Skip to content
careertips

HomeCoursesVisual artsDiploma

Diploma · national qualification

Diploma of Visual Arts

This diploma suits people who want to make art seriously and show it publicly, rather than study it only in theory.

Compare 9 providers
How long it takes
12 to 18 months
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $10,426
Subsidised at Chisholm Institute, full fee up to $19,020
How you can study
On campus
Taught by
9 providers
5 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the 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 publicly
  • a willingness to draw and refine visual representation
  • good organisational skills for planning a body of work
  • an eye for safe handling of materials and equipment

Before you start

Individuals must provide evidence of their technical and organisational skills to conceptualise and create works in selected medium. Skills and knowledge may have been acquired through experience in creative practice or formal study.

Diploma or Advanced Diploma?

The Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts is the higher level. This diploma focuses on combining specialised technical, creative and conceptual skills to plan and realise a body of work in one or more art forms, with practice underpinned by arts theory and history.

See the course

Where 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.

  • Art Teacher

    Art teachers teach students to draw, paint, print and build, and to look critically at the images and objects around them.

    Median pay$101,400 (estimate)

  • Ceramic Artist

    Ceramic artists make functional and sculptural objects from clay, forming, glazing and firing each piece by hand.

    Median pay$59,800 (estimate)

  • Costume Designer

    Costume designers create and oversee the clothing performers wear, working from the script and the director's vision to shape how a character looks and reads on screen or stage.

    Median pay$70,200 (estimate)

  • 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

  • Sculptor

    Sculptors make three-dimensional work in materials such as stone, metal, clay and wood, for commissions, exhibitions and public spaces.

    Median pay$59,800 (estimate)

  • Tattoo Artist

    Tattoo artists design and apply permanent body art, turning a client's idea into a drawing, then a stencil, then ink under the skin with strict sterile technique.

    Median pay$49,400 (estimate)

  • 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

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.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $10,426

at Chisholm Institute. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$17,673 to $19,020

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • Chisholm InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $10,426
    Full fee
    $17,673

  • TAFE QueenslandQLD

    Subsidised
    $11,850
    Concession
    $10,305
    Full fee
    $19,020

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 9 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 you’ll learn

15 units: 5 that everyone takes and 10 you choose.

  • Drawing and visual representation
  • Building a body of work
  • Exhibiting and presenting work
  • Running a sustainable practice
  • Studio safety and materials
See all 5 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for CUAACD531…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. 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 want to make art seriously and show it publicly. You learn to sharpen drawing and representation, plan and produce a body of work in a medium like painting or ceramics, present and exhibit finished work, sustain a practice long term, and work safely.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

You must provide evidence of technical and organisational skills to conceptualise and create works in a selected medium. These skills may come from creative practice experience or formal study. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

How is it different from Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts?

The Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts is the higher level. This diploma focuses on combining specialised technical, creative and conceptual skills to plan and realise a body of work in one or more art forms, with practice underpinned by arts theory and history.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.