The Bachelor Art Theory degree is designed specifically for those looking to develop the intellectual and critical skills to make an impact in the arts and cultural sector. You will recognise and make contributions to the important role that art theory plays in today’s arts ecology. Through both structured and flexible pathways, the Bachelor of Art Theory will help you to unpack the complex ways that art affects society. By investigating the cultural, social, political, and economic contexts for art, the Bachelor of Art Theory will enable you to produce incisive ideas and communicate them powerfully. Our focus on rigorous inquiry will give you the capacity to think experimentally, critically, and independently. The Bachelor of Art Theory is grounded in the fundamentals of art history and theory, with complementary expertise ranging across new media, visual art, performance, moving image, sound, Australian Indigenous art, design, and museum studies. You will be taught by leading experts in their fields who will offer you a dynamic and rewarding learning experience. The degree offers the flexibility to develop unique pathways into today’s arts and cultural industries. You will become equipped to contribute insightful ideas to help shape understandings of art and its contexts. In-depth knowledge of the most important artistic ideas and practices of the recent past and present will help you become a future leader in the field. Degree Structure The Bachelor of Art Theory is comprised of three year levels structured to help you develop the core skills and knowledge for a career in the cultural sector, as well as the specialist expertise to help you stand out, no matter what field you pursue. The program focuses on the complexities of contemporary art and its contexts and engages with art history to track lineages of the ideas and practices shaping today’s cultural environment In your first year, you will focus on core concepts in art history and art theory and hone your analytical skills and develop your understanding of how art and design responds to diverse contexts. In your second and third years, you will choose from a selection of courses designed to develop your expertise in specialised areas. In following your interests through the degree, you will have options to examine art through various lenses including aesthetics, visual culture, critical theory, art writing, curating and the role of cultural institutions. You will be exposed to influential and significant art locally in internationally. Your independent research interests will be encouraged as you investigate contemporary creative practices. You will also have the opportunity throughout the degree to broaden your skills and knowledge by selecting from a wide range of elective courses across our art design and media programs, as well as from other leading faculties of UNSW. Career Opportunities UNSW’s Bachelor of Art Theory prepares students for a range of careers as thinkers, curators, producers, publishers, innovators, policy makers and future leaders. Our graduates have the hands-on skills underpinning how creative content is exhibited, distributed, interpreted and promoted and are sought after across a range of arts, cultural, entertainment, media and technology industries. Graduates find employment in areas including: Arts and cultural management, policy making and administration Art and design criticism, communications and journalism Galleries, libraries, archives, museums Creative direction, planning and production Curatorship, festival, event and museum management Cultural and creative research and scholarship Media industries, publishing and distribution Public programming and engagement Entrepreneurship, strategy, creative consultancy and start-ups