From Collingwood to Casablanca – a design school that takes you places

A design school with a truly international perspective, LCI Melbourne has 23 campuses globally to put your career on the map.
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Image courtesy LCI Melbourne

Design today is global, so why be limited by geography when you’re choosing which school to study at?

LCI Melbourne is a dedicated design school located in the heart of Collingwood. This year it moved into a converted warehouse, formerly the iconic Foy & Gibson department store. Behind its heritage-listed façade lies a spacious campus with a light-filled atrium and modern learning studios designed to foster creativity, collaboration and innovation. It is the perfect environment in which to kick-start your design career.

The opportunities that LCI Melbourne offers, however, go way beyond bricks and mortar. The school is part of the global LCI Education Network of dedicated design colleges: 23 campuses across five continents, giving students the chance to expand their design horizons from Barcelona to Jakarta, Montréal to Casablanca, Vancouver to Istanbul.

Just two weeks ago, the LCI Education Network announced their latest acquisition – the renowned Universidad VERITAS located in San José, Costa Rica and recognised as one of the best colleges of Art, Design and Architecture in Latin America.

Spokesperson for LCI Melbourne, Michelle Newell told ArtsHub: ‘Our student body is truly global. We are connected to thousands of students studying the design arts on five continents, opening up unrivalled opportunities to travel and study abroad. And we welcome international students, offering language and cultural programs to support them in their transition to Australia.’

She added: ‘Our students don’t just learn from our industry-leading teachers, they thrive on learning from each other.’

To learn how you can be part of the LCI global network of study visit http://www.lcieducation.com/

Graphic Design student Meagan Malone had the opportunity to study abroad at LaSalle College Vancouver. The experience left her with an amazing portfolio of work, and she dreams of returning to live and work in the creative Canadian city.

‘I loved how fast paced the practical classes are at LaSalle College Vancouver and felt that I had a huge advantage with my thorough instruction at LCI Melbourne. I have come back from my exchange with so many wonderful pieces to add to my portfolio which will be very advantageous when I am looking for a job,’ Malone said.

Newell noted that LaSalle College Vancouver (previously known as the Art Institute of Vancouver) has been consistently named one of the top 10 undergraduate schools in Canada for video game design by the Princeton Review.

‘The Network also has a fantastic offering for fashion students, including Barcelona’s oldest fashion school offering Bachelors and Masters degrees, and Canada’s number 1 fashion school, LaSalle College, Montréal,’ she added.  

Alumni of the 2016 Fashion & Costume Design course, Alanna Mitchell said: ‘The best part of my journey has been all of the opportunities that have continued to flow on from each other. Studying at LCI Melbourne led me to be an exchange student at Paris College of Art, which lead to the internship with Oscar de La Renta, which lead to the internship in Sydney with Harper’s Bazaar, which resulted in my first full-time job at a prestigious company in my first year out of university.’

Domestic students enrolled at LCI Melbourne don’t need to pay local fees in other countries – their course is simply transferred. Newell explained: ‘They just keep paying FEE-HELP here, and only pay for their accommodation, food – as you would in Melbourne – and pay for their travel to the other country.’  

She continued: ‘Any student who wants to do a study abroad period gets a one-on-one consultation with our Student Support team, and they tailor a study period to that student – which campus, which course, what is their goal?’

Unveiling a new campus this year, the LCI Melbourne Atrium is a feature and a hub of activity for the design school; supplied

Choosing the right course for you

LCI Melbourne students gain that global edge across their core courses, including:

Communication Design, which prepares students for the world of advertising through experience with real clients, using industry-standard methods. They will learn how to create, produce and deliver communication collateral across a variety of channels; from digital and social media, to television and billboards.

Fashion & Costume Design is a studio-based program that offers training to ensure students are industry ready. They also have the opportunity to show their work at LCI’s independent Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival runway. 

Filmmaking & Photography: Working in studio and on location, students will develop a strong foundation in digital workflow, and image correction and adjustment. They will work with actors, produce short films, and experiment with digital visual effects and animation.

Graphic & Digital Design: Engaging with both simulated and real design studio environments, this program will provide students with technical experience in industry-standard digital tools, allowing them to realise their designs and advance their visual literacy and design aesthetic.

Interior Design: Discover how to conceptualise and produce dynamic and engaging spaces in the built environment in LCI’s Interior Design major.

Visual Arts: Studying in a studio-based environment, students will ultimately have their own onsite exhibition and work space.

Small class sizes mean each student has the opportunity to be well known in the LCI Melbourne community and have their unique creative voice heard.

To learn more about LCI Melbourne courses visit http://www.lcimelbourne.edu.au

Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina