This page is updated when information changes, but it's always best to talk to your training provider to confirm course details before you enrol.
Overview
This qualification reflects the role of individuals who combine specialised technical, creative and conceptual skills to plan and realise a body of work in one or more art forms. Mediums may include ceramics, drawing and illustration, painting, photomedia, printmaking, public art, sculpture, textile design, wood design, digital art and glasswork. Visual artists may work in their own practice, or in a wide range of contexts across the arts, government, community or commercial organisations.
Practice at this level is underpinned by application of arts theory and history and the ability to critically analyse and synthesise information from a range of sources. Discourse around complex ideas is also required. The job roles that relate to this qualification may include Printmaker, Photographer, Illustrator, Visual Artist, Ceramic Artist, Painter, Public Artist, Sculptor, Textile Designer, Woodwork Designer, Digital Artist, Glasswork Artist, Arts Practitioner. It also provides a pathway to other visual arts, craft and design job roles.
There are 0 minimum work placement hours required for this unit.
Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification considerations
Qualification
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
Units of competency in qualification
Some individual units of competency may have their own licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements. Users must check individual units of competency for licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements relevant to that unit.
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Financial help
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Cost
Course costs can vary by provider and location. Ask your training provider for a cost estimate.
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VET Student Loans are available
See training providers offering VET Student Loans -
You may need to pay for equipment or materials.
To see how government funding could help to reduce the cost of your course, check your eligibility for funding.
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On-the-job training
- Apprenticeships and traineeships are not available for this course.
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Entry requirements
This course has entry requirements. See more information at the National Training Register
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Duration
You complete this course when you’ve learned the skills, not after a set amount of time. The times shown are estimates.
- Qualification only:
1–2 years
- Qualification only:
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Delivery options
You may be able to access this training in these ways:
Course content
This course is made up of units.
All courses have core units—these are mandatory for completing the course. Most courses also have elective units, which you can choose from to suit your needs and interests. Not all training providers offer every elective, so check with your provider to find out which electives they can offer you.
For more information about course content, talk to your training provider or visit the National Training Register.
| Unit | Unit type |
|---|---|
| Develop sustainability of own professional practice | Core |
| Establish and maintain safe creative practice | Core |
| Present a body of own creative work | Core |
| Realise a body of creative work | Core |
| Refine drawing and other visual representation tools | Core |
| Analyse cultural history and theory | Elective |
| Apply legal principles in intellectual property law matters | Elective |
| Apply visual communication theory to photo imaging practice | Elective |
| Articulate, present and debate ideas | Elective |
| Build and maintain business relationships | Elective |
| Collaborate in creative processes | Elective |
| Conduct research | Elective |
| Contribute to managing work-related psychological health and safety | Elective |
| Create observational drawings | Elective |
| Create works of art for public spaces | Elective |
| Critique cultural works | Elective |
| Design and develop interpretive displays | Elective |
| Design and produce experimental textiles | Elective |
| Design virtual and hybrid events | Elective |
| Develop and apply ceramic glazes | Elective |
| Develop and manage a budget | Elective |
| Develop and refine illustrative work | Elective |
| Develop and refine metalworking techniques | Elective |
| Develop personal work priorities | Elective |
| Develop professional illustrations | Elective |
| Develop social media engagement plans | Elective |
| Develop strategies to monetise digital engagement | Elective |
| Enhance professional practice using creative arts industry knowledge | Elective |
| Establish and maintain environmentally sustainable creative practice | Elective |
| Establish innovative work environments | Elective |
| Establish legal and risk management requirements of new business ventures | Elective |
| Establish operational strategies and procedures for new business ventures | Elective |
| Establish, negotiate and refine a design brief | Elective |
| Estimate and cost jobs | Elective |
| Estimate, measure and calculate measurements for work | Elective |
| Experiment with ceramic surface treatments | Elective |
| Experiment with moulding and casting techniques | Elective |
