Visual arts

Choose a major in Visual Arts

Your future is a creative space.

Explore your creativity through digital media, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. With a major in Visual Arts, you’ll discover the visual arts through the study of art history, visual language, concept development and design. In the Arts stream, you’ll prepare for a future as an artist or working in the visual arts industry. In the Education stream, you’ll focus on the skills you’ll need to teach art and creativity to your students—while uncovering your abilities and building new knowledge. Either way, you’ll learn from practising artists as you develop practical skills alongside theory. Unleash your imagination as you discover new ways to create, and think about, visual art.

Why study Visual Arts?

Extend your talent and knowledge of art
Develop an appreciation of creativity and visual thinking
Learn to express conceptual aesthetic qualities that are both contemporary and traditional
Build an understanding of social and cultural contexts of visual arts
Develop a portfolio of creative work that demonstrates your technical and conceptual skills, creativity and passion

What you will study

Art history and theory
Design fundamentals
Contemporary issues in visual arts
Choose from digital media, drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture—plus ceramics, jewellery and photography if you choose to study the Bachelor of Arts

Your career

Prepare yourself for a range of career opportunities in visual arts, craft or related fields.

Potential occupations include:

artist, photographer or illustrator
advertising or graphic designer
arts administrator, writer or critic
art dealer, historian or curator.

Potential employers include:

galleries and studios
museums
festivals
design and retail companies
schools and education providers
tourism and retail sectors.

Add Visual Arts to your degree

Bachelor of Arts, Master of Teaching (Primary R-7)

Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Special Education

Bachelor of Arts, Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Bachelor of Education (Primary R-7), Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts, Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)

Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Arts

How many topics will you study?

A major in Visual Arts is made up of 36 units, including:

two Year 1 topics (9 units)
two Year 2 topics (9 units)
two Year 3 topics (9 units)
plus two additional topics (9 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics.

Visual Arts can also be taken as a minor. Your 22.5 units will include:

two Year 1 topics (9 units)
two Year 2 topics (9 units)
plus an additional topic (4.5 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics.

Add a year of Honours

Kickstart your career or future in research with one extra year.

By adding just one year full-time to your undergraduate degree, you can graduate with Honours. Enhance your career prospects, delve deeper into knowledge or launch yourself into the world of research.

Explore your honours year