The Fine Arts major is an intensive studio-based course that prepares you for a successful career as a contemporary artist. By working closely with our staff of nationally and internationally recognised practising artists and with experts from related creative arenas such as curatorial practice, art theory and the history of art, you will explore a range of artistic processes, techniques and technologies that will help you to establish your career in the field of contemporary art and culture.
About the course
The structure and program of offerings in the Fine Arts major make it the only one of its kind in Australia. Following a foundational first year of study in which you develop fundamental practical skills in tandem with a body of conceptual and theoretical knowledge, you then select from three specialist pathways. These focused areas of creative practice are film, art and biotechnologies, and art and environment. Over the course of your second and third year of studio-based practice, you incrementally develop expertise in one of these focus areas with complementary studies in the History of Art and elective studies in areas that align with your individual interests and support your creative work.
Within these cutting-edge focus areas, we foster your artistic skills across established and emergent mediums. And, by giving you the opportunity to develop those skills within settings as varied as the science laboratory or in landscapes that are undergoing rapid environmental change, the Fine Arts major gives you the opportunity to artistically articulate and debate the most challenging and difficult issues facing our world.
Career Pathways
UWA Fine Arts graduates are employed in influential positions within Australia and internationally in a plethora of professions as entrepreneurial artists, curators, designers, filmmakers, musicians, academics, writers, journalists, editors, publicists, within areas of gallery management, arts administration, cultural festival coordination, corporate public relations, marketing, communication, management, public service investigation and policy research.
Further Study
An honours level program of study will be introduced to provide a pathway into the existing Master of Fine Arts, the Master of Curatorial Studies and other postgraduate study opportunities. The rich resources of UWA’s Cultural Precinct, the UWA Museum’s Student Placement Program and the important collections of the University provide a valuable set of resources for students to advance their research into postgraduate study.
Career Opportunities
Artistic Director
Arts Administrator or Manager
Arts Professional
Film Director
Media Producer
University Lecturer
Visual Arts Professional