Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) (Honours)
Student type:
Quick facts
-
Entry score
Not applicable
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Duration
Full-time 1 year -
Location
Melbourne City -
Fees
Next intake
February Entry score
IELTS 6.5
Duration
Full-time 1 year Location
Melbourne City Fees
AU$30,720 (2019 annual)
Next intake
February
Overview
Fairy Turner, 'This Exuberant Life', 2018 at Bus Projects. Photo: Christo Croker
The honours program supports and develops your capacity as a practicing artist and active researcher in the field of contemporary art.
This program is designed for students who have successfully completed a three-year degree in contemporary art or craft, or an equivalent field, and who wish to undertake a further year of study to focus exclusively on an individual project.
At this level of study, you will engage within a high-level intensive program, deepening and enriching your practice through expertise, knowledge and criticality.
You will be guided through personalised mentorship and individual supervision, as you are introduced to practice-led research and research methodologies.
A flexible curriculum provides opportunities for you to develop an individual project and to further your knowledge and capability for professional or highly skilled art practice, and/or further learning at a postgraduate level.
Study streams
There are five study streams to choose from:
- Contemporary art practices involves an individual contemporary art project within any medium, method or strategy, including painting, drawing, installation practices, moving image, photography, spatial practices, print image practices, or conceptual and post-object based art practices.
- Sound art practices allows you to focus on the development of a contemporary sonic art project, interrogating themes and practices derived from composition, performance, exhibition and audio-vision.
- Contemporary art and craft practices leads you to produce an individual contemporary art and/or craft project, with emphasis on object-based practices. This may include ceramics or gold and silversmithing, but may equally include other fields of craft related practice.
- Curatorial practices allows you to develop your curatorial practice, investigating the discourses and hybridised spaces between art practice and curatorship. Applicants are required to have undertaken prior studies in the field of contemporary art or craft.
- Transdisciplinary practices - A project may be solo or collaborative, specialised or transdisciplinary, in which multiple art forms and practices may converge.
Focus of the program
The program provides a supportive and consultative environment, emphasising independent practice, research and development, where you will form your own project and personal course of study through consultation with academic staff.
All academic staff within the program are artists, theorists or curators with local, national and, in most instances, international experience.
The program is designed as a full-year course of study to build upon your previous undergraduate studies, with a refined contemporary art project as a final outcome. Consequently, having devised an informed and rigorous contemporary art practice, our alumni are ready for high levels of practice and are regularly involved in local, national and international art events, or in undertaking a postgraduate research degree.
Details
This program is centred in practical studio-based learning, supported by a focused academic research culture.
The study structure consists of lectures, seminars, reading groups, individual and group critique sessions, personal guidance through individual supervision, and group workshops. This set of experiences provides a framework in which to contextualise and develop an informed and specialised contemporary art practice.
Our academic staff within the Honours Program have many years of professional experience, shared through their expertise in the learning environment.
Students are provided with individual supervision by our academic staff through the duration of their Honours project.
Assessment comprises presentations and installations of creative artistic works, an exegetical research text, written reflections and seminar presentations.
All programs are delivered in English, and you will have access to online resources through the myRMIT student portal.
2018 Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) (Honours) studio presentation. Photo: Keelan O'Hehir.
This program is centred in practical studio-based learning, supported by a focused academic research culture.
The study structure consists of lectures, seminars, reading groups, individual and group critique sessions, personal guidance through individual supervision, and group workshops. This set of experiences provides a framework in which to contextualise and develop an informed and specialised contemporary art practice.
Our academic staff within the Honours Program have many years of professional experience, shared through their expertise in the learning environment.
Students are provided with individual supervision by our academic staff through the duration of their Honours project.
Assessment comprises presentations and installations of creative artistic works, an exegetical research text, written reflections and seminar presentations.
All programs are delivered in English, and you will have access to online resources through the myRMIT student portal.
Graduate exhibition
Your major work will be exhibited in the Masters and Honours Graduate Exhibition. Curators from the NGV, ACCA and Heide Museum of Modern Art attend alongside notable commercial gallerists.
Fairy Turner’s sculptural work, This Exuberant Life (2018), seems to curve and twist exactly as we do. In experiencing the work there is a wonderfully exuberant sense of connecting one’s mind and body to form. A recent graduate from the Honours Program, Fairy Turner’s work was selected for the 2018 TarraWarra Museum Biennal, where she showed alongside some of Australia’s most notable and established spatial artists.
This end of year exhibition unveils the next generation of artists and provides them with the opportunity to showcase their work and practice. The demand for critical thinking and creativity in the workplace has risen significantly and these students will be well placed in the future.
