Bachelor of Fine Arts
at University of Southern Queensland, Queensland.
A studio-based fine-arts degree with majors in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, screen, sound, performance or expanded practice. Includes an annual graduate exhibition.
ATAR cutoff history
Published cutoff data for the University of Southern Queensland Bachelor of Fine Arts. We never invent figures; entries marked "not published" mean the university or admissions centre has not released a verified cutoff for that intake.
| Intake year | ATAR cutoff | Admissions centre |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2023 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
| 2022 | ATAR cutoff not published | QTAC |
No verified cutoffs are available. Confirm the latest figure on the official QTAC cutoff release.
Prerequisite Year 12 subjects
Brush up on each prerequisite with our state-syllabus explainers and dot points.
What you will study
First year is a broad studio and theory foundation: drawing and visualisation, studio practice across media, photography and digital imaging, and an introduction to art and screen history. UniSQ delivers creative arts on campus at Toowoomba and online, with online students completing studio work remotely and submitting documentation for critique. You begin a studio journal that tracks your process and ideas. Second year develops a chosen direction such as visual art, photography, theatre and performance, film and screen production or creative writing. Project briefs become more ambitious and self-directed, group critiques become regular and theory subjects ask you to position your work in contemporary practice. Third year is the capstone: a major self-directed body of work, a research-driven artist statement and advanced theory or professional-practice electives covering grants, exhibitions and the business of a creative career. The year culminates in a graduate exhibition or showcase used to enter the sector and apply for Honours.
Example first-year subjects
- Studio Practice Foundation
- Drawing and Visualisation
- Photography and Digital Imaging
- Introduction to Art History
- Screen and Performance Foundations
- Contemporary Creative Practice
How you will be assessed
- Studio portfolio and final body of work (the dominant assessment)
- Studio journal or process documentation
- Group critiques and presentations
- Short critical and theoretical essays
- Capstone graduate exhibition or showcase
- Artist statement and exegesis
Career outcomes
- Graduates work as practising artists, screen and stage performers, art directors and gallery educators across the cultural sector.
- Common destinations include exhibition assistant roles at state galleries, freelance studio practice and arts-administration positions in regional councils.
- Many alumni progress into curatorial roles, postgraduate study or arts education in secondary schools.
Typical first jobs
- Studio assistant to a practising artist
- Gallery assistant, installer or registrar
- Arts administrator at festivals or regional councils
- Freelance artist with grant, residency and commission income
- Screen or theatre production crew and art department
- Photographer or content creator
- Arts educator (with further teaching qualifications)
Graduate starting salary
$52,000 - $64,000 per year
Source: https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos). Last reviewed 2026-05-24.
After graduation
Most graduates combine a creative practice with part-time work in galleries, arts administration, festivals or regional cultural organisations. Honours is available for strong students and is the entry point to research masters and PhD study, often by creative practice. Other postgraduate options include the Master of Arts, communication and professional writing masters, and the Master of Teaching for those moving into secondary arts education. Many graduates study online while building a portfolio.
Is this the right degree for you?
You probably thrive here if
- Self-motivated makers already developing their own practice
- Patient students who iterate work over weeks and months
- People comfortable showing unfinished work in critique
- Curious readers who follow contemporary art and screen theory
- Online students who can sustain studio discipline remotely
It is probably not for you if
- Students seeking a guaranteed stable salary at graduation
- Those who avoid public critique of their work
- People who want a structured, rubric-driven course
- Students unwilling to keep a parallel job to fund their practice
Related courses at UniSQ
Sources
Course details are summarised by ExamExplained, not copied from the university. Confirm course content and ATAR cutoffs on the University of Southern Queensland handbook and on QTAC before applying. Page generated at https://examexplained.com.au/uni/usq/bachelor-of-fine-arts.