The Graduate Diploma in Creative Arts is a 36-unit program offered by the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Law. The course may be taken over two semesters full-time, or the equivalent part-time.
The Graduate Diploma in Creative Arts articulates with the 72-unit Master of Creative Arts.
Admission requirements
Applicants must normally hold an approved degree or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution with major studies in creative writing, drama performance or screen production. However the Faculty Board may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature. In addition, the streams have additional admission requirements.
Course aims
The course aims to provide a high quality postgraduate program in which writers, actors, directors and producers can enhance their creative and practical skills within a framework of academic study. It fulfils the need for professional studies in creative writing, drama and screen production at postgraduate level. Candidates will undertake coursework in one of these streams.
In particular, the course allows students to undertake a highly flexible one-year program where they can acquire relevant creative, practical and academic skills that prepare them for a range of possible career and study pathways.
The Graduate Diploma, thus, can function as qualifying studies, enabling students to continue on to the second year of the Master of Creative Arts where they focus on a sustained creative project (thesis) in their chosen art form.
Further study towards a research degree is then possible. The Graduate Diploma also provides the option for students to conclude their studies after the first year and exit with a degree.
Learning outcomes
Upon graduating successfully, students will have:
- refined the creative skills required by professional practitioners in the creative industries and have shown evidence of creativity by producing original work
- developed the conceptual and interpretive skills necessary for producing and promoting original work
- understood the processes involved in producing creative work
- demonstrated skills to analyse and critically evaluate ideas and solve problems
- demonstrated that they can participate effectively in a creative team environment
- understood employment structures and identified some of the employment opportunities available in the creative industries.
Credit
Unspecified credit to a maximum of 18 units may, under certain circumstances, and subject to specific conditions, be granted for candidates who show relevant and extensive experience.
