Undergraduate & honours qualifications

Bachelor of Visual Arts

Qualification code: 02224
NQF level: 7
Total credits: 480
SAQA ID: 20924
APS/AS: 20
Rules:
This qualification consists of 29 modules with Visual Arts indicated as the MAJOR. Students must obtain prior permission from the Department of Art and Music on 0124296798 before registering for the degree. In addition to the normal study fees, a studio fee is payable for each module in Drawing, Painting, Sculpture and Visual Arts. Students are expected to attend two workshops at one of the university's approved centres. Workshops are normally conducted at least twice a year, for a period of approximately three to five days each, in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria. Further details are sent to students early in the year. Students are strongly advised to attend all the days of each workshop presented for their particular modules as these are important modes of tuition. Please note: these practical subjects demand much of a student's time and the equipment and materials required are expensive. The university will not be responsible for any loss or damage to a student's work. The Department reserves the right to retain the student's practical and written work for study material, teaching purposes and/or for exhibitions. Students should note that during the course of their studies they would be required to have access to a computer or laptop, printer and the internet.
Purpose statement:
The purpose of this qualification is designed to provide BVA graduates with professional training in the visual arts in order to practice as professional artists or in art-related professions. Secondary purposes: The BVA degree provides the local and global communities with leaders in the field of the visual arts who understand the crucial role they have to play in society and who can make a significant contribution to the cultural life of local and global communities through skills and strategies of facilitation, administration and partnerships in the visual arts. Since the BVA enables students to continue with post-graduate studies in Art History and Visual Arts as well as in other art-related fields, its base of scholarly activity is wide. The BVA degree provides the South African, African and global communities with graduates who will meet the requirements to register for a variety of professional qualifications with a relevant statutory body.
This qualification will be presented using both online and distance learning modes.
Qualification offered until 2024, and ONLY for students previously registered for this qualification.

Who can register?

  • Applicants (new applicants & Unisa students who applied for admission to a new qualification) may only register if they have received an offer of placement from Unisa and have accepted the offer online. Unisa reserves the right to not process and / or to cancel your registration if it is found that you were incorrectly admitted to a qualification. 
  • Re-registering students may register for the 2024 academic year once the registration period opens.

Please note: Should you wish to start a new qualification, please apply online for the alternative qualification during the prescribed application period.


How to choose your modules

Each Unisa qualification is structured in such a way that you need to pass a certain number of NQF level credits within a certain amount of time in order to graduate.

  • Co-requisite: Module A is a co-requisite for Module B. You want to register for Module B, but have not yet passed Module A. You must then register for both Modules A and B simultaneously. You may NOT cancel your registration for Module A unless Module B is also cancelled.
  • Pre-requisite: If Module A is a pre-requisite for Module B, you must pass Module A before you may register for Module B.

You may not register for more than the allowed maximum number of credits / modules per academic year and / or semester: 60 credits per semester or 120 credits per academic year.

The maximum number of credits do not include supplementary and / or aegrotat examinations from a previous semester. Modules taken for non-degree / non-diploma purposes also count towards the maximum number of credits allowed.

You must take your available time into consideration when choosing your modules, as this will impact your academic performance. You need approximately

  • 6 to 8 hours per week for semester modules.
  • 4 to 6 hours per week for year modules.

Click here for more information on managing your studies.

Curriculum for this qualification

While you are deciding on the modules for which you will be registering, write down the module names and codes so that you have something to refer to when completing your registration.

Please click on the modules below to see further information (eg semester/year module, NQF level)

First level

ENN103F has been replaced by ENG1503, students who have already passed ENN103F may not register
ENG1503.

