The Graphic Design School est. 2008.
The world's first solely online graphic design school.
COURSES
Intensive Foundation Course
Need some hefty design skills without the qual? Save a bit of dough with the IFC, cover the first 11 modules of the 12 module qual course here.
Find Out How to Get Mad Design Skillz
COURSES
CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design
The government accredited CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design qualification is recognised by employers and industry groups Australia wide.
Find Out How to Get Qualified
COURSES
Design For Social Media
Social Media Design done the epic way, The Graphic Design School way. We focus on Design and Content with a peppering of practical marketing and strategy!
I'm Ready for the Next Step as a Designer
COURSES
Design@Work
Struggling to design at work with the wrong tools? The design course you do when you don't want to do a design course. Short & sweet!
Find Out How to Learn Design FastStudents
The TGDS Ethos
When we first started out there was hardly such a thing as online training. Over the past 13 years we have put our hearts & souls into teaching visual people how to learn design in a caring, supportive and inspiring environment. We’re kinda obsessed!
Flexible Courses
Created for you. Our courses work around your life, study on your own terms at your own pace.
Government Accredited
Design is all about skills, but sometimes you need a qual. Check out our CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design course.
Continuous Support
Our students are our bread & butter, and support is our jam. Our Tutors and Support Angels are there to guide you.
Our Promise
Flexible Courses
Created for you. Our courses work around your life, study on your own terms at your own pace.
Our Promise
Government Accredited
Design is all about skills, but sometimes you need a qual. Check out our CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design course.
Our Promise
Continuous Support
Our students are our bread & butter, and support is our jam. Our Tutors and Support Angels are there to guide you.
Meet the TGDS Tutors
Meet the TGDS TutorsMeet the TGDS TutorsMeet the TGDS TutorsMeet the TGDS TutorsMeet the TGDS TutorsMeet the TGDS Tutors
Our Community
The Best Peeps!
We’ve been blessed with the best student body in the world, we ask ourselves how did we get so lucky? We love our community and our community loves us, it’s a TGDS lovefest!
From zero experience to portfolio
“The course is engaging, fun, and informative. The level of support from tutors and even other students is amazing. I had zero experience going into this and now I am producing work I’m genuinely proud of.”
Tutor forum access
“I came away with a well-rounded understanding of graphic design. The best part of studying here was having access to tutors via the forum, who always gave helpful advice and feedback on my work. The support team was also great.”
Flexible around life
“I finished the course with a cheeky three-month break in between so it’s totally doable, even if life gets in the way. The tutors were amazing — always active on the forum, super helpful, and great at breaking things down in a way that made sense.”
Help & Support
Here’s a bunch of frequently asked questions.
How much are the courses?
Here's a nicely laid out page with our payments and payment plans prices page. For full payment terms and refund conditions, see our Fees & Payments handbook page.
What is the criteria for enrolling?
You must be 18 and over.
We like to talk to all students before they enrol, choosing the right course requires a tailored approach. Reach out us via email or if you're a Chatty Cathy (take's one to know one) request a callback in the form found in our footer.
If you've read this website backwards and forwards and would like the more nitty-gritty stuff, our support page is where the nits and grits live.
Web design students must be qualified graphic designers or experience developers to enrol, if you are unsure about your eligibility please contact us.
Do I need previous experience?
There’s no need to have any prior knowledge for our graphic design courses. We'll teach you from the ground up you’ll gain all the knowledge and skills you need to become a graphic designer, as well as learning the major design software packages Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign.
Please note the Design@Work course teaches only InDesign.
Web design students must be qualified graphic designers or experience developers to enrol, if you are unsure about your eligibility please contact us. If you're unsure whether online study suits you, work through our Am I Ready to Study Online? self-assessment first.
How do I enrol?
Enrolment is easy, you may enrol any day of the year. Be online and studying within a matter of seconds after enrolling through our enrolments page.
If you need to pay the CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design course upfront you may only do so through a registered business (individuals must use the payment plan on the enrolments page). Please contact our accounts team with your full name and business details and we will issue you an invoice.
If you need an invoice or a quote before you enrol, please contact our accounts team.
When can I start my studies?
You may enrol any day of the year. Be online and studying within a matter of seconds after enrolling through our enrolments page.
Will I graduate with a portfolio?
In Module 11 of the Intensive Foundation Course and the CUA40720 Certificate IV in Design course you will focus on creating your portfolio.
Want to see what other students have produced in Module 11? Check out our student work.