The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art) is a three-year degree that equips graduates with the necessary conceptual and material creative knowledge to engage and thrive in the professional contemporary art industry.

The course offers immersive, integrated and experiential practice-based studio studies and critical and theoretical studies in drawing and printmaking, painting, photography and sculpture. You can select from a range of subjects that allow you to explore cross-disciplinary studies, exposing you to multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills.

Embedded in the cultural capital of Australia, you will learn from internationally recognised artists, lecturers and industry professionals. You will also have opportunities to work with visiting artists from Australia and abroad. As a graduate, you'll be equipped with the skills and critical knowledge to contribute to a diverse range of contexts including professional contemporary art practice and exhibition making. You may also develop future pathways into museum and curatorial professions, fashion, design, education and art therapy.

In the first year, you'll engage in foundational techniques to develop and strengthen your skills base enabling creative self-expression. In the second year, you'll use your knowledge to further engage with and develop your studio practice and artistic voice. In your final year of study, you'll have the unique opportunity to travel overseas and/or to involve yourself in research-based internal electives. The synthesis of these skills culminates in third year with the capstone experience of the Graduation Exhibition, a professionally curated and installed showcase of student art work from all disciplines, visited by national industry professionals, patrons, collectors and members of the general public.

Your breadth studies

As part of your course at each year level, you can select breadth subjects either from our VCA elective subjects, or explore cross disciplinary studies from the wider University community, accessing multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills that will build on existing knowledge or present opportunities for you to investigate and develop new interests.

The breadth subjects available to commencing BFA students include those in fine arts (acting, animation, dance, production, film and television, music theatre, screenwriting, theatre and visual art), as well as music education, Indigenous knowledges, law, languages, psychology, social sciences, humanities, science, marketing and many more.

More about the University’s breadth subjects