HomeCoursesVisual artsAdvanced Diploma
Advanced Diploma · national qualification
Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts
You finish this advanced diploma with a body of your own work ready to show, built across whichever mediums suit your practice, whether that means painting, ceramics, printmaking, photomedia, digital art, textiles or sculpture.
- How long it takes
- 18 to 24 months
- typical for this level
- How you can study
- On campus
- Taught by
- 4 providers
- VIC, WA, SA
Is this course right for you?
What the Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts asks of you, and what you might want to check first.
It helps to have
- an interest in making art and showing it
- willingness to discuss your work and others'
- a habit of thinking critically about your ideas
- some skill in a creative medium
Before you start
Individuals must have the conceptual, technical and organisational skills to create and present work in their chosen creative form. Skills and knowledge may have been acquired through experience in a creative field or formal study.
Advanced Diploma or Bachelor?
The Bachelor of Visual Arts is a higher level qualification. This advanced diploma involves creating a body of own work, critical thinking, cultural research, the business of creative practice and publicly presenting your work.
See the courseWhere this course can take you
No job needs this course on its own, but it can help with the work below.
Jobs this course can help with
None of these jobs needs a set qualification.
Illustrator
Illustrators turn a brief, a story or an idea into original artwork, usually for a client who needs an image rather than a page of text.
Median pay$96,200
Visual Artist
Visual artists make original work in paint, clay, print, digital media or whatever material suits the idea, then find ways to show and sell it.
Median pay$62,400 (estimate)
If you study further
Bachelor of Photography
Leads to work as a, median pay $95,700.
Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.
Where you can study this course
There are 4 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.
What students like
- Lecturers are approachable and care about learning
What to weigh up
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
- Website for TAFE SA (opens in a new tab)
TAFE SA
26 campuses, SA
4.4from 1,339 Google reviews
What students like
- Lecturers are nice and helpful
What to weigh up
- Enrolment and admin can be slow
- Course information can be unclear
- Course page for North Metropolitan TAFE (opens in a new tab)
North Metropolitan TAFE
Perth, WA
4.1from 903 Google reviews
- How you study
- On campus
What students like
- Lecturers are helpful and knowledgeable
- Courses provide strong practical skills
- Website for Central Regional TAFE (opens in a new tab)
Central Regional TAFE
3 campuses, WA
4.3from 16 Google reviews
What you’ll learn
12 units: 6 that everyone takes and 6 you choose.
- Drawing and visual representation
- Art theory and history
- Critical analysis of creative work
- Building a body of independent work
- Presenting work publicly
- Running a creative practice
See all 6 core units
Core units
Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.
Loading the details for BSBCRT611…
Loading the details for BSBCRT611…
Questions to ask before you enrol
Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.
- When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
- What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
- Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
- Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?
Questions people ask
Who is this qualification for?
It suits people who already have some skill in a creative field, through study or experience, and want to take their work to an independent, exhibition-ready standard. You work at para-professional level, using technical, creative and conceptual skills to create and exhibit a substantial body of resolved work. Roles it can lead to include Ceramic Artist, Sculptor and Visual Artist.
Do I need experience or other qualifications first?
You must have the conceptual, technical and organisational skills to create and present work in your chosen creative form. These skills and knowledge may have been acquired through experience in a creative field or formal study. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.
How is it different from Bachelor of Visual Arts?
The Bachelor of Visual Arts is a higher level qualification. This advanced diploma involves creating a body of own work, critical thinking, cultural research, the business of creative practice and publicly presenting your work.
How is it different from Diploma of Visual Arts?
This advanced diploma is the higher level qualification. It involves para-professional technical, creative and conceptual skills to originate, realise and exhibit a substantial body of resolved work.