Set yourself apart with Deakin's Bachelor of Design (Architecture)/Bachelor of Property and Real Estate. This cross-disciplinary course combines the creative possibilities of architectural design with the practical skills and real-world experience needed to build a successful career in the growing property sector. Discover architectural ideas through cutting-edge content and build complementary skills in property valuation, development and more.
Develop your creativity and gain a practical understanding of the built environment and its relationship with the community through meaningful and sustainable design. In this double degree, you will study real-world projects in a studio environment to develop your ability to generate, analyse and communicate your ideas. You will also have valuable opportunities for a work placement, where you can get a head-start on developing professional networks and graduate with the professional skills and experience employers value.
Do you want to study at a university ranked in the top 150 globally for architecture and built environment?*
Graduate with a complementary skill set that will give you a competitive edge across the building design and property industries, opening doors to diverse career pathways. You will learn from industry experts in our purpose-built architecture workshop, equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers and traditional tools and machinery. These are all at hand for you to fabricate models and experiment with technology, materials and processes.
While studying a double degree in design and property, you’ll explore:
architectural history and philosophy
building science and the built environment
construction technologies
computer-aided modelling
drawing and design process
model making
digital fabrications
property economics
property investment
property law and practice
property valuation
sustainable construction and property development.
Enhancing your technical expertise, you will also collaborate with construction management students through our unique integrated learning approach – just as you will in professional settings. This ensures you graduate with practical and applied experience.
Gain invaluable hands-on experience, learn up-to-date property and design insights from Australia's industry leaders, and graduate with a unique cross-disciplinary professional skill set.
* QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.
Indicative student workload
You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, workshops, site visits and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
Professional recognition
When this combined course is followed by the 12-credit-point (1.5-year) Master of Architecture (S700), you will have successfully completed an Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) accredited academic qualification and be on your way to becoming a registered architect via any state registration boards, such as the Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV).
The property and real estate stream of this combined course has received professional accreditation by the Australian Property Institute (API) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Deakin Business School holds the prestigious and globally recognised AACSB and EQUIS accreditations, which attest to quality, academic and professional excellence, ongoing improvement, innovation and graduate employability.
Career opportunities
Graduate with in-demand, cross-disciplinary skills, ready to make an impact in this exciting and diverse industry. You’ll be prepared to meet growing demand in design, property and real estate, with government projections showing 19% growth for architect and landscape architect roles, and 16.3% growth in property and real estate services by 2034.*
Graduate ready to explore career opportunities across building design and property in roles such as:
3D architectural modeller
architectural consultant or designer
design coordinator
property developer
asset manager
owners corporation manager
facilities manager
portfolio manager
property adviser
property valuer.
If you choose to pursue a career as a registered architect, you can continue onto further studies in a Master of Architecture (S700) at Deakin. Once you have completed postgraduate studies and gained registration to practise, you can go on to a successful career as a practising architect and work in private architectural firms, government organisations, property development, or other building and design fields.
* 2024 Employment Projections – for the ten years to 2034, Jobs and Skills Australia.
Participation requirements
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Equipment requirements
The learning experiences and assessment activities within this course require students to engage with a number of production methods, such as drawing, large format printing, model making, and digital fabrication (laser cutting + 3D printing). Students will be required to purchase minor equipment such as drawing media, paperstock, sketchbooks, and model making tools, however many of these will be usable within different units. As such, there might be a higher upfront cost as students enter in the course. Each unit will outline the specific requirements at the commencement of the unit. Where possible, students are encouraged to reuse, recycle or think creatively about model materials. The indicative cost of this equipment and material (over time) can vary depending on quality or execution, but can be suggested in the range of $750-$1500 over the course duration.
Students are also recommended to have access to a personal computer (laptop or desktop) in order to engage digital communications methods (drawing, CAD and presentations). Advice on this is presented to students in first year, so it is not imperative to have this before commencing the course as Deakin has dedicated Computer Labs to get started with. Where possible, all required software (Autodesk, Adobe) is provided to students under free academic licencing and does not require additional cost.
* Students who select to exit with the Bachelor of Design (Architecture) will be assessed on an individual basis to confirm if they have met the course learning outcomes of the single course. Students who do not meet the required learning outcomes will be required to undertake the appropriate core unit/s to meet the single degree course learning outcomes.
Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Design (Architecture) (S342)
Course Learning Outcomes Bachelor of Property and Real Estate (M348)
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
Synthesise knowledge of architecture history, theory, technology and practice to design, develop and manage architecture projects, demonstrating initiative and judgement for professional practice. Apply technical and theoretical knowledge of architectural design to propose diverse, authentic, alternative, and well-rounded responses that are conceptually and physically sustainable to problems in the contemporary built environment. Integrate the knowledge of language of architecture, its meanings, capacities and implications to demonstrate ability and responsibility as reflective practitioners, in making decisions to define the human landscape.
Employ broad and coherent theoretical and technical property and real estate knowledge and apply legal and ethical standards in the fields relating to property development, investment, valuation and property management in private and commercial real estate markets, both nationally and internationally.
Communication
Communicate clearly, professionally and responsibly in a variety of contexts using oral, visual, digital, graphic and interpersonal communication modes to inform, motivate and persuade specialist and non-specialist audiences about architectural ideas and designs. Imagine, conceive and represent ideas using the language of architecture, its codes and conventions to reflect on possibilities, the implications of hypothetical designs and its applications.
Prepare and present a selection of reports on property concepts and information for a range of stakeholders including investors, developers, regulators and clients
Digital literacy
Apply knowledge of relevant technological tools, methodologies and techniques to locate, collect, analyse, interpret and synthesise complex information. Use architecture theory and practice to analyse, evaluate, produce and disseminate design responses using techniques and technology ethically and responsibly in a digital world.
Identify, locate, evaluate and synthesise information about market and submarket trends and forecasts, economic influences, statutory requirements and industry practices. Communicate information and solutions to stakeholders utilising a range of diagnostic, analytical and reporting technologies
Critical thinking
Use critical thinking to analyse and provide a rational, reflective and socially responsible response to architectural problems at different scales and complexities in a variety of contexts. Examine causes and consequences of different morphologies to appreciate their capacities and opportunities in order to reproduce, manipulate, and identify conventional and alternative solutions to architectural problems.
Evaluate and analyse property related issues and data on property markets and indicators to make recommendations for maximising property outcomes
Problem solving
Investigate and identify ill-defined real world environmental, cultural, physical and social architectural problems, explain its significance, causes and consequences, and use a methodical approach to formulate a solution. Make appropriate choices to solve problems in complex and contradictory situations based on knowledge of social, economic, environmental and cultural aspects of architectural design to evolve human landscape.
Apply legal property evaluation and property appraisal methodologies to identify solutions and sustainability strategies for a diverse range of authentic problems in property
Self-management
Work independently and collaboratively to produce architectural designs and responses in an ethical, responsible and professional manner. Use initiative and judgement to reflect on knowledge and skills, to demonstrate autonomy and capacity to identify opportunities for improving practice.
Apply skills and knowledge to independently undertake educational activities that require considerable planning
Teamwork
Work as a team to analyse and evaluate complex problems, and share critical, analytical and creative approaches to select best responses to architectural problems.
Collaborate with others to examine contemporary issues in property
Global citizenship
Integrate subjective and objective stakeholder perspectives in the process of formulating architectural and design responses taking into account economic, cultural, social and ethical values inherent in human landscape. Engage with global trends in contemporary architectural design and urbanism in order to recognise cultural diversity, the need for equity in outcomes and implement high ethical and professional standards.
Apply the interconnected principles of property planning, design, construction, management, maintenance and transference to a range of different environments and contexts reflecting social, sustainable, ethical, economic and global perspectives
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Design (Architecture)/ Bachelor of Property and Real Estate you must pass 36 credit points. This includes:
DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
SRA010 Safety Induction Program (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
1 Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) unit from the Bachelor of Property and Real Estate
a maximum of 12 credit points at level 1 across both courses
a minimum of 10 credit points at level 3 or above across both courses.
Course requirements for both the Bachelor of Design (Architecture) (S342) and Bachelor of Property and Real Estate (M348) must be satisfied.
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Bachelor of Design (Architecture)/Bachelor of Property and Real Estate (accelerated program)
The course may be taken as an accelerated program. By taking selected units in Trimester 3 the course can be completed in four years instead of four and a half years.
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Other learning experiences
In addition to work integrated learning, you may have an opportunity to contribute to the student led, designed and managed end of year curated exhibition.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.
