn 2027: apply by 30 November 2026 from outside Australia; Spring: by 30 April 2027

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• UTS lists OSSD with six preparation courses; confirm BC requirements before applying
• Use the outside-Australia deadline: 30 November for Autumn

Transfer students:

• At least one full-time year of bachelor’s study; submit an RPL application with your application

Sources: University of Technology Sydney, Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication; Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles; Bachelor of Design in Product Design; International applicants; Academic entry requirements; English language requirements; Design portfolio scheme; International scholarships; UTS Scholarship for Gaokao Students. Information is for 2027 entry. Check UTS for the latest details.