Art Theory cultivates an appreciation of the significance of visual culture to society throughout history. Our Art Theory programs enable you, whether studying to be practitioners, cultural commentators, or curators, to place the practice of art and design in the context of a rigorous and sustained enquiry. Extend your practical experience by providing historical, sociological and cultural contexts to your discipline as well as fostering a broader interdisciplinary understanding of current art and design debate and discourse.
Formless, oil on canvass, 2008, Courtesy of Victoria Reichelt and Dianne Tanzer Gallery.
We train you in the critical thinking essential to a career in the visual arts and design.
Our programs help you achieve high competency in oral and written communication as well as promote expertise in research, analysis and visual literacy.
Study pathways
Undergraduate courses
Our foundation core courses provide a sound understanding of society according to the broad conditions in which art and design function. Our courses address history, cultural traditions, and social structure in relation to a specific disciplinary focus in the arts.
You can take an Art Theory elective major or specialisation at the South Bank and Gold Coast campuses. Students complete 60 credit points of courses for an elective major or 30 credit points of courses for an elective specialisation from the following list.
Postgraduate degree programs
The Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts award is available for students who successfully complete 40 credit points of study from the Master of Arts in Visual Arts degree program. The courses offered give students the opportunity to participate in the continuing contemporary debate about research issues within art practice and to acquire skills necessary for the production of the studio projects. The Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts program is offered 1 semester full time, or 2 semesters part time on the South Bank campus.
The Master of Arts in Visual Arts degree program is a flexible program that supports a proportion of independent project work. The program consists of coursework activities which include individually designed projects. A feature of the program is the opportunity for students to produce a body of practical work within their particular discipline and with relevance to their own interests.
The courses offered give students the opportunity to participate in the continuing contemporary debate about research issues within art practice and to acquire skills necessary for the production of the studio projects. The Master of Arts in Visual Arts program is offered 2 semesters part time, or 4 semesters full time on the South Bank campus. The Master of Arts with Honours in Visual Arts program is designed to either facilitate the acquisition of new skills or, more generally, to develop a portfolio of work that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Research degree programs
The Higher Degree Research Qualifying Program provides an alternative route for entry into the Doctor of Philosophy or a Master of Philosophy program if you do not have the required qualifications for admission. The Higher Degree Research Qualifying Program is offered 2 semesters full time, 4 semesters part time.
The Master of Philosophy degree program is awarded on the basis of a thesis prepared under supervision, which presents the results of original research in a scholarly form. Demonstrating your knowledge of the research topic and the disciplines it embraces, the thesis will be judged by independent experts applying accepted contemporary international standards. The Master of Philosophy program is offered 1 year full time (maximum 2 years), 2 years part time (maximum 4 years).
The Doctor of Visual Arts professional development program is an integrated program of independent research and coursework. It is designed for graduates seeking to extend their studio research and practice, and make original conceptual advancements within their chosen discipline. You will possess the necessary expertise to provide leadership in respective fields through the quality of your professional practice, research skills and the ability to articulate a theoretical position within a visual arts discourse. The Doctor of Visual Arts program is offered 2 year full time (maximum 4 years), 2 years part time (maximum 8 years) at the South Bank campus.
The Master of Visual Arts program gives you the opportunity to extend studio expertise by identifying challenges, exploring innovative solutions and advancing your understanding of the concepts underlying your work and the context in which it is produced. Graduates demonstrate high performance levels in their studio practice, having developed a strong theoretical understanding of that practice. The Master of Visual Arts is offered 2 years full time, 4 years part time at the South Bank campus.
The Doctor of Philosophy is our premier research training degree. A PhD is awarded on the basis of a thesis prepared under supervision that makes an original, significant and extensive contribution to knowledge and understanding in the relevant field of study, as judged by independent experts applying accepted contemporary international standards. The Doctor of Philosophy program is offered full time minimum 2 years , maximum 4 years, or part time minimum 3 years, maximum 8 years. The program can be undertaken in schools and research centres.
The Doctor of Philosophy by Publication allows for formal recognition of established researchers who do not already hold a doctoral level qualification, and who have substantial international standing in their fields based on their record of academic publication. The degree will be awarded to a student who through published work has made an original scholarly contribution to knowledge and demonstrated a capacity for independent research. The Doctor of Philosophy by Publication is offered 1 year full time.