Sara Retallick, 'Drift', 2018. 16 - channel underwater sound installation, no set duration. Installation view. Photo: Sara Retallick.
The School of Art has a long tradition in and focus on international engagement. The awards available assist graduates to build international experiences into their practice and emerging careers. The following awards are conferred on those students who demonstrate outstanding art practices and academic achievement.
The School of Art Honours Travelling Grants
During Semester Two, our honours students are able to apply for The RMIT Foundation School of Art Honours Travelling Grants. These awards are adjudicated by a panel of arts industry professionals (including museum curators and artists) and conferred prior to the annual Graduation Exhibition. The awards were established to support honours graduates from the School to continue their research overseas, following the completion of an honours degree. Each of these awards of approximately $4000 are provided to recipients to travel to a destination of their choice.
The School of Art Honours International Residencies
These International Residencies are adjudicated by a panel of arts industry professionals (including museum curators and artists) and conferred prior to the annual Graduation Exhibition. The Residencies were established to support honours graduates from the School to continue their research overseas, following the completion of an honours degree.
The Leipzig International Art Program, Germany
A three-month artist residency, with accompanying individual exhibition at the Australian Embassy in Berlin, will be awarded through the renowned Spinnerei Arts Complex in Leipzig. The recipient will receive return airfares from Melbourne, accommodation, a large residency space and a small stipend.
The Seoul Arts Residency, Korea
This residency award is for an eight-week studio residency in Seoul, South Korea. The residency will also include an exhibition at the Sangmyung University Gallery, Space Zero Gallery. The recipient will receive return airfares from Melbourne, accommodation, residency space and a small stipend.
The Los Angeles Residency, United States of America
This residency award is for a twelve-week studio residency at Eastside International Los Angeles (ESXLA), located in the Brewery art colony complex in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles. This award has been generously supported by Eastside International Los Angeles. The recipient will receive return airfares from Melbourne, accommodation, residency space and a small stipend.
More international artist residencies available to honours students and graduates
SITUATE
SITUATE is a residency program in the School for artists, curators and researchers, and honours students (along with postgraduate students) may apply for this program. SITUATE connects people through art by creating onsite real-time opportunities for creative experimentation, cross-cultural dialogue and global mobility. SITUATE manages a series of Reciprocal Residencies where we send RMIT affiliated and Australian artists overseas and receive artists from the partner organisations. Exchanges include:
- The Austrian Arts Residency Exchange
- The Canadian Indigenous Arts Residency Exchange
- The Taiwanese Arts Residency Exchange
- The Japanese Arts Residency Exchange
iAIR
The School of Art has a longstanding global focus provided through many activities, but particularly the iAIR Program, which provides students with access to international artists and academics who often feature as guest lecturers throughout the year.
Other opportunities
RMIT’s Global Mobility also supports students to develop and undertake an exchange or a short-term mobility activity during their Honours study through our network of 165 partner universities worldwide.
Using critical enquiry, practice-based research methodologies and 'thinking through making’, the structure of this program allows you to take ownership of your fine art education.
You will be allocated a senior academic as a supervisor who will provide support and guidance as you develop your honours project.
You'll be able to choose from five specialisation streams:
- Contemporary art practices involves an individual contemporary art project within any medium, method or strategy, including painting, drawing, installation practices, moving image, photography, spatial practices, print image practices, or conceptual and post-object based art practices.
- Sound art practices allows you to focus on the development of a contemporary sonic art project, interrogating themes and practices derived from composition, performance, exhibition and audio-vision.
- Contemporary art and craft practices leads you to produce an individual contemporary art and/or craft project, with emphasis on object-based practices. This may include ceramics or gold and silversmithing, but may equally include other fields of craft related practice.
- Curatorial practices allows you to develop your curatorial practice, investigating the discourses and hybridised spaces between art practice and curatorship. Applicants are required to have undertaken prior studies in the field of contemporary art or craft.
- Transdisciplinary practices - A project may be solo or collaborative, specialised or transdisciplinary, in which multiple art forms and practices may converge.
Choose a program structure
| Title | Location | Duration | Plan code | CRICOS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) (Honours) | City Campus |
1 year full time
|
1 year full time
|
BH052 | 006591A |
Choose a program structure
Program code: BH052
Career
The arts and creative industries continue to grow in Australia, and particularly within Melbourne. This is due to increased interest, along with government support and a longstanding cultural focus across the arts in general.
Funding opportunities remain ample and established institutions – including the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Heide Museum of Modern Art and RMIT Gallery, combined with artist-run spaces and many commercial galleries – provide an exciting environment and many opportunities for our graduates.
