BA Fine Arts at University of Pretoria

The BA Fine Arts degree is a four-year program that combines studio practice in all aspects of contemporary Fine Art with a high level of academic study in Art History, Theory, and Criticism.

Admission requirements

The following persons will be considered for admission: a candidate who is in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required Grade 12 certificate with university endorsement; a candidate who is a graduate from another tertiary institution or has been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution; and a candidate who is a graduate of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.

Candidates who comply with the minimum subject requirements and achievement levels, as well as the APS requirements of these programs, will be granted placement in the programs, subject to the availability of space.

The abovementioned is not applicable to selection programs.

To retain admission, learners will be expected to obtain an APS of at least 28 in Grade 12.

Prospective students who have already been granted provisional admission in these programs, but obtained at least an APS of 27
in Grade 12, will be considered by the Admission Committee should space be available.

The Admission Committee of the Faculty of Humanities will consider these students once the results of the National Benchmark Test (NBT) are available and depending on the availability of space.
The Faculty will assess satisfactory performance in the NBT in the light of its commitment to ensuring that an appropriate proportion of the applicants will be drawn from the disadvantaged category of the population.

Applicants who meet the minimum APS requirement, but who do not comply with the subject requirements must write the NBT.

Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.

Departmental selection for this degree program involves a merit selection process and a final selection process, as well as the submission of a questionnaire and a portfolio of at least 20 recent works, which must be submitted to the Department of Visual Arts by June.

Detailed information about the selection process and the portfolio requirements can be obtained at www.up.ac.za/visual arts.

Based on the questionnaire and the portfolio, you will be notified whether you qualify to continue with the final selection process.

If your merit selection was successful, you will be invited to attend the final selection process, which consists of visualization tests, practical tests, and an interview.

The final selection process takes place during August.

You will be notified by the end of August of the result of the final selection tests.

Approximately 100 applicants will be invited to take part in the final selection process.

Minimum requirements

Achievement level

Afrikaans or English APS

NSC/IEB HIGCSE AS-Level A-Level

5 3 C C 30

Additional requirements

Departmental selection is necessary prior to admission to this program.

Although Art as a Grade 12 subject is not a requirement, a candidate must be able to demonstrate his/her creative potential and commitment to the chosen field of study.

Candidates are therefore required to submit a portfolio of work for a merit selection review and, if invited, undergo a series of tests, and be interviewed by a selection committee.

Contact the coordinator for more information.

A student who chooses this program must work in an appropriate design studio, approved by the coordinator, for at least six weeks during the third and fourth years.

Duration: 4 years