| Experiment with techniques to produce ceramic works | Elective |
| Experiment with techniques to produce jewellery | Elective |
| Experiment with throwing techniques | Elective |
| Explore and apply photo lighting techniques | Elective |
| Extend expertise in a specialised art form to professional level | Elective |
| Extend expertise in specialist creative fields | Elective |
| Facilitate vocational training | Elective |
| Generate design solutions | Elective |
| Hand carve wood to custom design | Elective |
| Identify and evaluate marketing opportunities | Elective |
| Identify and handle fabrics and textiles | Elective |
| Implement design solutions | Elective |
| Implement preventive conservation activities | Elective |
| Install and dismantle exhibition elements | Elective |
| Integrate disability access and inclusion | Elective |
| Interpret and respond to a design brief | Elective |
| Investigate ceramic materials and processes | Elective |
| Investigate drawing materials and processes | Elective |
| Investigate glassworking materials and processes | Elective |
| Investigate materials and processes for textile work | Elective |
| Investigate painting materials and processes | Elective |
| Investigate printmaking materials and processes | Elective |
| Investigate sculptural materials and processes | Elective |
| Investigate technologies for the creation of digital art | Elective |
| Investigate woodworking materials and processes | Elective |
| Make mixed media artworks | Elective |
| Make moulds and casts | Elective |
| Make presentations | Elective |
| Manage and operate technical requirements for virtual and hybrid events | Elective |
| Manage copyright arrangements | Elective |
| Manage finances for new business ventures | Elective |
| Manage kiln operations | Elective |
| Manage personal and professional development | Elective |
| Manage project governance | Elective |
| Manage specialised finishing processes | Elective |
| Manipulate fabrics to create new finishes | Elective |
| Market new business ventures | Elective |
| Negotiate contracts | Elective |
| Obtain revenue to support operations | Elective |
| Originate and develop concepts | Elective |
| Plan Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural arts projects | Elective |
| Plan and produce visual art photo images | Elective |
| Plan finances for new business ventures | Elective |
| Plan work space | Elective |
| Prepare stencils and screens for textile printing | Elective |
| Prepare to work with confronting material and processes in the creative industries | Elective |
| Produce screen-printed textiles | Elective |
| Provide freelance services | Elective |
| Provide technical support during virtual and hybrid events | Elective |
| Provide work skill instruction | Elective |
| Refine 2-D design ideas and processes | Elective |
| Refine 3-D design ideas and processes | Elective |
| Refine carving techniques for creative work | Elective |
| Refine ceramics techniques | Elective |
| Refine digital art techniques | Elective |
| Refine drawing techniques | Elective |
| Refine glassworking techniques | Elective |
| Refine handbuilding techniques | Elective |
| Refine illustration techniques | Elective |
| Refine kiln cast glass techniques | Elective |
| Refine model making skills | Elective |
| Refine painting techniques | Elective |
| Refine printmaking techniques | Elective |
| Refine sculptural techniques | Elective |
| Refine techniques for textile work | Elective |
| Refine throwing techniques | Elective |
| Refine woodworking techniques | Elective |
| Research and apply light and colour | Elective |
| Research and develop business plans | Elective |
| Research and recommend sustainable design improvements | Elective |
| Research the cultures of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural artists | Elective |
| Select and refine a specialised drawing technique | Elective |
| Select sites for creative projects and plan work | Elective |
| Source funding for projects | Elective |
| Undertake marketing activities | Elective |
| Undertake project work | Elective |
| Work effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural artists and communities | Elective |
| Work with photomedia in creative practice | Elective |
| Work with the human form in creative practice | Elective |
| Write complex documents | Elective |
Job prospects
The Diploma of Visual Arts sets you up for roles like these, but the skills you learn could take you even further.
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Photographer
ANZSCO 211311
Take commercial or artistic photographs using digital or analogue camera technologies.
Recommended education level:
Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree -
Painter (Visual Arts)
ANZSCO 211411
Painters (Visual Arts) conceive and create visual art forms, such as pictures, abstract designs and similar compositions, to communicate impressions and ideas.
Recommended education level:
Bachelor degree or higher -
Potter and Ceramic Artist
ANZSCO 211412
Potters or Ceramic Artists conceive and create functional or artistic articles by moulding clay, glass and other fusible materials using hand-building and wheel techniques.
Recommended education level:
Bachelor degree or higher -
Sculptor
ANZSCO 211413
Sculptors conceive and create three-dimensional forms to communicate impressions and ideas by carving or modelling materials, such as wood, stone, clay and metal, or assembling found and manufactured materials.
