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Bachelor of Arts (Creative Arts) (Honours)

The Bachelor of Arts (Creative Arts) (Honours) is a fourth year program that often serves as a prelude to study in the research field.

Course essentials

Entry requirements

Credit

A full-time study load is 120 credits a year (usually four 15-credit units each semester). 120 credits equal one equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL). Each credit point equals about 10 hours of learning, so a 15-credit unit means roughly 150 hours.

120 credit points = 1.0 EFTSL

Duration

1 year full-time or part-time equivalent

Course overview

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) is a fourth-year program that serves as a prelude to a higher degree in research or to professional practice in a range of careers that entail advanced research work.
 
With half the program dedicated to a thesis-based experience of independent research conducted professionally, the program prepares individuals for professional or research work in the disciplinary field of their preference. It provides training in methodology, research skills and theoretical inquiry.
 
This Creative Arts stream enables students to choose to study any discipline within Visual or Performing Arts. The major project is a practice-driven thesis consisting of creative work and an exegesis.

IT requirements

To do this course you’ll need a fast and reliable computer and access to high-speed internet. Expect to use about 5GB of data per month for every unit you’re doing. Find out more about the minimum IT requirements for studying with us.

Got questions?

Call us on 1800 333 864, start a live chat or submit an enquiry.

Student support

The support we offer is second to none. Need academic help? No problem. Extra access or financial assistance? Let’s see what we can do. View our student services.

The fine print

The commencement of all courses is subject to available funding and enrolment quotas.

Everything in this course overview is correct at the time of being published. However, the University reserves the right to alter any course, procedure or fee. Please check for changes before you apply or enrol.

Federation University uses Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding (for eligible students) to deliver training.

School department

Humanities and Social Sciences

Course co-ordinator

Daniel Tout

It’s pretty simple, if it wasn’t for my time at the Arts Academy, the detail of the teaching methods and the work ethic it instilled in me, I wouldn’t be enjoying the career I’ve had over the past 12 years."
— Josh Piterman, former student, award-winning music theatre performer and recording artist.  

Career paths

Honours graduates are highly valued for research work (academic and professional), and are especially prepared for a higher degree by research such as a PhD.

Arts and cultural planner
Art/creative director
Cartoonist
Cultural development officer
Cultural heritage officer
Commercial potter
Potter/ceramist
Screen printer
Illustrator
Jewellery designer/maker
Textile designer
Visual merchandiser
Photographer
Photojournalist
Museum curator/technician
Painter
Sculptor
Set designer
Creative director
Gallery assistant

Fees and scholarships

Tuition fee information

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
2026 indicative full-time fee: $17,399

Commonwealth Supported Places are subsidised by the Australian Government. The tuition fee is called the student contribution amount. The indicative fee above is based on a typical first-year enrolment for this course and should be used as a guide only. For 0.5 EFTSL (60 credit point) courses the certificate fee is displayed. Your fee will depend on the units you chose, your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved credit you receive. 

How it's calculated

The government sets the fee each year. The amount depends on the discipline area and band of each unit. 2026 annual student contribution amounts for 1 EFTSL (equivalent full-time student load) range from $4,738 (Band 1) to $17,399 (Band 4).  The sample course structure below link to the EFTSL, Band and fee for each unit or you can use our unit search to find these details.

Other fees

You will also need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).

Fee assistance

If you're eligible for a HECS-HELP loan,  you can defer the payment of all or part of your student contribution fee. If you’re also eligible for a SA-HELP loan, you can defer your SSAF payment too. You won’t have to start paying either loan back until your income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold.

Scholarships

There’s a range of scholarships and grants available. Find out what you can apply for.

Course details

Contact hours

You’d be looking at about 25-30 hours per week (if you’re full time), but this includes on-campus classes and self-directed study (i.e. homework).

Sample course structure

Here’s what the course structure could look like. It’s just an example (so don’t use it for enrolment). Interested in the details? You can find current course structure or select a single unit name below to find out what it’s about and how much it costs.

Semester 1
Semester 2

Entry requirements

Entry requirements (non year 12)

A Bachelor or Arts program with a sequence in the relevant discipline with Distinction average in upper-level discipline-specific courses and no less than a Distinction in upper-level discipline-specific courses (giving a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 6.0).

 

English language requirements

Academic IELTS of 6.0 overall with no bands less than 6.0

Extra requirements

All applicants must complete and submit the Research proposal form as part of their application.

Students will normally have a short thesis topic approved before applying, developed in consultation with a potential supervisor and the Honours Coordinator.

Some questions to help you identify an area for your research project are:

• What aspects of your undergraduate degree did you find most interesting?

• Which courses did you enjoy the most?

• What topics or issues did you wish you could have studied in more depth?

• Which academic staff in the School of Arts are working in areas that interest you?

How you apply will depend on your current situation – school leaver, tertiary background or life experience – and whether you’re also applying for courses at other institutions. Visit our how to apply page to find out more.

Ready to fill out your application? You might need these codes:

Direct application
Yes
Federation University code
HS8

Hear from our students 

Prue Anderson talks about her experience studying as part of the Arts Academy at Federation.

Hi, I'm Prue and I'm studying a Bachelor of Performing Arts at Federation University. I love studying here at Fed. The first year I got here I moved all the way from Darwin in the NT to study at the Arts Academy. In my first year I lived on res and got to experience living with everybody else in my course and I had so much fun. Res in first year is, especially in the Arts Academy, a really really good option. Me and my best friend then moved to Mount Helen to do Res to meet more people from the university who aren't just in our course. I really love our course because the lectures really challenge you to get the best out of you. We do lots of shows in a really short amount of time and they really encourage you to work and perform and learn quickly and that's something that I haven't experienced before and I'm really enjoying. 

Credit for previous study

Your previous studies might count towards this course (which means you could finish it sooner). Check your eligibility to find out if that’s the case.

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