Diploma of Fine Arts (A1B)

Overview  2024

Entry Requirements

See entry requirements

Duration

Minimum 1 Year, up to a maximum of 5 Years

Duration

Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Location

Hobart
Semester 1, Semester 2
Launceston
Semester 1, Semester 2

Entry Requirements

See entry requirements

Duration

Minimum 1 Year, up to a maximum of 5 Years

Duration

Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Entry requirements

Location

Hobart
Semester 1, Semester 2
Launceston
Semester 1, Semester 2

From engaging with acclaimed international artists to participating in Tasmania's thriving and experimental art scene, visual artists Micheila Petersfield and Sam Field tell us what they loved about the studying Fine Arts at the University of Tasmania.

Within this degree, you will develop skills in self-expression and creative problem solving to generate art work. You will be encouraged to participate in contemporary culture, engaging directly with Tasmania’s internationally acclaimed arts culture through our ongoing partnerships with festivals and arts institutions across the state. You will be provided with opportunities to actively contribute to the cultural life of our society and interact with both Australian and international visiting artists.

You will gain an awareness of your own creative practice and the role and function of visual art and design within contemporary culture. You can choose from a range of selected units, which will provide a foundation for further study in fine art and/or enable you to encounter and develop skills in diverse art disciplines.

  • 1 Produce creative works and projects with speculative and iterative outcomes as a process of directed creative inquiry
  • 2 Apply technical and theoretical knowledge to identify ideas, artefacts and methods in the arts in order to reflect on your own and others’ work.
  • 3 Consider your practice within relevant and diverse contexts (e.g. social, cultural and historical)
  • 4 Communicate ideas and processes to audiences and stakeholders using written, oral and visual skills.
  • Learn beyond the classroom

    Collaboration is an important part of Fine Arts. Depending on your skills and interests, you could be working across Tasmania’s iconic festivals, behind the scenes at a gallery, interpreting collections, or at a museum handling objects not yet for public display. Along the way, you’ll gain valuable insights into how organisations operate and the diverse career pathways available to you.

    Studying in Tasmania, our whole Island becomes your campus. Speak with your unit coordinator about how you can gain practical experience by volunteering in research initiatives, becoming an ambassador, or taking part in a work experience program.

    Study overseas at one of our partner institutions

    Our international exchange program offers opportunities to study at universities around the world, and it counts towards your degree. Exchange can allow you to have an affordable educational and cultural experience in a foreign country for a semester, or a full year. To facilitate this, we offer a range of scholarships and financial assistance. You may also be eligible for OS-HELP Loans or scholarship funding to assist with airfares, accommodation and other expenses. For more information, please visit Learning Abroad.

    Become a Student Ambassador

    Improve your communication, teamwork and leadership skills, meet new people, inspire and help others, and developing lasting friendships and networks as a student ambassador. Our ambassadors proudly represent the University throughout Tasmania in schools, at University and community events, and support a range of recruitment and engagement activities. Through the Student Ambassador Program you will have many opportunities for training and professional development, experience in real-world community engagement and outreach, networking, and public speaking, plus end up with a key point of distinction on your CV.

    Students are offered a wide range of opportunities to participate in festivals such as Ten Days on the IslandJunction Arts FestivalThe Unconformity and engage with acclaimed artists commissioned by MONA, TMAG, QVMAG, and more. Take a look at just a few highlights of student works at Panopticon III, part of Dark Mofo 2019.

    Career outcomes

    Diverse opportunities

    Build a career you love in the ever expanding creative arts sector. In a world being redefined by innovation, design and creativity, a vast selection of exciting career opportunities present themselves:

    • Arts administrator
    • Creative director
    • Furniture designer
    • Illustrator
    • Multimedia artist
    • Museum or gallery curator
    • Painter
    • Photographer
    • Printmaker
    • Researcher
    • Sculptor
    • Sound artist
    • Video artist
    • Teacher
    Further study

    Open your options with further study, students who successfully complete the Diploma of Fine Arts may progress to the Bachelor Fine Arts.

    Course structure

    The Diploma of Fine Arts requires the completion of 100 credit points from the schedule.

    You can complete the Diploma of Fine Arts with a broad engagement in Critical Practices and Studio Practice units all at Introductory (100) level, or specialise in specific studio practice units at Introductory and Intermediate (200) level.

    If you wish to complete studio practice units at Intermediate units, you should complete the relevant Introductory level studio unit first.

    For example, before attempting FSH214 Photography 2A you should complete FSH111 Photography 1.

