National code: CUA51120

Diploma of Visual Arts

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Overview About this course

Cultivate your visual arts skills and knowledge and benefit from a broad range of electives empowering you to work with confidence in the industry. You’ll learn to combine specialised technical, creative and conceptual skills to plan and realise your creative vision in this exciting course.

Outcomes What you'll gain

Learning outcomes

Through a mixture of theory and practical course work, learn to:

  • Refine your drawing using varied visual representation tools

  • Develop your own sustainable professional practice

  • Realise and present a body of creative work

  • Establish and maintain safe creative practice

  • Analyse cultural history and theory

Course outcomes

Gain practical experience and develop specialist skills that give you an advantage in the job market.

  • A nationally accredited qualification at Diploma level

  • The competence to develop and organise work that has the potential to achieve business outcomes

  • The ability to plan and organise exhibited work

  • The confidence to network for business development and to develop your own creative practice

  • A strong understanding of how the visual arts industry operates

  • Strong pathways to continue your study and enhance your career opportunities

Suitability Is this course right for you?

Entry requirements

This course requires evidence of previous experience or study before you can enrol

  • You'll need to provide evidence of your technical and organisational skills to conceptualise and create works in your selected medium.

  • You may have acquired such skills and knowledge through experience in creative practice or formal study.

Entry recommendations

To be prepared for this course, we recommend that you have:

  • Conceptual, technical and organisational skills gained through formal study or from your experience in a creative field

  • A portfolio of your work

  • A genuine interest in the visual arts and creative industry

  • Access to a computer and a reliable internet connection

  • Skills to use basic features of Microsoft Office such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint

  • Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) at a Year 12 high school level

  • TAFE NSW may ask you to complete a Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) skills test. This skills test helps us to understand your individual study needs, to design an individualised plan that supports your study success and ensures your LLN skills match the demands of the course.

TAFE NSW is committed to meeting the learning needs of every community. Meeting these needs can mean there are additional entry requirements at different campus locations. Check your preferred location for further requirements. If you need help preparing for study, contact us to find out how we can support you.

Pathways Future career and study options

Career pathways

Our graduates go onto roles like: artist (sole trader), technical officer arts, assistant gallery assistant/attendant , community artist, art tutor and art retail assistant.

Study pathways

Take your study further with other courses offered at TAFE NSW:

Previous study 1 Course

Begin here to gain experience and confidence in this study area.

Further study 1 Course

Advance your skills to take your career to the next level

Related study 1 Course

Strengthen your expertise and gain specialist skills to expand your employability.

Your experience counts

At TAFE NSW, we recognise your previous study and work experience. You can apply for recognition of prior learning or a credit transfer with any of our courses. If you're successful you'll get your qualification faster.

Units Units taught in this course

Courses are made up of a combination of both core and specialty units. In the Diploma of Visual Arts qualification, you’ll need to successfully complete 15 units of competency, including 5 core and 10 speciality units.

Please note, not all specialty units are offered at every TAFE NSW location. It is highly recommended that you check with your preferred campus for information about the specialty units offered at that location.

Core units are central to the job outcomes of a particular industry or occupation. These are the units industry has agreed are essential to be capable and qualified at a particular study level.

  • Refine drawing and other visual representation tools CUAACD531

  • Realise a body of creative work CUAPPR511

  • Develop sustainability of own professional practice CUAPPR512

  • Present a body of own creative work CUAPPR513

TAFE NSW services Facilities and support

TAFE NSW provides support services across all campus locations and online. Whatever your needs or circumstances, we have the people, resources, counselling and facilities to support you in focusing on your studies.

  • TAFE NSW Disability Support Service

  • TAFE NSW Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) support

  • TAFE NSW Aboriginal Support; Learner support (ABE)

  • TAFE NSW Careers, Counselling and Pathways Service

  • TAFE NSW Libraries

  • Scholarship programs – be supported as you explore your talents and fulfil your potential

  • Read&Write literacy and study support software is available free for all TAFE NSW students to use while studying on campus and at home

  • LinkedIn Learning – an online resource which offers innovative courses and tutorials to improve your personal and professional skills

  • Student associations – get social with our student community

Study options Find a location to enrol

Choose from the below study options and locations to discover what works with your lifestyle. Heart your favourites and compare courses.