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
ARH1501 - Visual Literacy
ARH1502 - Introduction to Art History
GAR1501 - Drawing I
THF1501 - Sculpture Recommendation:Students to register together with TWF1501 and GAR1501
TWF1501 - Painting Recommendation:Students to register together with THF1501 and GAR1501
Group B. Select 2 modules from the following:
AFK1501 - Voetspore: Op reis deur die Afrikaanse Letterkunde
AFK1502 - Inleiding tot teksontwerp in Afrikaans
AFK1503 - Afrikaans Vandag: Taalkunde en skriftelike kommunikasie
AFL1501 - Language Through an African Lens
AFL1502 - African Language and Culture in Practice
AFL1503 - Language and Communication Skills Acquisition in an African Language I
AFL1504 - Language and Communication Skills Acquisition in an African Language II Recommendation:Students should demonstrate competence in at least one indigenous African language of South Africa.
ENG1501 - Foundations in English Literary Studies
ENG1502 - Foundations in English Language Studies
ENN1504 - Practising Workplace English
FRC1501 - French Language and Culture: Beginners
PTU1501 - Portuguese Language and Culture: Beginners
PTU1502 - Portuguese Language and Culture: Lower Intermediate Pre-requisite:PTU1501
Group C. Select 1 from the following:
ENG1503 - Academic Language and Literacy in English
TEX2601 - Writing Skills for the Communication Industry Recommendation:AFK1502 (for students who major in Afrikaans)

Second level

VAR2601 and VAR2602 have been replaced by VMA2601 and VMA2602
Students who have already passed VAR2601 may not register VMA2601
Students who have already passed VAR2602 may not register VMA2602

WLL2602 has been terminated, from 2021, students who have failed the module must now register for
COM2602 and CST1512.

CST3706 is available for repeaters ONLY, students who have not attempted the module must register
CST1512.

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
ARH2601 - The Arts and Ideology I Pre-requisite:ARH1501
ARH2602 - Introduction to Art History in Africa Pre-requisite:ARH1501
ARH2603 - Visual Culture I Pre-requisite:ARH1501
ARH3705 - The Arts and the (Post)Colonial Pre-requisite:ARH1501
COM2602 - Integrated Organisational Communication
CST1512 - Music Technology I: Digital Audio
CST3706 - Music Technology II: Digital Audio
GAR2601 - Graphic Processes Pre-requisite:GAR1501& (TDM1501 & FRM1501) or (TWF1501 &THF1501)
VMA2601 - Studio Practice 1 Pre-requisite:GAR1501& (TDM1501 & FRM1501) or (TWF1501 &THF1501)
Recommendation:To register together with VMA2602 and GAR2601
VMA2602 - Studio Practice II Pre-requisite:GAR1501& (TDM1501 & FRM1501) or (TWF1501 &THF1501)
Recommendation:To register together with VMA2601 and GAR2601

Third level

VAR3701 and VAR3702 have been replaced by VMA3701 and VMA3702
Students who have already passed VAR3701 may not register VMA3701
Students who have already passed VAR3702 may not register VMA3702

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
ARH3701 - Art and Ideology II Pre-requisite:ARH1501
ARH3702 - The Arts in Africa Pre-requisite:ARH1501
ARH3703 - Visual Culture II Pre-requisite:ARH1501
ARH3704 - Modernism and Postmodernism Pre-requisite:ARH1501
PAT3701 - Professional Art Practice I Pre-requisite:VMA2601 and VMA2602
Co-requisite:VMA3701 and VMA3702
Recommendation:All Art History modules are completed up to level 2
VMA3701 - Studio Practice III Pre-requisite:VMA2601, VMA2602 and GAR2601
Co-requisite:PAT3701 and VMA3702
Recommendation:All Art History modules are completed up to level 2
VMA3702 - Studio Practice IV Pre-requisite:VMA2601, VMA2602 and GAR2601
Co-requisite:VMA3701 & PAT3701
Recommendation:All Art History modules are completed up to level 2

Fourth level

VAR4801 and VAR4802 have been replaced by VMA4801 and VMA4802
Students who have already passed VAR4801 may not register VMA4801
Students who have already passed VAR4802 may not register VMA4802

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
ARH411R - Contemporary International Art Pre-requisite:ARH3701, ARH3703 & ARH3704
Co-requisite:ARH412S
ARH412S - Contemporary South African Art Pre-requisite:ARH3701, ARH3703 & ARH3704
Co-requisite:ARH411R
PAT4801 - Professional Art Practice II Co-requisite:VMA4801 & VMA4802
VMA4801 - Studio Practice V Co-requisite:PAT4801 & VMA4802
VMA4802 - Studio Practice VI Co-requisite:VMA4801 & PAT4801