    This unit introduces you to ceramics practices through hands-on exercises, demonstrations, and creative projects. You will undertake a number of small experiments to gain and apply knowledge of a range of ceramic techniques and explore surface possibilities through the firing…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Creating artwork involves encounters with objects, materials, ideas, cultures and other life forms. This unit will involve visits to Museums, Art Galleries and public artworks to investigate the many forms of collection and archive within a community. Public collections include…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Ecologies place us in relationship with other living beings and our physical surroundings, as well as being a way we can talk metaphorically about having a place within a wider network. This unit will introduce you to place, ecology and…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    A manifesto is a public declaration of principles, intentions, motives or views. It is written by an individual or a group to reflect their views. A manifesto can express an opinion on a particular issue, a whole worldview or set…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    We exist as embodied beings: bodies are how we move through the world and how we touch, see, and interact with it. The purpose of the unit is to introduce students to the concept of the body and bodies within…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit will introduce you to the techniques of drawing and printmaking as processes of enquiry and creation. You will learn about the technical and material possibilities of both mediums and how to use a studio as both a site…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    The collection. This unit is an introduction to studio-based object design and making. It sets the foundations for designer makers to respond to a world undergoing rapid change. Directed by academic staff and technicians, you will design and make a…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Sculpture and Time-Based Media 1 (STBM 1) explores the integration of objects and spatiality with electronic and time-based media to provide a platform for creative exploration and expression. You are able to focus on a specific medium within this unit,…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Photography 1 will introduce you to the medium of black and white photography. Directed by staff and technicians, in the context of a studio/workshop/tutorial curriculum, you will be introduced to traditional techniques, new technologies and approaches to contemporary practice. Study…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Painting is a dynamic art form that continues to captivate both artists and audiences alike. This course is tailored to students with a keen interest in contemporary art and a desire to acquire the fundamental principles of painting. By engaging…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit will explore the ground as both a site for exploration and a support for expression. You will undertake a suite of practical exercises and projects that provide you with methods, concepts and practical skills for generating new ideas…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit will focus on the body as a site for exploration. The body has been a subject for drawing and printmaking across cultures and time. You will engage with the body through observation and interpretation from life drawing and…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit provides further development in object and furniture design. It reflects a commitment to craft skills necessary for contemporary studio designer makers while also exploring the role of design as a critical practice and way of thinking within a…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    The surface. This unit provides further development in object and furniture design. It reflects a commitment to craft skills necessary for contemporary studio designer makers while also exploring the role of design as a critical practice and way of thinking…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Sculpture and Time-Based Media (STBM) 2A is focussed on creating Immersive Environments through studio-based creative experimentation and investigation of historical precursors, current practice and related discourse. Students will create installation artworks through experimentation with sculpture, construction, electronic and time-based media…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    This unit is currently unavailable.

    Sculpture and Time Based Media (STBM) 2B is focussed on Interactive and Participatory Installation through studio-based creative exploration and investigation of historical precursors and current practice and related discourse. Second year STBM involves deep engagement with objects, making processes, electronic…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    This unit is currently unavailable.

    Photography 2A will diversify and broaden your capacity to understand and engage with the methodologies and processes associated with contemporary photographic practice in the expanded field. Through group and individual tasks, you will develop your ability to experiment with aspects…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Photography 2B will diversify and broaden your capacity to understand and engage with the methodologies and processes associated with contemporary photographic practice in the expanded field. Through group and individual tasks, you will develop your ability to experiment with aspects…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit focuses on the development of image-making strategies using paint as the primary medium. Via a focus on image construction and pictorial space, you will explore ideas and concepts in response to a brief. As well as learning about…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 1
    LauncestonSemester 1

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    This unit focuses on the development of ideas and images into resolved paintings. You will build on skills acquired in preceding units to explore painting using a range of media and techniques, drawing on historical approaches and recent innovations. The…

    Credit Points: 12.5

    LocationStudy periodAttendance optionsAvailable to
    HobartSemester 2
    LauncestonSemester 2

    Key: On-campus    Off-Campus    International students    Domestic students

    Entry requirements

    We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you’re not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, the admissions team will work with you to find the best pathway option.

    Enquire online for advice on the application process and the available pathways to study.

    Domestic applicants who have recently completed secondary education

    Applicants are ranked by ATAR and offers made based on the number of places available. In 2021, the lowest ATAR to receive an offer into this course was 76.95. The lowest ATAR to receive an offer may change from year to year based on the number of applications we receive

    Applicants who have recently completed senior secondary studies but have not received an ATAR may still be eligible for admission if you have completed at least one of the Subject Pre-requisites below. We will consider your subject results on a case-by-case basis when we assess your application.