Recommended education level:
Bachelor degree or higher -
Other Visual Arts or Crafts Professional
ANZSCO 211499
Other Visual Arts or Crafts Professionals include jobs like Leadlighter, Multimedia Artist, Quilter, and Textile Artist.
Recommended education level:
Bachelor degree or higher -
Illustrator (including Animators)
ANZSCO 232412
Illustrators (including Animators) plan, design, develop, and prepare pictures and diagrams to communicate messages, clarify meaning, assist in presentations and illustrate stories, using traditional and digital media such as drawing, painting, drafting, collage, models, photography, and image capture and manipulation software.
Recommended education level:
Bachelor degree or higher -
Photographer's Assistant
ANZSCO 399915
Photographer's Assistants assist Photographers in taking and developing photographs.
Recommended education level:
Certificate II or III
Training providers delivering Diploma of Visual Arts
It's a good idea to research multiple training providers to make sure you're getting the right training for you.
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TAFE QUEENSLAND (RTO code 0275)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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CQUniversity Australia (RTO code 40939)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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LATROBE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN (RTO code 22248)
Contact this provider
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RICH GAMING ACADEMY (RTO code 6537)
Contact this provider
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Sydney Art School (RTO code 41133)
Contact this provider
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The Academy of Interactive Entertainment Ltd (RTO code 88021)
Contact this provider
How to enrol in this course
To enrol, choose a training provider that offers this course. You can see provider details on this page.
When you find one that you think suits you, visit their website or contact them directly to confirm details like start dates, fees, funding, delivery locations and delivery options.
The provider will guide you through the enrolment process.
How do apprenticeships and traineeships work?
Apprenticeships and traineeships let you combine hands-on work experience with training. You’ll gain job-ready skills and earn an income while you complete a qualification.
As an apprentice or a trainee, you work with an employer while completing your training. Most of your time is spent learning on the job, with some classroom or online training to support the skills you're developing in the workplace.
For some jobs, you may need to do an apprenticeship or traineeship before you are allowed to work as a qualified tradesperson. For example, you need to do an apprenticeship if you want to work as a licensed electrician.
Find out more about apprenticeships and traineeships.
See more information about the apprenticeship or traineeship you’re interested in pursuing on the Queensland Training Information Service.
How long will this course take?
This course is competency-based training, which means you progress as you demonstrate your skills and knowledge, rather than in a set amount of time.
The duration shown here is an estimate for full-time study based on how long most people take to complete the course. You may finish earlier than other people, or it may take you a bit longer.
If you’ve already completed training or have worked in a relevant area, you could get credits or recognition of prior learning. This can reduce the training you need to complete a qualification, which could reduce the time needed for training.
Duration for apprenticeships and traineeships
Apprenticeships and traineeships take longer than doing the qualification on its own, but you learn valuable hands-on skills.
For some jobs, you may need to do an apprenticeship or traineeship before you are allowed to work as a qualified tradesperson. For example, you need to do an apprenticeship if you want to work as a licensed electrician.
Learn about how courses are delivered
Different courses have different delivery options. Consider your needs when you’re researching courses. Some courses may be delivered entirely online or partially online. Others may be delivered in a classroom.
Some courses, like those delivered through apprenticeships and traineeships, are mostly based in the workplace but with some classroom or online study.
If a certain type of delivery is important to you, talk to your provider before you enrol to make sure they offer that delivery option.
How to reduce the cost of your course
There are lots of ways you can reduce the cost of your course.
- The government could partly or fully cover the cost of your course. See information about financial help and government funding on this page.
- The government also offers funding for some costs related to your course.
- If you’ve already completed training or have worked in a relevant area, you could get a cost credit or recognition of prior learning. This can reduce the training you need to complete a qualification, which could reduce the cost.
Learn about financial help and government funding
The main cost of training is usually the course fees, which vary depending on things like which course and training provider you choose.
You may be able to get your training for free or at a reduced cost, or you could get help with paying for training-related costs. You can also pay for some courses with a VET Student Loan.
Find out more about getting help paying for your training or check if you're eligible.
What are entry requirements?
Some courses have conditions you need to meet before you can enrol in the course. They help make sure you have the right background or skills for the training.
Entry requirements might include a certain education level, skills or knowledge, work status, or experience.