Unisa College of Graduate Studies - Online
Master of Visual Arts - Online
Online, South Africa
Master degree
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Feb 2027
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
Key Summary
About: The online Master of Visual Arts at the University of South Africa is a research master's requiring a dissertation on an approved topic. Entry needs an appropriate honours degree, postgraduate diploma, or a 480-credit bachelor's with 96 level-8 credits; some students may need HRHMV81 research-methodology before registering for the dissertation. Applicants must submit a digitised portfolio, transcript, a document describing intended research, and SAQA evaluation if they hold foreign qualifications; selection assesses suitability, viability and available supervisory capacity in line with institutional equality and diversity procedures.
Career Outcomes: Graduates may pursue careers as professional artist, art researcher, arts educator, curator, gallery manager, art critic, community arts facilitator or cultural heritage officer, applying skills in studio practice, visual research, curation and administration.
An appropriate bachelor's honours degree in visual arts, or an appropriate postgraduate diploma in visual arts, or a 480 credit bachelor's degree in Visual Arts with a minimum of 96 credits at NQF level 8 or the Advanced University Diploma in Visual Arts with an average of 60%. A student who is admitted on the strength of a postgraduate diploma or a 480-credit bachelor's degree with a minimum of 96 credits at level 8 and who has not completed a module in research methodology may be required to complete such a module (HRHMV81) at NQF level 8 for NDP before he/she is allowed to register for the dissertation. Applicants must submit a digitised portfolio of their practical art before registration can take place. Students may contact the department directly about the selection criteria.
All students with foreign qualifications, including those with qualifications from African countries, must have their qualifications evaluated at SAQA.
In addition to the above requirements, applicants must submit a transcript or an academic record, as well as a document describing their intended research. Students will be accepted on the following criteria:
- Suitability and viability of the intended research
- Adequate supervisory capacity and research expertise in the discipline or department.
There is an approved selection procedure which is in line with Unisa's policies on equality and diversity in the discipline or department.
A research master's degree comprises a dissertation on an approved topic. You will be expected to have a research proposal approved in the first year of study.
Please note: If you do not complete a research proposal in the first year of study, you will not be permitted to continue with the qualification. You will also be excluded from applying for admission to the same college for a period of two years.
