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Visual arts courses

Want to make art or take photographs for a living? You can start with a diploma, or study a degree in fine art or photography. Here's what each course covers and the work it can lead to.

Quickest way to start
1 year
Diploma, full time at TAFE NSW
TAFE cost from
$10,426
subsidised Diploma, Chisholm Institute
What the jobs pay
$49,400 to $101,400
median pay across 9 jobs, some estimated

Which course do you need?

None of these jobs needs a set qualification, but these courses teach what employers look for.

  • Illustration of a person working as an illustrator

    A diploma or advanced diploma in visual arts

    Build skills in visual arts and illustration

    Make your own artwork and images for clients, working in mediums such as painting, printmaking or digital art.

    A job it helps withIllustrator

    Median pay$96,200

    Helps, not required. Employers hire on skills and experience as well as study.

    How long it takes
    1 to 2 years full time
    What it costs
    $10,426 at Chisholm Institute if you're eligible for a subsidised place, or $17,673 full fee
    How you'll study
    On campus
    Compare the diplomas
  • Illustration of a person working as a photographer

    Bachelor of Photography

    Build a photography practice

    Take and edit photographs for clients, in areas such as portraiture, commercial and documentary work.

    A job it helps withPhotographer

    Median pay$95,700

    Helps, not required. Employers hire on skills and experience as well as study.

    How long it takes
    2 to 3 years full time
    How you'll study
    Online or on campus
    See the Bachelor degree and where to study it
  • Illustration of a person working as a visual artist

    A bachelor degree in fine art

    Make and exhibit your own art

    Make work across painting, sculpture, printmaking and other mediums, and show it in galleries.

    A job it helps withVisual Artist

    Median pay$62,400 (estimate)

    Helps, not required. Employers hire on skills and experience as well as study.

    How long it takes
    3 years full time
    How you'll study
    On campus or a mix
    Compare the degrees
  • Illustration of a person working as a photo lab technician

    Diploma of Photography

    Work in photography or a photo lab

    Take, print and edit photographs, working in a studio, on location or in a photo lab.

    A job it helps withPhoto Lab Technician

    Median pay$73,100

    Helps, not required. Employers hire on skills and experience as well as study.

    How long it takes
    8 years full time
    How you'll study
    Online or on campus
    See the Diploma and where to study it

You don't have to do it all at once

You can start with a diploma, keep making work, and take on more study when you are ready. Here's how that can look.

  1. Start with a diplomaLearn to draw well, make a body of work and get used to showing it to other people.
  2. Keep making and showing workBuild a practice alongside study or other work, and take part in exhibitions where you can.
  3. Take the advanced diplomaPush your work towards an exhibition standard and learn the business side of running a practice.
  4. Go on to a fine art degreeMore studio time, a wider grounding in art history and theory, and room to find your own direction.

How much it costs at TAFE

If you're eligible for a government-subsidised place, you pay much less than the full fee, and in some states these courses can be free. Here's what each TAFE lists.

  • Chisholm InstituteVIC

    Diploma
    $10,426 subsidised
    $17,673 full fee

  • TAFE QueenslandQLD

    Diploma
    $11,850 subsidised
    $19,020 full fee

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, checked 20 September 2026. “Not listed” means the TAFE doesn't show that fee online. Private colleges set their own fees.

The fine art degrees compared

All three are studio based degrees where you try a range of mediums and build your own direction. They differ mainly in which mediums each one covers and how soon you specialise.

The fine art degrees compared

All three are studio based degrees where you try a range of mediums and build your own direction. They differ mainly in which mediums each one covers and how soon you specialise.

Other university courses

Jobs this study can help with

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, not a starting salary.

“In demand” means the job is on the national skills shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure. Check the course and provider are approved for the work you want, as rules differ by state.

Still not sure which one fits you?

Answer a few quick questions about your time, state and budget, and we'll show the courses that suit you.

Find my course

Related study

Qualifications from training.gov.au, the national VET register, and Course Seeker, run by the Tertiary Admissions Centres and the Australian Government Department of Education. TAFE fees, lengths and study modes from each TAFE's own course pages. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia, except pay marked as an estimate. Providers are never ordered by who pays.