Access dedicated studios to create and experiment
Connect with creative arts organisations
Be mentored by world-class creative arts practitioners
Key facts
Key dates
Direct applications to Deakin for Trimester 2 2025 close 22 June 2025
Current Deakin Students
To access your official course details for the year you started your degree, please visit the handbook
Course overview
Explore advanced creative projects and research through a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours). Honours is a year of specialised study that allows you to combine the theory and practical skills gained throughout your undergraduate degree. While undertaking an individual creative project, you will be supported in your development as an independent practitioner as you build your skills, critical engagement and depth of knowledge in your chosen area of study.
It is an opportunity to expand your knowledge in a field you are passionate about and to develop invaluable research and life skills that will stay with you throughout your career.
Do you want to find your creative practice in the field and critically engage with the work of your contemporaries?
With a strong interdisciplinary focus, this course enables students from all creative arts disciplines – dance, drama, photography, design, and visual arts – to learn from each other and develop their creative arts practice and scholarly research skills.
You will form ongoing relationships with practitioners and peers in related creative areas through critical feedback with industry connections and research experts from government-run and community arts organisations.
Whether you choose to work in industry as an individual practitioner, or within a creative team, this honours program will help you develop as a critically engaged thinker and highly skilled practitioner and researcher.
After graduating, you can further your studies in research or professional practice by applying for direct entry into the second year of the Master of Creative Arts by coursework, a Master of Arts by Research, or you could pursue a PhD.
Read MoreCourse information
- Award granted
- Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours)
- Year
2025 course information
- Deakin code
- A450
- CRICOS code?
- 083979J Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong)
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8
Course structure
To complete the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours), you must pass 8 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 8 credit points of core units
Most units are equal to one credit point.
As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Core units
Compulsory 0-credit point module
To be completed in the first trimester of study:
Core
Intakes by location
The availability of a course varies across locations and intakes. This means that a course offered in Trimester 1 may not be offered in the same location for Trimester 2 or 3. Check each intake for up-to-date information on when and where you can commence your studies.
Trimester 1 - March
- Start date: March
- Available at:
- Burwood (Melbourne)
Trimester 2 - July
- Start date: July
- Available at:
- Burwood (Melbourne)
Deakin splits the academic year into three terms, known as trimesters. Most students usually undertake two trimesters each year (March-June, July-November).
Course duration
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
Participation requirements
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Entry requirements
Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements, and individual circumstances. You will need to meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements or higher to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.
A combination of qualifications and experience may be deemed equivalent to minimum academic requirements.
Academic requirements
To be considered for admission to this degree you will need to meet the following criteria:
- completion of a bachelor degree or higher or major in a related discipline with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) (or equivalent average grade indicator) of at least 65 in third year units, or where relevant, final year units.
References
Applicants are also advised to read further information and complete requirements outlined in the Information and Application form. These requirements may include work experience, reasons for undertaking the course, previous academic information and your research proposal.
English language proficiency requirements
To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:
- Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) English Units 3 and 4: Study score of 25 in English as an Additional Language (EAL) or 20 in any other English
- IELTS overall score of 6 (with no band score less than 6.0) or equivalent
- other evidence of English language proficiency (learn more about other ways to satisfy the requirements)
Admissions information
Learn more about Deakin courses and how we compare to other universities when it comes to the quality of our teaching and learning.
Fees and scholarships
Fee information
Learn more about fees.
The tuition fees you pay will depend on the units you choose, as each unit has its own cost. The 'Estimated tuition fee' is provided as a guide only and represents the typical first-year tuition fees for students enrolled in this course. The cost will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the time it takes to complete your course and any approved Recognition of prior learning you have.
Each unit you enrol in has a credit point value. The 'Estimated tuition fee' is calculated by adding together 8 credit points of a typical combination of units for this course. Eight credit points is used as it represents a typical full-time enrolment load for a year. You can find the credit point value of each unit under the Unit Description by searching for the unit in the handbook.
Learn more about fees and available payment options on our Current students fees website.
Scholarship options
A Deakin scholarship could help you pay for your course fees, living costs and study materials. If you've got something special to offer Deakin - or maybe you just need a bit of extra support - we've got a scholarship opportunity for you. Search or browse through our scholarships
Apply now
Applications for Trimester 1, 2026 open in July.
In the meantime, why not speak to our student advisers about your course and career options? It’s the best way for future students like you to get expert advice on preparing your application.
Contact information
Our friendly advisers are available to speak to you one-on-one about your study options, support services and how we can help you further your career.
- Call us: 1800 693 888 Monday – Friday, 9am–5pm
- Live Chat: Monday - Friday
- Submit an online enquiry
- Help hub find common and trending questions and answers
Careers
Want a degree that’s more than just a qualification? Our industry connections, world-class facilities and practical approach to learning are just some of the reasons why Deakin students graduate confident and ready to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow.
Career outcomes
The Bachelor of Creative Arts (Honours) supports your development as a creative arts practitioner and builds your research skills. You will graduate as a specialist in your field of study with the transferable soft skills to thrive in industry – including critical and creative thinking, the ability to effectively communicate and to work both autonomously and collaboratively. The degree provides a pathway for further learning and for practice within creative arts and cultural industries.
You will graduate ready to adapt to changing career opportunities relevant to your specialisation in:
- dance
- design
- drama
- photography
- visual arts.
For more information go to DeakinTALENT.
Course learning outcomes
Deakin's graduate learning outcomes describe the knowledge and capabilities graduates can demonstrate at the completion of their course. These outcomes mean that regardless of the Deakin course you undertake, you can rest assured your degree will teach you the skills and professional attributes that employers value. They'll set you up to learn and work effectively in the future.
| Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Identify and apply reflective creative practice research within a creative arts context that incorporates non-traditional research and relevant traditional research that critically engages with histories, traditions and contemporary ideas within art and performance and situates the creative practice in the relevant field. |
| Communication | Articulate the relationship between practical creative processes and discipline specific and interdisciplinary ideas to inform discussions of creative practice, decision-making processes and relevant contemporary ideas in art and performance. |
| Digital literacy | Critically integrate digital strategies in creative practice inquiry and engage with and apply digital technologies that actualise an emerging professional identity. |
| Critical thinking | Investigate, describe and synthesise ideas within art and performance discourse in order to establish the relationship of a selection of ideas focused through a creative arts project. |
| Problem solving | Identify, evaluate and select the methods, techniques and processes to best investigate proposed creative arts project; and engage with discovery and ambiguity characteristic of creative practice. |
| Self-management | Communicate with supervisors, technical staff, and collaborators and develop a responsive approach to critical feedback in the context of practice-led research. |
| Teamwork | Contribute to the critical culture of creative practice through peer feedback, group critique and participation in industry standard forums *This Course Learning Outcome is not explicitly assessed |
| Global citizenship | Establish ethical approaches that recognise the value of art and performance in diverse communities and cultures and transfer creative practice outcomes into real world contexts. |
Approved at Faculty Board September 2019
Events Explore more events
Footnotes
*Year on year, our undergraduate students are the most-satisfied students of all Victorian universities. Australian Graduate Survey 2010–2015, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2016–2022 (GOS), Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT)