Bachelor of Fine Arts
Define your place in the future of art and culture
Define your place in the future of art and culture
Develop your creative skills and knowledge with the Bachelor of Fine Arts. Taught by internationally-recognised practising artists and scholars, you’ll develop your independent artistic practice in a rigorous and supportive community of artists and thinkers.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is designed for those who wish to thrive in and lead the future of global contemporary art and culture. You’ll be encouraged to experiment with a range of artistic processes, mediums and techniques to explore your ideas, curiosities and passions.
You’ll focus on one distinct major, choosing either Studio Practice or Art Theory. Both pathways feature professional practice, research skills and opportunities for elective study, meaning you’ll be prepared for a diverse range of careers and professional contexts in today’s art world and related creative fields.
Define your practice
Our degree allows you to choose a major in either Studio Practice or Art Theory. Your specialisation will be informed by an expansive choice of subjects to establish your practice with theory and skills that interest you. You'll learn from a network of creatives to understand different areas of the art system and how they interact. We teach you to be confident in the value of your unique practice and your place in the contemporary art space.
A creative community
Learn alongside artists, designers, media practitioners and curators in a community engaged with contemporary events and debate. A dynamic campus will influence your practice and network with a social and collaborative culture. Situated in Sydney’s creative heart, the UNSW Art & Design campus at Paddington is at the centre of local galleries, industry and studios.
A professional and global approach
Be confident to launch a career as a professional creative or use your skills in other industries as a creative professional. Our students graduate with tangible professional skills that make them stand out in industry. You’ll learn how to network, promote your practice, write applications and grants, and gain local and global perspectives through field trips, internships, overseas electives, exchange and our international visiting curators' program.
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At UNSW, we are committed to ensuring prospective students have all the information they need in order to make informed decisions about their study options.
To assist you in gaining a better understanding of how Admissions works at UNSW, we have provided you with a summary of ATAR offers and the student profile.
We hope this information will help you identify the degree that is right for you.
Visual Arts
We offer a range of adjustment factor schemes that reward students for academic performance and extra-curricular achievements. These schemes also take into account a range of personal and educational disadvantages that may have affected your studies.
HSC Plus
This scheme rewards students who perform well in Year 12 subjects that are relevant to their preferred UNSW degree. You may be awarded up to five points.
Elite Athletes, Performers and Leaders (EAPL)
This program recognises achievements in the areas of sport, academia, leadership and music at an elite level. You may be eligible for up to five points.
Educational Access Scheme (EAS)
Factors such as illness, financial hardship, language difficulties or attending a particular school can mean you don't always get the best possible marks in Years 11 and 12. If one of these situations applies to you, submit an application for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) via UAC. Eligible students can receive between 1 and 10 points towards their chosen UNSW degree.
Your ATAR is not the only measure of your potential to succeed, which is why we offer a range of pathways into university. Explore your options below and get in touch with our future student advisors to discuss your path to UNSW.
Gateway Admission Pathway
This scheme is open to students in Years 11 and 12 who attend Gateway schools. It significantly adjusts the ATAR requirements for your preferred UNSW degree and provides you with an early conditional offer to UNSW.
Entry programs for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
We offer entry programs for Indigenous Australians, including the Indigenous Preparatory Programs and the Indigenous Admission Scheme (IAS). The entry pathway program you apply for will depend on the degree you want to study.
Portfolio Entry
At UNSW School of Art & Design we look for creative talent. As such, some students are admitted solely on their ATAR, or equivalent, and some are identified by demonstrating their creative potential by preparing and submitting a portfolio of art, design, media or written work. Submitting a portfolio can boost your chances of admission to Australia’s leading school of art and design. For more information and to see specific guidelines and deadlines visit Art & Design's Portfolio Entry page.
UNSW also offers a number of other alternative entry schemes to support you in boosting your admission opportunities. Explore your alternative entry options.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If you’re completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.
If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
UNSW Global offers courses and programs designed to help you reach the English language level required for entry into your chosen degree. Different options are available depending on your current English language level. Learn more.
We do not accept secondary qualifications from this country. We may accept tertiary study results, please contact us for more information.
Please contact us for direct entry requirements.
UNSW Global has university pathway programs that provide seamless transition to UNSW Sydney so you can achieve your academic and career goals. Learn more.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
UNSW Global offers courses and programs designed to help you reach the English language level required for entry into your chosen degree. Different options are available depending on your current English language level. Learn more.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts is three years full-time consisting of 24 courses. Depending on whether you choose a Studio Practice or Art Theory major, the program will include:
Studio Practice
Art Theory
Each university year at UNSW has three terms and an optional summer study period.
Some courses need to be studied in your first and second year, so you’re prepared for courses that can only be studied in later years. You can study full-time or part-time. Depending on how you plan your study load, you can fit two or three courses into a term and one course in a summer term.
Throughout your degree, you’ll be guided by our dedicated, nationally and internationally recognised staff of artists, art theorists and curators to develop an independent creative practice. With two majors to choose from, the degree is structured to develop depth in disciplinary skills and knowledge, underpinned by specialised art history and theory courses. Discover more about what you’ll learn in each major below.
