Units you can study
Choose from the undergraduate or postgraduate options on offer across a range of disciplines. As long as you meet the prerequisites, you can choose subjects from any of our discipline areas to suit your interests.
Most units have a lecture and a tutorial each week. Lectures and tutorials for postgraduate units are usually held in the evenings.
Approved units
All students can study these units, regardless of your academic background. These units will be approved on your QUT study plan after you apply.
Architecture and built environment
ABB102 Design 2: Site and Context
This unit introduces principles and elements of spatial design with a focus on site and context. From a platform of foundational knowledge of design theory and process, you will explore the spatial design practices of architecture, landscape architecture and interior design. You will be able to apply creative design processes, design precedents, research, emergent knowledge and critical evaluation in formulating and refining concept design options, including the exploration of the intangible aspects, and tangible formal and spatial qualities of sites and their contexts. Learning in this unit is project-based in collaboration with peers, supported by lectures, readings, practicals and studio activities. You will build from this unit in your discipline-focused second year design units. You will be introduced to professional knowledge that aligns with items 17, 18, 26 and 36 of the AACA national competencies for Architects.
ABB103 Create and Represent: Process
This unit introduces foundational analogue and digital representational processes used in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design. Through drawing, modelling, and diagramming, you will explore how representation operates not only as a means of communication, but as a method of design thinking. The unit emphasises observation, experimentation, and iteration across multiple scales. Students engage with hand drawing, physical model making, and digital workflows to analyse space, generate ideas, and test formal and spatial propositions. Rather than focusing on resolved outcomes, the unit prioritises design process, decision-making, and the clear communication of development over time. The skills and approaches developed in this unit support concurrent and future design and technology units.
ABB104 Create and Represent: Presentation
This unit provides introductory hybrid presentation skills for communicating design contexts, ideas, intents and propositions for our built and natural environment. It will cover methods and techniques for communicating in two and three dimensions, including visualising and explaining design contexts and ideas as well as drawing, making, rendering, writing, and speaking about design intents and propositions. Through a range of practical exercises and experiments, students will understand how to communicate design concepts and intents to general audiences in different contexts.
ABB106 Create and Represent: Documentation
This unit provides introductory skills of analogue and digital drawing standards for architecture, interiors, and landscapes. Applying conventions including dimensioning, annotation, cross-referencing and scale, students will learn requirements for accurate architectural documentation. Through exploration of orthographic projections students will gain an understanding of drawing conventions for particular audiences and purposes.
ABB108 Spatial Histories
In this foundation unit you will be introduced to the history of the built environment through the study of global architectures across a wide range of cultures throughout past millennia. The unit will introduce you to the importance of the specific contributions made by architecture, interior design , landscape architecture and urban and regional planning to the global understanding of spatial histories. Through engaging with lectures that introduce you to key concepts, and tutorials that will develop your skills in writing and critical thinking, you will become familiar with the critical moments and paradigm shifts of the built environment through global perspectives and spatial justice theories. This unit provides the foundation from which you will continue to develop an understanding of yourself as a participant in the continuum of the rich cultural tradition of designing and making places for human inhabitation.
ABB124 Integrated Construction
This is a foundation unit integrating residential/small commercial construction processes in a collaborative digital environment by utilising building information modelling and related technology. The ability to use building information modelling and related technology in construction processes in a collaborative digital environment involving a project team from different disciplines is important to work in the industry. This unit prepares you for Building Services and other units.
ABB206 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
The development of conflict management and negotiation skills is essential for those tasked with shaping the built environment. In this unit, you will acquire skills in effective communication, analysis of disputes and creative problem-solving through active participation in role-playing and reflective activities and intense investigation of real-world conflicts that arise through the development of land. You will learn to manage conflicting stakeholder perspectives, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' perspectives. Learning to think about and respond to conflict in a rational manner will prepare you for group work within your studies and into professional practice. Stakeholder Engagement and Planning Law units build on this unit.
ABB212 Architecture Design 4
This unit provides you with an ability to develop architectural designs of reasonable complexity with particular focus on urban space, planning and form through an understanding of site specificities, topography, urban infrastructure and the natural landscape. In this unit you will undertake a small commercial and larger cultural design project. This builds on prior knowledge gained in the first year design studios. You will also be introduced to urban design expanding your previous knowledge of site planning. You will gain new skills in architectural design, urban analysis, and architectural drawing, modelling and visualisation toward the formal synthesis of buildings in urban settings.
