Fine art courses

A fine arts degree teaches you about different artistic styles as well as the fundamentals of design, research practices and art history. Over the course of the degree you will be encouraged to develop your technical skills, try new things and discover your unique art practice.

While both are focused on the fundamentals of art and design, it could be argued the main difference comes down to the medium and purpose of the art being created.

Visual arts can be centred on conceptual skills like photography, digital media, web design, sculpture, installation and more, while fine art embraces the idea of art for the pleasure of the viewer using mediums such as painting, drawing, ceramics and print.

Both fine art and visual art help you communicate concepts and ideas artistically, to experiment with a variety of mediums, and to discover your niche while developing your personal art practice.

If you have a creative mind, studying fine art allows you to lean into your artistic tendencies. To engage with a part of yourself that’s all about making something from nothing based on an idea, bringing an artistic vision to life.

But more than this, a degree in fine art can allow you to look at the world in a new light, to learn how to critique and to develop valuable analytical skills that will carry you well beyond your art practice.

If you choose to study a fine art course online you’ll be earning your degree on your own terms. You decide when you study and where, which is perfect for parents, shift workers, or anyone who requires flexibility and wants to fit learning in around their already busy life.

There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.

• You can enrol without entry requirements We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree, we’ll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.

• You have total control over how you studyUpskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We’ll introduce you to flexible study options you didn’t even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.

• You’ll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus studentOnce you enrol through us, you’ll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you’ll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.

• We’ll help you navigate the university worldOur friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.

If you’re a creative looking to start university (or perhaps return to university for a change of direction) you may be wondering “is fine art hard to get into?”

While it varies between universities, you can get into most of the fine arts degrees available through us without entry requirements—no ATAR is required. Instead, you can start with a set of single fine arts subjects. Once you successfully pass those, you will be accepted into the full qualification.

Chat with our student advisors to find out more about how this works.

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide: 

If you study a degree in fine art through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.

Jobs you can get with a fine art degree can be as varied as the type of art you choose to create, and stretch well beyond being an artist.

Graduates often establish a career in these roles:

• Artist

• Art curator

• Arts administrator

• Exhibition coordinator

• Graphic designer

• Website designer

You can also find opportunities in other cultural fields like tourism, arts journalism, architecture and public relations.

Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we may be able to help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study.

Chat with us to find out more.

Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.

When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Apply now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.

Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.

Please note that enquiries and applications for some courses are handled directly by the university. If this is the case, it will be indicated on the course listing page.  

For more information about enrolment, read our online self-service enrolling instructions. If you get stuck at any time, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.