Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Visual Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies

Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Visual Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies at Sydney College of the Arts will allow you to develop the conceptual, theoretical and technical skills you will need to succeed as a practising artist or in a range of careers in the creative industries.

First year develops your creative practice through projects designed to expand your awareness of the potentialities of contemporary art practice. You will be introduced to two-dimensional, three-dimensional and four-dimensional realms of studio based creative practice in a range of contemporary art disciplines in SCA’s well equipped studios. You will be introduced to interdisciplinary principles and relevant theories designed to blend conceptual and technical proficiencies, so as to develop your own critical and visual language, ideas and mode of expression.

In second year, you will select one area of emphasis through focused assessment projects. The areas of emphasis are:

• Ceramics
• Glass
• Jewellery
• Painting
• Photomedia
• Printmedia
• Screen Arts, or
• Sculpture.

Here you will explore and develop emerging ideas and a personal artistic voice. Your studies will be supported by tailored technical workshops across all areas.

Third year is the consolidation of your creative practice, where you will work independently on self-directed projects that continue to develop and extend concepts, theories and methods learned first and second year. You may take a disciplinary or interdisciplinary approach to a refined body of work appropriate for the graduate exhibition, a public event held at the conclusion of semester two.

Degree Structure and Requirements

1. Bachelor of Visual Arts

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Visual Arts, a candidate must complete 144 credit points including:

• 72 credit points of Studio units from the Visual Arts table
• 24 credit points of Art History units, of which 12 credit points must be from 1000 level and 12 credit points must be from 2000 or 3000 level from the Visual Arts table
• 48 credit points from Elective units in the:
  –Visual Arts table or
  –Table O or
  – Table S Electives which may include a minor or major excluding the Visual Arts major or minor from Table S

2. Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies

To qualify for the award of Bachelor of Visual Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies, a candidate must complete 192 credit points including:

• 72 credit points of Studio units from the Visual Arts table
• 24 credit points of Art History units, of which 12 credit points must be from 1000 level and 12 credit points must be from 2000 or 3000 level from the Visual Arts table
• A 48 credit points major excluding the Visual Arts major from Table S
• 12 credit points of Open Learning Environment units of study from Table O
• A minimum of 24 credit points at 4000 level as listed in the Visual Arts table
• Where appropriate, elective units of study from Table O or Table S Electives

Majors and minors

A major consists of 48 credit points in a single subject area. A minor consists of 36 credit points in a single discipline area.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Visual Arts may choose to complete a major or a minor (excluding the Visual Arts major and minor) from Table S (shared pool) to meet degree requirements.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies must complete a major (excluding the Visual Arts major) from Table S.

Honours

The honours year allows you to extend your potential in studio-based and written research. You may continue to work in the area of your undergraduate study or undertake research in a different area.

You can choose to complete honours in Visual Arts either by studio practice and research paper; or by sole dissertation.

Your final examination will take place at the graduate exhibition at the end of the honours year. You are required to present your research paper and studio work; or dissertation with an oral examination, both to a panel of two examiners.

Requirements for honours
The requirements for honours in Visual Arts are described in the degree resolutions for the Bachelor of Visual Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies.

36 credit points of honours units will be included in the table for 2021.

Honours admission requirements
For students who commenced their degree prior to 2018: admission to Honours requires:

1. the completion of the requirements of the pass degree in the Bachelor of Visual Arts, or a major in Visual Arts in an undergraduate degree at the University of Sydney or an equivalent degree from another university with a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 65 across all 2000- and 3000-level units; and
2. presentation of a research proposal outlining the proposed topic of investigation; and
3. for students not in the Bachelor of Visual Arts, presentation of a portfolio of creative work demonstrating level of expertise for honours level.

Advanced Coursework

The requirements for advanced coursework in Visual Arts are described in the degree resolutions for the Bachelor of Visual Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies.

24 credit points of advanced study will be included in the table for 2021.

Pre-2018 Curriculum students

Students who started their current degree prior to 2018 should follow the requirements (such as 36cp majors) listed in the handbook of the year they commenced the degree.

For example, a student who started their Bachelor of Arts in 2017 should follow the 2017 Handbook requirements. Handbooks for previous years are located in the Handbook Archive.

Available units of study will appear in the unit of study enrolment task screens in Sydney Student.

Electives

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Visual Arts, and the Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Advanced Studies can complete elective units of study from Table S (shared pool) and Table O.

The available units of study are listed in Table O and Table S in the Interdisciplinary Studies handbook.

Contact and further information

Website: Sydney College of the Arts
Website: School of Literature, Art and Media

Example Pathway

*Table S major or minor excluding Visual Arts major or minor