Master of Visual Arts in Fine Art

The Faculty of Human Sciences at the Vaal University of Technology offers students the opportunity in the Department of Visual Arts and Design to complete a Master of Visual Arts in Fine Art. We aim to produce versatile graduates who have the necessary technical and creative expertise to work within their desired area of specialization or a specific area in a creative/cultural industry. Graduates will engage in a wide range of fields or related fields, especially those where initiative, creative thinking, critical awareness, hand skills, exploration of the use of technology are valued. This qualification provides an opportunity for graduates to complete a research project by dissertation only or by practice-based research or practice-led research project. Using the skills and knowledge gained from completing the qualification students will be able to contribute to a broader socio-economic, cultural, historical and technological knowledge development in both academic (research/teaching/learning) and the creative industry (visual practitioner/entrepreneurial) domain. The duration of the course is two years of full-time study.

Build Your Future In Fine Art

  • International Focus -VUT Research’s degrees and academic programmes are internationally recognised
  • Facilities -At VUT Research we have world-class research facilities and resource access.

Master of Visual Arts in Fine Art Course Requirements

In order for postgraduate students to complete a Master of Visual Arts in Fine Arts they need to have achieved a relevant Postgraduate Diploma / Honours / or 4-year degree approved by SAQA with an average pass percentage of 65%. They also need to have completed a Research Methodology course that has been approved by VUT Research.

In addition to the academic qualifications stated above, the following admission criteria also need to be satisfied before a recommendation for admission can be made:

  • The proposed topic must be appropriate for higher degree research and it must be consistent with the academic aims and objectives of the student.

  • The student must have access to the necessary resources, facilities and the necessary budget in order to complete the degree within the timeframe.

  • There must be a qualified staff member holding confirmed, continuous or fixed-term appointments of sufficient length for the purposes of supervision of the proposed research and student.

  • The proposed program of work must be able to be completed within the maximum period of submission for the degree.

  • A suitable level of contact with the university supervisors must be maintained.

  • Where the applicant is currently employed, capacity to meet the timelines and other requirements must be considered.

  • The proposed research cannot reproduce research that has previously been submitted for the award of a degree or diploma.

  • Where the intellectual property rights of the applicant may be a consideration, a suitable agreement protecting the rights of the student needs to be signed. If the student is unwilling to sign an agreement, the research proposal may not be approved and the student may be required to choose another topic in an area that is not commercially sensitive.

  • The applicant should have no outstanding financial obligation with the University and in the case of international applicants, they should be able to verify the necessary financial capacity to undertake the program.

  • The applicant must possess sufficient English language proficiency.

Fine Art Career Opportunities

Students who graduate with their Master of Visual Arts in Fine Art are well on their way to achieving success within their chosen field of Visual Arts. The academic and technical skills gained by the student during the course will enable them to make both an academic and economic contribution to the creative industry. Career opportunities are available in educational institutions, government departments, creative industries (museums, art galleries, publishing houses, ceramic industries, advertising agencies, production houses, post-production houses, animation and game companies) as well as working in conjunction with architects in decorating of buildings (murals, mosaics or commissioned work). Specific career opportunities include: Self-employed practitioners: freelance consultants, retails developers, trend forecasters, curators, own companies; Arts Administrators, Work as managers or creative directors within the creative industries and government organizations; Research and Academic: lecturers/teachers/ writers, art critics/curators, and researcher.

Master of Visual Arts in Fine Art

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