    Domestic applicants with higher education study

    To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have:

    • Partially completed an undergraduate course at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). Applicants must have completed at least one unit of study (equivalent to 12.5 UTAS credit points). If an applicant has failed any units the application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; or
    • Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).
    Domestic applicants with VET / TAFE study

    To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have completed a Certificate III (or equivalent) in any discipline.

    Domestic applicants with work and life experience

    Applicants without senior secondary, tertiary or VET / TAFE study can complete a personal competency statement.

    Subject Pre-requisites

    These prerequisites apply to students from all educational backgrounds.

    To be an eligible for an offer, you must have studies or experience equivalent to a satisfactory achievement in one of the following Tasmanian Senior Secondary subject:

    ART315117

    Art Production

    ART315214

    Art Studio Practice

    ARA315116

    Art Theory and Criticism (replaces Art Appreciation ARA315111)

    CGD315118

    Computer Graphics and Design

    HDS315118

    Housing and Design

    MED315117

    Media Production

    TEG315115

    Technical Graphics

    You can enquire online for information on interstate and international equivalents to the Tasmanian senior secondary subject above. If you have not met this prerequisite, you will need to complete a UTAS foundation unit before you start your course.

    Provide evidence of pre-tertiary TASC subject/s in visual arts successfully completed (e.g. academic transcripts and certificates of completion).

    Special Consideration

    If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors, including economic hardship, serious medical condition or disability.

    We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the UTAS admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.

    All international students will need to meet the minimum English Language Requirements, University General Entry Requirements and any course specific requirements such as pre-requisite subjects, if applicable.

    English Language Requirements

    This degree requires an IELTS (Academic) of 6.0, with no individual band less than 5.5, or a PTE Academic score of 50, with no score lower than 42 or equivalent.

    For students who do not meet the English Language Requirement through citizenship or prior studies in English in an approved country, evidence of an approved English language test completed within the last 2 years must be provided. See the English Language Requirements page for more information.

    General Entry Requirements

    Admission to undergraduate courses at the University of Tasmania requires the completion of qualifications equivalent to a 12th year of education in Australia.

    Please review the equivalent undergraduate entry requirements to see the minimum requirement relevant to your country. The ATAR information for this course is located in the “For Domestic Students” section of the entry requirements on this page.

    You can also meet the General Entry Requirement for this course with the following qualifications or prior studies:

    • Completion of an equivalent AQF Certificate IV or above
    • Complete or incomplete (minimum 25 credit points) of previous tertiary study at Bachelor level or higher

    If you do not meet the minimum requirements, we offer the Foundation Studies Program.

    Course Specific Requirements

    To be an eligible for an offer, you must have studies or experience equivalent to a satisfactory achievement in one of the following Tasmanian Senior Secondary subject:

    ART315117

    Art Production

    ART315214

    Art Studio Practice

    ARA315116

    Art Theory and Criticism (replaces Art Appreciation ARA315111)

    CGD315118

    Computer Graphics and Design

    HDS315118

    Housing and Design

    MED315117

    Media Production

    TEG315115

    Technical Graphics

    You can enquire online for information on interstate and international equivalents to the Tasmanian senior secondary subject above. If you have not met this prerequisite, you will need to complete a UTAS foundation unit before you start your course.

    Students may be eligible for specific advanced standing (i.e. credit points for relevant units) in this degree if they:

    • Have successfully completed relevant units through the through the University Connections Program (UCP);

    • Have completed an award such as a Diploma or Advanced Diploma at the University, from TAFE or another institution;

    • Are currently studying another Bachelor degree at the University or at another institution;

    • Have completed a Bachelor degree at the University or an equivalent qualification.

    Students who successfully complete the Diploma of Fine Arts may progress to the Bachelor Fine Arts.

    If you do not meet the General Entrance Requirements or course-specific requirements, there are alternate entry pathways to the Diploma of Fine Arts:

    Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.

    Fees & scholarships

    Domestic students

    Options for this course

    Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.

    If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.

    You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.

    Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.

    Student contribution

    Student contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.

    Further information

    Detailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).

    International students

    2024 Total Course Fee (international students): $32,450 AUD*.

    Course cost based on a rate of $32,450 AUD per standard, full-time year of study (100 credit points).

    * Please note that this is an indicative fee only.

    International students

    International students are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the annual rate. International students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.

    Scholarships

    For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.

    How can we help?

    Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.

    Domestic
    13 8827 (13 UTAS)
    International
    +61 3 6226 6200
    Email
    Course.Info@utas.edu.au
    Online
    Online enquiries

    Next steps