Program Overview

If you're creative and want to pursue your artistic passion, La Trobe's Bachelor of Visual Arts will give you the knowledge, experiences and connections to realise your dream career. Gain valuable skills in a range of visual mediums, then dive into your art practice with access to our purpose-built studios and workshops.

Develop your art practice in a professional environment. Access specialised facilities including painting and drawing studios, a digital lighting studio, photographic darkrooms, and sculpture and printmaking workshops. You'll also get your own personal studio space from day one of your degree – right through to graduation – where you can hone your skills and collaborate with other artists.

Gain insights into what contemporary art can tell us about the world and our place within it. Discover how the arts contribute to the significant historical, cultural, ecological and ethical issues of our time and gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between art and other visual cultures such as fashion, film and design.

Connect with like-minded people who are pursuing their creative passion. Join a vibrant, close and supportive creative community, with motivated students, supportive teachers and an engaged alumni network. You'll benefit from our close-knit campus, where you'll feel like part of a family.

Pursue your passion for visual arts while exploring other specialisations. You'll study core visual arts subjects and develop your practice, then explore your interests or build an essential skill when you choose from open access majors, minors and electives from across the university. You can graduate with your additional major on your academic transcript, so future employers can recognise your expertise.

Create your own path. Want to add an optional major in creative and professional writing, or in digital media? Go for it. Or perhaps you'd like to explore anthropology, history or crime, justice and legal studies? No matter what you choose to explore, you'll learn from world-class academics and leading researchers, including established artists and published art historians.

Live in regional Australia and pursue your passion. Study at one of Australia's biggest regional centres, which enjoys a thriving arts scene with an established creative community. You'll also have the opportunity to take the next step in your career and exhibit your work at La Trobe's Phyllis Palmer Gallery and at our student-run gallery, Rookie.

Get the industry experience that'll set you apart. Build your skills and experience through an industry placement at organisations like Bendigo Art Gallery and La Trobe Art Institute. Or get a global perspective when you travel overseas for an international sustainability experience or study abroad through our exchange program. You will also be able to build your professional network through the university's partnerships with major cultural institutions.

Looking to keep your options open? You can also choose to graduate with a Diploma of Arts after one year of study.

Graduate ready to make your mark in the art world.

You'll learn:

• Creative practice: Develop skills in a range of artistic mediums, including painting, drawing, ceramics, photography and printmaking.
• Art theory and visual culture: Explore the major arts movements and individuals that have shaped the contemporary art world while learning how to critically analyse and interpret works.
• Industry experience: Uncover how to build your career as an artist. Learn how to plan and run an exhibition, write about your practice, promote your work, build your creative network and more. Get experience in the galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) sector and gain key skills for working in the arts.