Victorian College of the Arts
University of Melbourne
The Victorian College of the Arts is the art school of the University of Melbourne, located in Melbourne, Australia. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate fine and performing arts programmes. Applicants must submit a portfolio via SlideRoom and attend an interview.
Melbourne, AustraliaArt school within a universityfinearts-music.unimelb.edu.au
Schools and subjects
- Visual Art (Drawing and Printmaking, Painting, Photography, Sculpture)
- Contemporary Art
- Film and Television
- Animation
- Dance
- Music Theatre
- Theatre
- Design and Production
Listed under: film schools, photography schools, animation schools, fine art schools.
Undergraduate requirements
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
A portfolio (folio) must be submitted via SlideRoom: up to 20 individual files/works (drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, 3D objects, new media, etc.); a visual diary sample (up to 10 images) must also be submitted. Each discipline has specific requirements. An interview is required (approximately 20 minutes, conducted by a panel of two academic staff, online or in person).
IELTS 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 (or equivalent; the university's undergraduate English requirements page states that Faculty of Fine Arts and Music courses at master's level require 6.5 with no band less than 6.0, and undergraduate Visual Art requires the same IELTS 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0).
2024 indicative tuition: AU$34,880/year; three-year indicative total tuition AU$110,016 (university indicative international undergraduate fee schedule, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art) 2024 data). (This is the latest year the school publishes; check the official page for the current year.)
For the 2027 start year: applications open 3 August 2026 and close 28 September 2026; interviews 18–25 November 2026.
Yes (mandatory; folio and interview are central to selection).
Postgraduate requirements
Master of Contemporary Art
A written proposal (up to 500 words, covering concept/research framework, technical material needs, recent practice and influences), a portfolio (folio, up to 10 images or up to 8 minutes of video, corresponding to the proposal with captions), and a CV must be submitted. Shortlisted applicants must attend an online Zoom interview (approximately 20 minutes).
IELTS 6.5 (writing 6.0; speaking 6.0; reading 6.0; listening 6.0); TOEFL 81 (w19/s19/r16/l16); PTE 64 (60 in each skill); Cambridge 169, etc.
For the 2027 start year: applications open 3 August 2026 and close 31 October 2026; shortlisting interviews 10–12 November 2026.
Yes (shortlisted applicants must interview).
Other notes
Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarship: from 2027, offers eligible international undergraduates a 20% tuition fee remission (auto-assessed, no application required); Cutler Scholarship: new VCA undergraduate or coursework master's students may receive up to AU$30,000 living allowance (auto-considered). URL: https://scholarships.unimelb.edu.au/awards/melbourne-international-undergraduate-scholarship ; https://scholarships.unimelb.edu.au/awards/cutler-scholarship
Sources for this page
- https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/
- https://study.unimelb.edu.au/how-to-apply/creative-application-requirements/bachelor-of-fine-arts-visual-art-auditions-and-interviews
- https://study.unimelb.edu.au/how-to-apply/undergraduate-study/international-applications/fees-and-payments/indicative-course-fees
- https://study.unimelb.edu.au/how-to-apply/creative-application-requirements/master-of-contemporary-art-auditions-and-interviews
- https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/graduate/master-of-contemporary-art/entry-requirements/
Taken from the school’s website and checked on 2026-10-27. Schools change their requirements every year; open the official pages above to confirm the current version before you apply.