Multi-skilled and employable in a range of creative industries, our graduates continue to make significant contributions to contemporary art and culture, nationally and internationally.
In the School of Art at RMIT University we pride ourselves in achieving outcomes that not only prepare for, but enhance the future careers of our graduates. ‘Work ready’ is a term often used to describe these qualities; with our graduates seen as future leaders, or indeed shapers of the ‘world of work’.
Many of our graduates have continued on to become:
- artists in every field of contemporary art, craft, sound and performance art
- photographers
- sound engineers
- musicians and sound performers
- teachers, academics and researchers
- curators and museum personnel
- arts writers and theorists
- arts administrators and cultural officers
- technical specialists within a wide range of creative and cultural fields
- moving image practitioners, including filmmaking
Admissions
RMIT is committed to providing transparency to the admissions process. In line with this commitment, we provide you with information that will help in making informed choices about your undergraduate study options.
RMIT admits students from a range of educational pathways, including Year 12 results, previous higher education or vocational education study, work experience, and for some programs - interviews, auditions or portfolios.
To get a better understanding of admissions at RMIT, view our admissions information.
The highest level of education you have previously completed will determine which category applies to you.
Applicants with Higher Education study
You must have successfully completed an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) in a relevant discipline.
Applicants with recent secondary education (current or within the past two years)
Secondary education (Year 12) is not considered for entry into this program.
Applicants with Vocational Education and Training
Vocational education and training (VET) is not considered for entry into this program.
Applicants with Work and Life Experience
Work and life experience is not considered for entry into this program.
You must complete and submit the Fine Art (Honours) selection task by 23 November. Late applications may be considered where places are available. The link to submit your selection task will appear on the applicant dashboard after you have submitted your application.
Selection tasks will be assessed in the order of receipt until the specified deadline unless places are filled prior.
The selection task requires:
- a research proposal
- a folio of recent work
Research proposal
Your proposal should indicate what you consider your project (research) will encompass, why this research project is significant to your practice, along with an indication of how you intend to plan and undertake your project research (including any specialised facilities that may be required). Your proposal should include the following sections:
- Proposed project title.
- Study stream – Your preferred study stream*.
- Research topic outline (500-600 words) – A description of your proposed project, including any historical, contemporary and theoretical contexts relevant to your project.
- Aims – Using point form, list three distinct sentences, stating three separate project aims.
- Methods (150-200 words) – A description of your research methods (practical or theoretical), or how at this stage you consider your Honours project may occur. Here, if necessary, you may also provide some indication of any specific requirements necessary for your research (this may form as an explanatory paragraph and/or dot points.
- Prior reading – List 4 to 5 key texts or research topics in point form that may have specifically or generally informed your practice to date.
- Professional experiences (this section is contextual information and therefore not compulsory) – In point form, list up to five significant professional experiences you may have undertaken that relate to the field of art practice. For example, this may include assisting or volunteering for creative practitioners or arts organisations, exhibitions and projects, or any creative collaborations.
*You will be asked to select from the following five potential streams:
- Contemporary art practices – Folios may include examples of creative practices and projects within any medium, method or strategy including painting, drawing, installation practices, moving image, photography, spatial practices, print image practices, or conceptual and post-object based art practices.
- Sound art practices – Folios may include examples of sound art practices and projects in contemporary sonic art and may cover areas as diverse as composition, performance, exhibition and audio-vision.
- Contemporary art and craft practices – Folios may include examples of creative practices and projects with an emphasis on object-based practices with an art and/or craft focus. This may include ceramics or gold and silversmithing, but may equally include other fields of craft related practice.
- Transdisciplinary practices – Folios may indicate solo or collaborative specialised transdisciplinary artforms and practices.
- Curatorial practices – Folios may include examples of curatorial practices and projects.
Folio
Folios should include approximately 10 to 12 recent creative works. Applicants for the curatorial stream should include two to four examples of curatorial projects. However, the number of examples that you submit to evidence your practice is a guideline only, and therefore depending on the nature of your practice, you may choose to submit more or less examples. The selection panel is seeking primarily to evaluate quality and ambition within your practice, and not numbers of artworks or projects. It may be that your practice involves complex multifaceted works or installations. Therefore your artwork submission will be evaluated on its merits and in terms of its ambition.
Creative work or curatorial projects should preferably have been formed over the past 18 months. Please include titles of works, and where applicable: date, medium, dimensions or duration.
Applicants focusing on art practice – You should carefully select work to indicate technical facility, visual sophistication and current research interests. The works you select to include in your folio may have been produced either during your undergraduate degree or through independent practice. Works should be uploaded as one PDF.