ABB214 Environmental Principles of Architectural Design
This unit familiarises you with the basic design principles and passive strategies for heating, cooling and daylighting necessary for architectural designs that respond to human needs (human comfort), are climate-responsive and energy efficient. Understanding the importance of climate-responsive design provides you with the tools to integrate environmental design principals in buildings that reduces carbon emissions for building operations. In a world of finite resources, understanding the physical phenomenon we have to deal with in design is essential for responsible professionals. Technical and scientific issues are an integral part of design projects. It is a fundamental task of architectural design to achieve maximum comfort requirements of the building occupants while minimising energy consumption and operational carbon emissions.
ABB222 Construction Estimating
An advanced construction management unit focusing on construction cost quantification techniques linking to previous years’ basic work and understanding. It includes an introduction to the interrelationship between professions in estimating and the techniques available to quantify cost; definition of the fundamental elements of cost and the methods of evaluating labour, materials, and equipment; assessing base estimates for major trades; assessment of offers from sub-contractors and implications for the tendering process; first principles estimating; review of an estimate; subsequent negotiations and application of estimating to variations and profit monitoring; outcome performance indicators; and introduction to current industry practice, tools, and technology.
ABB224 Construction Legislation
This unit introduces the Australian statutory requirements, building laws and legal frameworks that regulate building works and construction activities to provide a broad understanding of how the mandatory technical requirements dictate the selection of the materials, construction elements, facilities and services in buildings. It articulates the potential risks and issues associated with non-conformance and non-compliance and their impact on project cost, time, and quality. The ability to identify, assess and resolve issues of non-compliance in relation to the application of National Construction Code (NCC), relevant building acts, Australian Standards and associated legislative frameworks is critically important to achieve the minimum necessary performance requirements of buildings in relation to health, safety, amenity and sustainability. The knowledge and skills developed in this unit are relevant to building professional practice in all areas of the built environment.
ABB232 Interior Design: Interiority
This unit introduces principles and elements of interior design with a focus on interiority. You will learn about interior design practices, requiring you to develop a coherent and foundational knowledge of interior design process and theory. Learning in this unit is project-based, supported by lectures, readings, practicals, and studio activities. You will draw on the learnings from previous design studio units and build on this unit’s learnings in future design studio units.
ABB242 Landscape Design 4: People and Place
This second-year landscape architectural design unit introduces you to theories, principles and approaches to contemporary place-making through the critical examination of how people perceive, are impacted by, and interact with their environments, both individually and collectively. It builds your introductory-level design visualisation skills and knowledge of design principles, exploring theories and practices of environment and behaviour, place-making and environmental psychology. You will apply these to first analyse a project site and context, and then plan, develop and communicate a design proposition using the site planning conventions. This unit advances your knowledge and skills by guiding you to research and apply design theories and concepts in the creation of place- and people-responsive designs, which will inform your work in ongoing design units. This unit is complementary to ABB202 Design Psychology and students are encouraged to enrol in both.
ABB244 Landscape Design 6: Urban Ecologies
More people are living in cities now than ever before, intensifying our unsustainable use of resources, increasing carbon emissions, reducing biodiversity, and increasing social inequities and negative psychological effects. In this third-year design unit you will explore contemporary ecological perspectives on how we occupy and design our urban landscapes such as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), Ecological Urbanism, Landscape Urbanism, and Design for Social Justice. You will also learn about applications such as urban farming, constructed ecologies, green/blue infrastructure and disruptive urbanist interventions. You will apply this knowledge to research, develop and communicate a design proposition for positive urban eco-social change. The knowledge and skills you acquire will advance those from your previous design units, complement learning in your Environmental Planning and Landscape Ecologies units, and prepare you for complex, advanced-level design units.
ABB248 Landscape Materiality and Constructs
This second-year landscape technology unit builds on your introduction to the principles and processes of landscape construction, introducing landscape structural theories, material properties, design and construction techniques, principles and processes, and the legislative environment governing landscape construction. You will critically evaluate, explore and apply appropriate sustainable materials and construction techniques to landscape systems and communicate a detailed landscape design proposition using industry-standard communication conventions. The knowledge and skills gained in this unit will inform your work in the advanced design unit, Design and Document.