Across this suite of six core studio courses, you’ll develop creative, conceptual and professional skills and explore new possibilities for your independent and interdisciplinary artistic practice.
Disciplinary studio courses
In first year, choose from a range of introductory courses to expand your skills and knowledge. In second year, select at least two areas in which to deepen your practice from the following studio areas:
History and theory
Throughout the degree, you’ll critically engage with the histories and theories informing contemporary art practice. You’ll gain important analytical, communication and research skills, as well as critically examining the key ideas and debates shaping today’s art and culture.
Free electives and general education
Add to your repertoire of skills and knowledge through elective courses in a wide range of areas in art, design, media, and theory, as well as courses from across the university. General education courses enable you to broaden your educational experience. You can choose any general education course from across the university in areas that align with your interests.
Below is an example of what you could study in a standard three-year, full-time study plan:
First year
Second year
Third year
In the Art Theory Major, you’ll choose a combination of core and optional courses that are curated around the following study themes:
Core courses
The core studies throughout the program allow you to explore a range of histories and theories informing contemporary art practice and discourse. With a focus on the relationship between local and global contexts, these courses give you insights into the complex and intersecting ideas shaping current debates about art and culture.
Art theory major
Choose from a range of interconnected courses across contemporary art, new media, performance art, and art institution and museum studies to gain broad knowledge and deep insights. Hone your analytical, communication and research skills to help you discover and articulate complex ideas.
Free electives and general education
Add to your repertoire of skills and knowledge through elective courses in a wide range of areas in art, design, media, and theory, as well as courses from across the university. General education courses enable you to broaden your educational experience. You can choose from any general education course from across the university in areas that align with your own interests.
First year
Second year
Third year
Fine Arts (Honours) and Art Theory (Honours) are one-year programs that allow you to advance your studies and can be a pathway to postgraduate study. They’re intended for high-achieving students who have completed an undergraduate degree in fine arts (or similar area), either from UNSW Sydney or another university.
Studio Practice major
Many of our graduates are practising contemporary artists in their fields of expertise. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Studio Practice) also equips graduates with the transferable skills and insights that secure employment across the cultural and creative industries including:
Art Theory major
UNSW’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (Art Theory) prepares students for a range of careers as thinkers, curators, producers, publishers, innovators, policy makers and future leaders.
Our graduates have the hands-on skills underpinning how creative content is exhibited, distributed, interpreted and promoted and are sought after across a range of arts, cultural, entertainment, media and technology industries.
Graduates find employment in areas including:
UNSW offers a comprehensive suite of career-enhancing double degree options. The Bachelor of Fine Arts can be combined in the following double degrees:
Applications for undergraduate study from domestic students (Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holders and New Zealand citizens) are processed by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).
Visit the Apply section of the UAC website and you can nominate up to five degrees in order of preference, with the first being your most desired degree and university.
On-time applications for admission usually close at the end of September each year for Term 1 admission. Late applications can be submitted, but a late fee will apply. For study starting in Term 1, the majority of offers are made in December and January. Visit the UAC website for key dates for admission outside of Term 1.
For most international students, applications are submitted via our Apply Online service. We encourage you to submit your completed application as early as possible to ensure it will be processed in time for your preferred term.
Some high-demand programs with limited places, may have an earlier application deadline or may have an earlier commencement date. For more information visit our international applicant information page.
*If you are an international student studying an Australian qualification, go to the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) for application and UAC key dates. Note: If you are under 18 years of age, you need to make special arrangements. Read more.
Commonwealth Supported Place: Student Contribution Band 2
*The student contribution for a Commonwealth Supported Place is an indication only of the amount payable in Year 1 based on a standard full-time load of 48 credit points (1.0 EFTSL). The actual student contribution you will be liable for depends on your individual program of study and the calendar year in which you enrol. Actual fees are calculated upon enrolment. Student contribution amounts are subject to annual review by the university and may increase each year during your studies (subject to caps determined by the Australian Government), effective at the start of each calendar year.
The indicative fees listed here are based on an estimated average and are for tuition only - other fees and charges are not included.
*Fees are subject to annual review by the University and may increase annually, with the new fees effective from the start of each calendar year. The indicative fees listed here are based on an estimated average and are for tuition only other fees and charges are not included. The amount you pay will vary depending on the calendar year to enrol, the courses you select and whether your study load is more or less than 1 Equivalent Full Time Student Load (8 courses per year).
Indicative fees are a guide for comparison only based on current conditions and available data. You should not rely on indicative fees. More information on fees can be found at the UNSW fees website.
Indicative fees to complete the program have been calculated based on a percentage increase for every year of the program. Fee increases are assessed annually and may exceed the indicative figures listed below.
Indicative fees to complete the program include tuition plus an estimate of study-related costs of approximately $1,000 per year. To find out more about other costs, visit UNSW International.
At UNSW, we award over $83 million in scholarships each year. We pride ourselves on rewarding excellence and making university accessible to students from all walks of life. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, our range of scholarships, prizes and awards can support your journey.
QS World University Rankings, 2022.
AFR Top 100 Future leaders Award.
#1 Australian uni attended by start-up founders.
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