Temporal submissions (video, sound) – You should supply one URL to Vimeo (other locations will not be considered). Note: Please supply the password if the link is to a private page. The submission must be one video or sound work only. If you wish to include multiple works, these should be compiled as a ‘showreel’ and must not exceed 10 minutes in length.
Applicants focusing on curatorial projects, a curatorial practice rather than an art practice – You should present two essays produced independently, or during your undergraduate degree, along with documented evidence and examples (photographs and/or catalogues) of independent curatorial initiatives. Evidence of projects should be uploaded as one PDF.
Folios will be assessed on the following:
- Technique (only applicable to applicants with a creative practice and not to applicants applying for curatorial practices)
- The selection of, and capability with, techniques and materials appropriate to the research topic under investigation.
- Ideas and divergent thinking
- Evidence of an informed and reasoned approach to creative or curatorial practices, clearly demonstrating knowledge of the field of practice.
- Indication of originality informed by current debates within the field of practice.
- Resolution
- Ability to formally resolve ideas.
- Documentation of recent works must be organised, clear and logical, including a list of titles and dates, along with mediums or denotations of the art forms in the submission.
Art and Design application tips
View the following videos for some practical application advice:
The Honours program has a significant research component. Prior to submitting your application, you must contact the School and confirm a supervisor and a research topic.
Pre-selection kit: Applicants must complete and submit a pre-selection kit, which includes a folio component..
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 (Paper Based Test): minimum score of 580 (TWE 4.5)
- 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 Advanced Plus Certificate at RMIT English Worldwide.
Pathways
This program is a pathway into the Master of Fine Art by Coursework (MFA).
The MFA is a two-year postgraduate degree. Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) (Honours) are granted entry into the second year of the MFA.
This gives students the opportunity to complete two academic qualifications over a period of two years (an Honours Degree in year one, and an MFA in year two).
Fees
In 2019, the annual student contribution amount (tuition fee) you will pay for a standard year of full-time study is between AU$6,566 to AU$10,958*.
* 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.
Additional expenses
Student services and amenities fee (SSAF): AU$303 maximum fee for 2019.
Other items related to your program, including field trips, textbooks and equipment.
Fees are adjusted on an annual basis and these fees should only be used as a guide.
Learn more about fees for undergraduate study.
Defer your payment
You may be eligible to apply for a HECS-HELP loan, which can be used to defer payment of up to the full amount of your student contribution fees. You may also be eligible to apply to defer payment of your SSAF through the SA-HELP loan scheme.
All undergraduate and honours degrees have Commonwealth supported places (CSP) available. In 2019, the annual student contribution amount (tuition fee) you will pay for a standard year of full-time study is between AU$6,566 to AU$10,958.
In a CSP, your tuition fees are subsidised by the Australian Government. Your share of the fee (student contribution) is set each year by the Australian Government and is determined by the discipline areas (bands) of the courses in which you enrol, not the overall program.
How much can I expect to pay for my Commonwealth supported place?
Courses (subjects) fall into one of three bands. The band determines the student contribution amount for the course.
Amounts listed in the table below are based on a standard, full-time study load (96 credit points per year) with all courses in the same band. A proportionate fee applies for more or less than the full-time study load or for enrolment in courses (subjects) from a combination of bands.
You can learn how to calculate your exact tuition fees for units from different bands at fees for Commonwealth supported students.
Maximum student contribution amount for Commonwealth supported places in 2019
Student contribution band by course (subject) |
Maximum annual student contribution amount in 2019 |
Band 1: humanities, behavioural science, social studies, clinical psychology, foreign languages, visual and performing arts, education, nursing |
$6,566 per standard year |
Band 2: mathematics, statistics, computing, built environment, other health, allied health, science, engineering, surveying, agriculture |
$9,359 per standard year |
|
$10,958 per standard year |
HECS-HELP Loans
The Australian Government provides financial assistance via the HECS-HELP loan scheme, which allows eligible students (such as Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa) to defer payment of up to the full amount of their student contribution.
SA-HELP Loans
You may be eligible to apply to defer payment of the Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) through the SA-HELP loan scheme. If you use SA-HELP, the amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt.
How does a HELP loan work?
If your HECS-HELP and/or SA-HELP loan application is successful, the Australian Government will pay RMIT, on your behalf, up to the full amount of your fees. This amount will become part of your accumulated HELP debt.
You will 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 2019 is $303.
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 2019 is AU$30,720.
The total indicative tuition fee for 2019 commencement is AU$30,720.
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.