ABB252 Transport Planning
This unit introduces you to transport systems in selected cities around the world, facilitating an investigation into schemes and policies for promoting sustainable transport. The unit also assists you to integrate transport modelling theory with a set of analytical approaches which are frequently used in transport planning practice, including revealed and stated preference approaches. You will learn about how to design data collection instruments, analyse transport-related data, and communicate results effectively.
ABB254 Stakeholder Engagement
In this unit you will learn about the theory, principles and methods for effective stakeholder engagement in planning processes, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders. You will be introduced to when and how to use different engagement methods appropriate to different planning contexts, facilitate and participate in engagement activities, and critically assess the quality and effectiveness of engagement in real-world cases. Through a combination of studio-based simulations, collaborative planning tasks, and analytical assessment, you will develop practical and professional skills essential for contemporary planning practice. Students must attend campus to participate in the simulations.
ABB302 Project Management
Project Management is the overall planning, control and coordination of a project, from inception to completion, aimed at meeting a client's requirements to complete the project on time, within budget and to the client's quality, safety and environmental standards. This unit introduces you to project management for built environment projects, which includes an overview of the framework, processes and critical knowledge areas of project management. You will develop a project plan to manage the project through its life cycle and learn to identify and engage stakeholders, monitor project costs, and mitigate project risks and opportunities. You will need to develop these core skills to be an effective project manager. Case studies will be used to embed key learnings in a real-world context. The knowledge and skills acquired in this unit are particularly relevant to architectural design and construction management and related majors.
ABB312 Architecture Design 6
This unit develops more advanced architectural design skills focused on ethical and sustainable design practice. You will synthesise issues, ideas, knowledge and techniques of architectural design as a holistic practice, while exploring the social, cultural, economic and environmental factors that shape urban environments. Through a series of urban design projects, you will develop architectural responses that support active mobility, public life, environmental comfort and civic engagement, integrating sustainability principles across urban, public realm and architectural scales.
ABB314 Integrated Architectural Communication
This unit develops visual communication skills previously acquired with emphasis on the ability to communicate technical intentions. Architects recognise that visualisation or communication of process, decisions and outcomes is crucial. To date, you know how to effectively communicate your architectural intentions using both analogue and digital means, skills primarily intended for the communication of design and technical aspects of buildings. However, the ability to communicate technical intentions is equally important. This unit integrates both these aspects through technical communication and documentation skills using Building Information Modelling (BIM).
ABH322 Cost Planning and Control
This unit applies the fundamental principles of cost management including design and construction cost planning (pre-construction) and project controls (during construction), including important techniques in managing project cost in the context of working closely in multidisciplinary teams. It covers cost management in different types of projects.
ABH324 Modern Construction Business
This unit explores the role of construction firms as business entities in the construction industry. This unit introduces the business, social and economic environments in which construction firms operate, and the industry-specific challenges of growing and managing a socially responsible, forward thinking and profitable construction business. The ability to develop a business plan to competently guide business direction and growth is a core skill needed to navigate the dynamic and competitive nature of construction business. Key elements of the business plan include a competent analysis of the market, identifying and engaging key stakeholders, financial analysis, mitigating business risks and opportunities, and build a caring and inclusive corporate culture. The knowledge and skills acquired in this unit are relevant to construction management and related majors.
ABH332 Interior Design: Interaction
This unit provides you with the opportunity to undertake a ‘real world’ design project in a Workplace scenario. You will further develop design methodology and undertake an informed design exploration; critically analyse and generate solutions to unpredictable and complex problems. You will refine your written, verbal and visual communication skills to present design processes and solutions. You will develop your critical knowledge of contemporary social contexts within actual built spaces, focusing on ‘process’ and ‘solution’. The projects will address the role and relevance of research, while applying theoretical, technical, ethical and legislative constraints. Through semi-directed learning and studio delivery, the projects allow for the exploration of interior environments with an increased level of complexity and resolution so you can build on earlier learnings from your degree.
