9 Bachelor Programs in Art Studies in South Africa for 2024

Our unique academic program lets our students engage with exciting new trends in various creative disciplines, popular visual cultures, and cutting-edge design technologies. They begin with a foundation year where students have the opportunity to experience all of our visual disciplines: Graphic Design, Photography, Art Direction, Illustration, and Multimedia, before choosing a major visual subject to take through to their third year. This allows for a unique understanding of visual communication as well as an opportunity for our students to truly curate their learning according to their avenues of talent and interest. We combine this practice with subjects like Marketing, Business Leadership, Discourse, and Visual Studies, ensuring our students are at the forefront of an industry that is constantly evolving. The five majors (Applied Illustration, Art Direction, Graphic Design, Multimedia & Photography) focus on creative and industry-related practical knowledge and skills, with the remaining three components delivering vital context and theory that set our graduates apart in the South African job market.

The AFDA Postgraduate school is focused on developing innovative research, origination, production, and distribution of entertainment concepts for both local and international markets. Over the last fifteen years, the AFDA Postgraduate School has produced a large network of graduates who have made a significant contribution to the South African entertainment industry. A large percentage of commercials, feature films, television series, music, and retail content is produced by AFDA Honours graduates.

The purpose of the BA (Visual Art) Degree is to develop students' creative, imaginative and critical knowledge, skills, and academic research capabilities to practice as artists within the domains of the visual-cultural industries, and/or to engage in postgraduate study in visual art.

This program focuses on the main disciplines in fine arts, ie painting, sculpture, graphic printmaking, drawing and new media, as well as on the theories and concepts of art. Graduates qualify as professional artists. The program is aimed at the promotion of aesthetic awareness and the broadening of visual, critical and creative thinking. The program also incorporates art management, art communication and marketing, digital training and the use of a wide range of artists materials, media and techniques.

Our one year intensive Honours degree offers you the opportunity to produce a self-directed body of creative practice work majoring in Photography, Illustration, Graphic Design, Multimedia, or Art Direction. In addition to Creative Practice, your degree also includes Visual Studies and Contextual Studies.

This program aims to promote visual literacy by offering instruction in the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of various aspects of visual culture, in both an historical and contemporary context.

Jewellery Designers translate cultural meaning and individual values into beautiful tangible objects. Jewellery Designers interpret trends and styles by tapping into the creative culture, art, and fashion. Jewellery designers have a broad understanding of the tension between aesthetics, market needs, social dynamics and business success.

Undertake the Bachelor of Animation at SAE and build your expertise in all facets of Animation. Students will develop fundamental skills and knowledge in this exciting industry in 3D modelling, character animation, rigging, textures, project management, teamwork, lighting, rendering, and compositing.

This degree will shape your creative mind. You’ll learn how to apply different techniques and methods to a problem in order to come up with a big idea and ultimately, a winning creative solution.