Master of Fine Art
Student type:
Quick facts
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Entry score
Not applicable
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Duration
Full-time 2 years -
Location
Melbourne City -
Fees
AU$25,920 (2022 annual)
Next intake
February, JulyEntry score
IELTS 6.5
Duration
Full-time 2 yearsLocation
Melbourne City
Overview
Build your professional practice
Exhibit nationally and globally as a professional practising artist with a body of artwork that demonstrates technical and conceptual excellence.
Explore ideas through making
Enhance your creativity and innovation in a studio environment where experimentation is possible and where supportive educators know the value of art in communities and cultures.
The course has transformed my practice, peeling back inhibitions and prejudices like spent bandages. It has re-introduced me to the joys of writing and to the blackest depths of continental philosophy. Perhaps most of all, I feel it has sensitised me to art's plurality, softening my previously held assumptions.
- Lewis Gittus, Master of Fine Art (photo credit, Rochelle Flack)
Details
RMIT offers a hub for emerging artists, researchers and practitioners to cultivate contemporary art practice and gain exposure through local and international exhibitions.
The Master of Fine Art is structured in a way that allows ample room for experimentation. You will be mentored and challenged by academic staff who are professional artists, performers, writers, historians and curators to explore multiple media, conceptual tools and techniques, and narrow your focus down to the core of what you want to create and communicate as an artist.
Professional practice is offered in media including:
- art and technology
- drawing
- ceramics
- gold and silversmithing
- painting
- performance
- photography
- printmedia
- sculpture
- spatial practice and installation
- social practice
- sound
- video.
Every student will have access to a studio space in the heart of Melbourne's vibrant and culturally diverse CBD.
Throughout your studies, you’ll be surrounded by a community of emerging and established artists, who generate projects and exchange knowledge and expertise.
You’ll hone your technical skills using state-of-the-art equipment, resources, materials and technology relating to your craft, including:
- light fabrication workshops
- high-end printing facilities
- ceramic workshops
- media and sound recording studios
- photography studios
- gold and silversmithing workshops.
The capstone experience of the program is a major project that culminates in an exhibition of creative work for assessment. Your work will be presented to an industry assessor, unfamiliar with your work much in the way a reviewer, funder, gallerist or curator would be, to provide an arts industry context where feedback is integral to your learning and success.
RMIT connects you with a network of practising artists, curators, historians, gallerists (including public, commercial and artist-run initiatives), theorists and critics, both local and international, to support your studies. RMIT holds existing and longstanding partnerships and connections with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Contemporary Centre for Photography and many other institutions.
You’ll enter a diverse community of artists and form lasting connections with the teachers and fellow students that you will carry for the rest of your professional life.
You’ll draw on expertise from arts industry professionals through regular forums that examine various issues, opportunities and perspectives of the industry and models of contemporary art practice.
Through a professional practice seminar series, you will develop a proposal for an arts industry body that will be assessed by an expert with extensive experience in government and non-government galleries, funding bodies and publishers. The arts industry expert will provide feedback that you’ll have the opportunity to incorporate into your final proposal.
The RMIT Master of Fine Art is also delivered in Hong Kong. Visit the Hong Kong Art School for program information and to apply for this offering.
Master of Fine Art students are selected to attend the Tropical Lab intensive in Singapore, and RMIT frequently hosts a seminar for staff and students from LaSalle Singapore in Melbourne.
The RMIT International Artists in Residence Program (iAIR) gives you opportunities to apply for overseas art residencies, which have placed previous students in East China Normal University in Shanghai, China; Krems, Austria; Tokyo Wondersite, Japan; and the University of Lethbridge, Canada.
The courses you will undertake are divided into three core streams:
- Studio Practice
- Creative Research
- Critical Frameworks.
Half of the program is dedicated to studio time, making your studio central to the learning environment. Individual studio practice will be complemented by guest lectures, workshops and studio visits by international and local industry professionals.
Your creative research will encourage you to explore new ways of creating and skills for continual innovation, while critical frameworks will help you to develop your knowledge in building a sustainable enterprise and practice around your art.
Choose a program structure
| Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master of Fine Art | City Campus |
2 years full-time
|
2 years full-time
|
MC266 | 092466D |
Choose a program structure
Program code: MC266
Career
RMIT graduates are informed contemporary artists who work across disciplines and media in the arts industries as professional practising artists, exhibiting nationally and internationally.
Balancing the conceptual with the practical, graduates continue to make significant contributions to contemporary art and culture in roles such as:
- Contemporary Artist
- Gold and Silversmith
- Ceramicist
- Art Educator
Many staff, students and graduates have also exhibited at biennales around the world and many have won awards through local and international competitions, positioning RMIT at the forefront of the arts industry.
Progressive and collaborative thinking is in demand across major professional fields, like education, health, and entertainment, and artists are playing important roles in shaping creative endeavour in these areas.
Grants continue to be available through local and federal funding, which allow graduates to establish and progress their careers. Established institutions, including Federation Square, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) and the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), as well as an increasing number of commercial and artist-run spaces, provide exciting opportunities for graduates.
Admissions
You must have successfully completed an Australian bachelor degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) OR undertaken significant work experience or studio practice.
To have your professional experience considered you must submit with your application a CV and a personal statement detailing your experience.
Selection is merit based and is determined by the selection task and interview.
You must have successfully completed an Australian bachelor degree (or equivalent overseas qualification).
You may also be considered if you have significant relevant work experience or studio practice.
Entry requirements
Semester 1, 2022
You must:
- submit the Fine Art selection task by 5 December 2021. Tasks received after this date will be assessed in the order they are received until 25 February 2022. Entry into this program is competitive, and for your best chance at admission into this program, you are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The link to submit your selection task will appear on the applicant dashboard after you have submitted your application.
- attend an interview
Selection task
The selection task requires:
- A statement describing your current art work (include any website links) and the issues you want to address with this program (maximum 250 words).
- A folio. You will be required to select the principle material basis of the practice in which you are applying to study and provide a folio of work that addresses your selected areas. The work provided should reflect your current artistic concerns and achievements.
- For ceramics, drawing, fine art photography, gold and silversmithing, printmaking, painting or sculpture, supply 10 – 20 colour photographs of work, formatted as one PDF document containing a maximum of 20 images, no larger than 10MB. If your PDF is hosted online, please supply the URL.
- For sound, supply a compiled selection of your work/s, formatted as mp3, iTunes audio (.m4a, .m4b, .m4p). Do not include multiple media. Compile your work onto one media type only, with a maximum duration of 10 minutes. The file must be no larger than 10MB. If your work is hosted online, please supply the URL.
- For multimedia and moving image, supply a compiled selection of your work/s, formatted as TIFF or JPEG no larger than 5MB. Flash animation, Director movies and Quicktime movies are all accepted. Ensure that the files are built or exported and open independently of the creator program. Files must not exceed 10 minutes duration and must be no larger than 10MB. Do not upload .exe files, Windows Media Player or Real Player files. We recommend that all digital media is MAC formatted (OSX or classic) as we cannot guarantee that we will be able to access PC or Linux formatted files. If your work is hosted online, please supply the URL. Scripts and storyboards are not to be included in this submission, however, if you are selected for an interview you may choose to present these then.
- If your work is a collaboration, please detail precisely your role, and the role of the collaborator/s (i.e. did you devise the concept, write it, direct it, edit it, etc.).
Pre-selection kit: You are required to submit must a completed pre-selection kit (PDF 92kb) along with your application.
Interview: You must attend an interview. The interview will be either in person or via telephone/video call.
To study this program you will need to complete one of the following English proficiency tests:
- IELTS (Academic): minimum overall band of 6.5 (with no individual band below 6.0)
- TOEFL (Internet Based Test - IBT): minimum overall score of 79 (with minimum of 13 in Reading, 12 in Listening, 18 in Speaking and 21 in Writing)
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) (PTE (A)): minimum score of 58 (with no communication band less than 50)
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): minimum of 176 with no less than 169 in any component.
For detailed information on English language requirements and other proficiency tests recognised by RMIT, visit English language requirements and equivalency information.
Don't meet the English language test scores? Complete an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Advanced Plus Certificate at RMIT English Worldwide.
Pathways
If you have gained one of the following qualifications in fine art you will be eligible for masters exemptions relevant to your qualification level as stated in the table below. Please note that credit granted towards masters exemptions cannot be transferred to an exit award such as a graduate certificate or graduate diploma.
If you have a qualification in another discipline, you may still be eligible for masters exemptions. This will be assessed as part of your application.
| Qualification level | Exemptions | Remaining program duration* |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree | 48 credit points (equivalent to one semester full time study) | 144 credit points (equivalent to three semesters full time study) |
| Bachelor honours degree | 96 credit points (equivalent to two semesters full time study) | 96 credit points (equivalent to two semesters full time study) |
| Graduate certificate | 48 credit points (equivalent to one semester full time study) | 144 credit points (equivalent to three semesters full time study) |
| Graduate diploma | 96 credit points (equivalent to two semesters full time study) | 96 credit points (equivalent to two semesters full time study) |
*Duration indicated is the normal study duration; for some programs spring and summer semesters may be offered, reducing the study duration.
Credit
For more information on the type of credit that may be available to you, please see RMIT's credit policy.
Masters exemptions
You may be eligible for advanced standing up to a maximum of 2 semesters (equivalent to 96 credits points). Eligibility for advanced standing is based on your previous studies and is assessed on a case by case basis.
Learn more about eligibility for credit transfer and recognition of prior learning.
Fees
2022 indicative fees
Full-fee places: AU$25,920.
Additional expenses
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF): AU$315 maximum fee for 2022.
- Other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment.
Annual fee adjustment
Amounts quoted are indicative fees per annum, and are based on a standard year of full-time study (96 credit points). A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load.
Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.
Defer your payment
This program is offered on a full-fee paying basis only. If you are offered a place, you will need to pay the full tuition costs of your program. However, eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.
Learn more about fees for postgraduate study.
Payments and refunds
For information on how to pay your fees or how to apply for a refund, please see Paying your fees and applying for refunds.
Eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) may apply to defer payment of some or all of their tuition fees via the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP loan scheme.
How does a HELP loan work?
If your FEE-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to 100% of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.
You only start repaying your accumulated HELP debt to the Australian Government once you earn above the minimum income threshold for repayment, which is set each year by the Australian Government (this also applies if you are still studying). The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include this on your income tax notice.
For more information about loan repayment options see Commonwealth assistance (HELP loans) or Study Assist.
In addition to tuition fees, you will be charged an annual student services and amenities fee (SSAF), which is used to maintain and enhance services and amenities that improve your experience as an RMIT student.
The SSAF is calculated based on your enrolment load and the maximum fee for 2022 is $315.
For more information about calculating your actual SSAF see Paying SSAF.
You may also be required to purchase other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment. These additional fees and expenses vary from program to program.
The annual tuition fee for 2022 is AU$34,560.
The total indicative tuition fee for 2022 commencement is AU$71,040.
In addition to tuition fees you also need to pay for:
- Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) in each calendar year.
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) - Student visa holders must have cover for the total duration of their visa.
- Some programs incur additional expenses.
You also need to account for your living expenses. Estimate the cost of living in Melbourne.
Applying for refunds
For information on how to apply for a refund as a continuing international student, please see Refunds.
Looking for answers or more general infomation?
For frequently asked questions or how to find more information regarding applications and enrolments, fees, student support services, university policies and more, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.