Bachelor of Fine Arts

This unique three-year degree is all about learning through experimentation. It teaches the necessary skills for careers as a professional artist, including adaptability and the capacity and confidence to take creative risks.

You'll dip your toes into painting, photography, printmaking, collage, ceramics, jewellery making, glassblowing, installation art - and so much more - before focusing in on the areas of your choice.

You'll connect with visiting artists and academics, building links and relationships with the creative arts community - both within the University and beyond.By engaging with local art and cultural organisations and institutions, you'll build invaluable networks for your future career.

You'll analyse and interpret artistic works while advancing your technical skills. Learn how to present your art in galleries and public spaces.Build critical, creative and reflective thinking. Tailor your experience with research projects, a placement or a semester of study abroad.

You'll graduate ready to turn your creative practice into a sustainable career as a freelance artist. Or apply your skillset in creative organisations, galleries, museums, education, digital media or marketing.

What you'll learn

Our Bachelor of Fine Arts is interdisciplinary and responsive to evolving industries and technologies. It is distinctive in its focus on hands-on learning and practice-based research. Creating art involves risk-taking, responding to criticism and problem solving. In this degree, we teach you to welcome, navigate and grow from challenges like these.

Delivered in a multimodal format, the program is designed to respond to industry expectations and give you the skills to achieve success in creative careers including resourcefulness, empathy, criticality and independence. Our emphasis on making and practice-based material research means you'll build an impressive portfolio of creative work while you study. You'll learn how to write proposals and respond to briefs, build communication and marketing skills, and develop critical and creative thinking. Explore the history of diverse cultural traditions, contemporary art practices and the changing role of the artist in society.

In your first year, you'll be introduced to a variety of different materials and studio areas, including:

• Painting

• Photography

• Printmaking

• Sculpture

• Ceramics

• Glass

• Jewellery

• Metal and wood

• Video, sound and performance art.

These will expand your skillset and help you refine and crystallise your strengths and passions.

In your second year, you'll develop more enhancing technical and conceptual skills in your chosen studio areas and explore their histories and contemporary practices. This is complemented by cross-disciplinary courses that emphasise collaborative practice and build the scope and application of your skills. From your second year, you'll also choose from a wide range of courses in visual culture, art history and cultural studies covering topics such as:

• Ethical public engagement and cultural sensitivity

• Art writing and research

• Global art cinema and audiovisual culture

• The circulation of art and ideas

• New technologies in the digital age

• The role of curators and critics

• Art and politics.

You'll have extended studio time in the second and third years and be inducted into the safe use of state-of-the art equipment and facilities including:

• Ceramics wheels and kilns

• Glass furnace and hot shop

• Sandblasting and cold working equipment

• Metal, plastics and wood-working machinery

• Waterjet cutter and CNC equipment

• 3D printers and laser cutters

• Etching, lithography and relief presses

• Jewellery studio and equipment

• Textiles workshop and dye room

• Photographic darkrooms and lighting studios

• Video and sound editing suites

• Screen printing exposure and washout facilities.

You'll also have the opportunity to participate in events and projects with community partners, workshops with visiting artists and academics, industry placements, and study tours. Defined Work Integrated Learning (WIL) courses will be facilitated in partnership with the Samstag Gallery and organisations such as Jam Factory, Guildhouse, the Art Gallery of South Australia, ACE, Nexus and Helpmann Academy

You'll graduate as a versatile and skilled professional, ready to apply your knowledge and experience across the art and cultural spheres - and beyond.