ABH334 Design in Society
This unit addresses the relationships between design and everyday socio-cultural practices enabling you to apply this knowledge in contemporary designed environments analysis such as work environments and service scapes. It provides critical, theoretical and analytical opportunities to develop knowledge of the way the designed world intersects with social life. These insights are crucial to the capacity of design to respond in an evidenced-based and socially responsible way to the designed world as lived and experienced. The unit reviews theories and case studies to illuminate the injustices between design and everyday practice across cultures and time and provides an opportunity to apply these critical insights in an analysis of a designed environment. It focuses on inclusion and the socio-cultural aspects of design and complements the unit, ABB202 Design Psychology, while also helping consolidate your final year learning in preparation for professional practice.
ABH442 Landscape Design 7: Resilient Landscapes
This fourth-year design unit builds on your understanding of landscape systems developed in your Landscape Ecologies and Environmental Planning units. It advances your understanding of resilience theory, and its implications for landscape appraisal and design. This understanding is critical to respond in an ecologically, socially, culturally, and economically responsible manner to ecosystems in crisis. In this unit you will learn about resilience theory including and understanding of system thresholds, anti-fragility, adaptability and transformability. You will apply this knowledge in the research, development and communication of a design proposition in response to a current issue within a selected landscape system. The knowledge and skills you acquire in this unit consolidate and advance those from your previous design units, and will prepare you to display professional and ethical judgement and initiative as a landscape architect.
ABN401 Research Strategies in the Built Environment
In this unit, you will examine how research informs practice across the built environment disciplines, including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, construction management, quantity surveying, and urban and regional planning. You will develop critical thinking, information retrieval, and synthesis skills necessary for professional, evidence-based practice. You will explore qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection and analysis, with concepts introduced through lectures and applied primarily through tutorial activities, where you will develop literature reviews, research questions, and research plans that support subsequent research and design projects. This unit is taught concurrently to Bachelor of Built Environment (Honours) and Master of Architecture students, with learning activities and assessments aligned to AQF Level 8 expectations appropriate to both cohorts.
ABN402 Sustainable Urban Design
This unit explores the principles and integrated approaches that shape urban design as a creative and problem-solving discipline. It focuses on enhancing the quality of urban spaces and spatial experiences while reinforcing sustainability, resilience, and cultural diversity. You will engage with complex urban challenges through a design lens, exploring how different perspectives inform urban design practices and spatial outcomes. The unit also examines the role of emerging technologies in shaping contemporary urban environments, equipping you with the tools to integrate digital innovations, such as Generative AI, into design processes. Through key principles, frameworks, and methodologies, you will develop the skills necessary to create responsive, inclusive, and sustainable urban spaces.
ABN412 Master Studio One
This is a studio-based unit in which you design architectural projects. The studio will focus on developing high-level abilities to rationally test and experiment through architectural design projects to explore cultures, contexts, technologies and environments. It requires a high level of design resolution in its projects as well as the practice of a research-led design process. The unit uses developmental exercises to enhance student perceptions of the built environment in a project-based learning environment. The architectural aspects of design theory, sustainability, sociology, history, and critique all form parts of the unit content.
ABN414 Advanced Building Science
This unit aims to develop an understanding of low-energy and high-comfort architectural design solutions for large-scale buildings. This hands-on unit addresses natural means of control of indoor conditions for the achievement of thermal and visual comfort of building occupants with a focus on the evaluation of design solutions through simulation. It explores the role of building science and simulation tools in the design of high-performing buildings. Buildings are large energy consumers, most of which come from their operations. In a world of finite resources, architects must understand the environmental impacts of their design decisions, considering all technical and scientific issues involved to achieve maximum comfort while minimising energy consumption. This unit further develops scientific knowledge associated with architectural practice and, in particular, skills required for designing and evaluating large-scale projects dealing with environmental design.
PMN503 Managing Projects as an Integrated System
This unit explores systems thinking and a systems approach towards all project performance domains. Understanding of a systems approach will help project managers to have an integrated understanding of the project. This will achieve better outcomes and value for the customers and project stakeholders.
PMN504 Managing Project Teams
This unit will provide you with the fundamental skills and knowledge to manage internal stakeholders, and to appreciate the role and contribution of the Project Manager in facilitating outcomes critical for the success of a project. It will specifically focus on the competencies required to effectively lead, motivate and manage individuals within the project team. The unit provides an understanding of how to undertake negotiation and conflict resolution, and recognise individual and cultural differences and different communication styles appearing in project teams.
PMN505 Project Procurement
This unit identifies the optimal procurement strategy for a project from a client’s perspective taking a strategic approach and positions procurement in the project lifecycle and provides the detail required to be an effective client or tenderer for projects. Further, this unit considers project procurement from a contractor and contract management perspective recognising that procurement is a strategic and systematic process of acquiring the necessary goods, services, and resources required to successfully initiate, execute, and complete a project. This vital aspect of project management involves planning, sourcing, negotiating, and managing relationships with suppliers and vendors to ensure that the project's objectives are met within specified timelines, budget constraints, and quality standards. Effective project management procurement involves a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics, risk assessment, contract management, and stakeholder collaboration.
PMN604 Aligning Strategy and Projects in Global Organisations
This unit explores the detailed links between the organisational business strategy and the projects, programs and portfolios delivered by global organisations. It teaches you how to use tools and techniques to extract maximum value from the project, program and portfolio and execute strategies for delivering optimal benefit for the global organisations. This unit links business strategy theories with the project, program and portfolio practices.
PMN607 Strategic Risk Management
This unit takes a strategic approach to risk in the project and business lifecycles. A broader range of risk management frameworks are now available and clients and providers need to understand the features of each before any implementation. The knowledge and skills developed in this unit contribute to effective identification, analysis, evaluation and treatment of risk to the project and the organisation in an integrated and strategic way. This unit builds on a sound understanding of risk and opportunities in projects and programs to inform decision-making and the project and program risk allocation between stakeholders.
PMN610 Project Management Principles
This unit introduces project management as a dynamic profession that plays a pivotal role in effectively planning, organising, and executing tasks to achieve specific goals within a defined timeframe and budget. The ability to manage projects efficiently has become a crucial skill for organisations and individuals alike. This unit focusses on project management essentials, principles, methodologies, and tools that empower project managers to deliver projects successfully. The is a gateway into the fundamental concepts of project management, exploring key areas such as project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and project closure. Further, important aspects of cultural competence and indigenous perspectives are woven throughout the content and reinforced in the assessment items. By mastering these essentials, you will enhance your ability to drive innovation, enhance collaboration, and achieve consistent project success in diverse industries and sectors.
Units requiring approval
Students need specific academic background knowledge to study these units, so we will assess your eligibility and determine if you’re able to take these units after you apply. We will let you know the outcome through the application portal as soon as possible.
Architecture and built environment
ABH452 Community Planning
In this unit you will apply community planning skills to real-world spatial investigations. The unit integrates contemporary planning theory & fieldwork enabling you to analyse complex community tensions shaped by power, inequality, governance structures, and competing knowledge systems, including Indigenous and place-based perspectives. Through interactive studio-based practice, you will translate these insights into persuasive advocacy material, strategic master planning frameworks, and statutory planning documentation. The unit applies key theories & concepts in community planning & supports you to develop analytical drawings, publication‑ready planning reports, and live professional simulation defending your strategic plan to an external assessor. You will demonstrate the ability to synthesise theory, field evidence, & planning policy into coherent, implementable, community‑responsive planning outcomes.
ABH456 Planning Theory and Ethics
In this theory and ethics unit you will be prepared for planning practice and the dilemmas you will face as a professional. The unit will encourage you to engage with the substantive and procedural theories that inform how and why we plan, and provide the philosophical foundations that justify contemporary planning in both the private and public sectors. In this unit you will reflect on the diverse views and disciplinary insights that are present in a range of alternative theories of planning, and demonstrate your capacity to articulate your own personal philosophy of planning and the importance of ethical behaviour and codes in professional practice. This is a final year unit that will draw on the knowledge and skills you have developed through your previous units and through the experience of practice that you have gained as part of Work Integrated Learning or through working in the industry.
Enrolment restrictions
Postgraduate students can't enrol in:
- first-year undergraduate core units
- postgraduate honours-level units, which change from year to year.
Enrolment in capstone units is generally not allowed, as these units require extended knowledge gained throughout the course of a full degree.
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