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National Art School

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About

The National Art School (NAS) is a culturally significant Australian visual arts institution with origins that can be traced back to 1843. Situated within the historic walls of the old Darlinghurst Gaol, the school has a rich tradition of artistic practice and has produced generations of many of the country’s best-known artists. The campus, located in inner-city Darlinghurst, offers a select number of full-time programs – B Fine Art and M Fine Art – as well as a comprehensive range of part-time and intensive short courses.

The National Art School uses practice-driven teaching methods and maintains a high staff-to-student ratio. Intensive instruction by over 80 eminent practising artists and art historians takes place in a studio environment. Drawing, art history and theory and their relationships to contemporary culture are taught each year in the undergraduate programs. Specialist study is offered in the studio disciplines of ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

The fully accredited B Fine Art program is designed to develop the creative independence, knowledge and experience required for a career as a professional artist and the academic rigour required for further study at postgraduate level. The program is delivered full-time over three years and involves a comprehensive investigation of studio practices and historical and theoretical reflection supported by individual tutorials, peer discussions and reviews.

CRICOS provider number: 03197B
TEQSA provider ID: PRV12036

Contact

Phone: (02) 9339 8651 

Email: student.services@nas.edu.au 

Website: visit the 
National Art School website

Forbes Street 
Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Campus Locations

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Events

Important Dates

Contact NAS for information about 2024 intakes.

Open days

For the latest information, visit the National Art School website.

Campus visits

You are welcome to visit the campus at any time during the year. To take a tour of the campus and meet with academic staff or our student recruitment team, call (02) 9339 8651, email student.services@nas.edu.au or stop by the student services’ desk during business hours.

The National Art School campus is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and includes a cafe and art supplies store. 

The NAS Gallery is open from 11am to 5pm Monday to Saturday during advertised exhibitions. 

During semester, the campus is open to students for extended hours Monday to Saturday.

Student Outcomes

The student outcomes display the overall undergraduate results for the institution.

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L/N: Low numbers – The number of survey responses are too low to display.
N/A: Data not available for this study area or institution.
Data source: ComparED website

No QILT data available for this institution.

For further information visit ComparED website

Policies and Services

Admission criteria

To be offered a place in a course you must meet the course entrance requirements and be selected in competition with other eligible applicants. Admission into the Bachelor of Fine Art is competitive, with selection based on an interview process and portfolio assessment. Also refer to UAC’s general information about university admission criteria.

Applicants with a recent secondary education (within the past two years)

Australian Year 12 students

If you are a 2022 or 2023 Australian Year 12 student you will be assessed through a competitive interview process and subsequent successful completion of the NSW Higher School Certificate (or equivalent).

Criteria that may apply in addition to ATAR

All eligible applicants to the National Art School take part in a competitive selection process to rank applicants. The selection process comprises a short interview and portfolio presentation. The portfolio should include a minimum of 12 recently completed works including at least two drawings and relevant support material such as other drawings, maquettes, sketchbooks and visual diaries. Students unable to attend an interview may apply using slides, CD ROM, transcripts of results of previous training and photographic documentation.

Other admission options
Schools Recommendation Schemes

NAS participates in the Schools Recommendation Schemes (SRS), which is processed centrally through UAC. SRS allows current Year 12 students to receive early offers of admission using criteria other than (or in addition to) the ATAR.

Applicants with a higher education study

Applicants with a Certificate IV in Fine Art or a diploma in any area of education are eligible to apply and will be assessed through the competitive interview process. Applicants with a Diploma or Advanced Diploma in Fine Art may apply for advanced standing into the second year of the course. Places for advanced standing are limited and will be assessed through the competitive interview process.

Current and former National Art School students

Due to the limited spaces available, former students wishing to seek re-entry into the course will be assessed as part of the competitive interview process.

Completed enabling courses

Applicants will be eligible to apply if they have completed one of the following approved higher education preparation courses:

  • University Preparation
  • Courses at the University of Sydney
  • University Preparation Program and Foundation Studies at UNSW
  • NSW TAFE Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation.

Applicants with work and life experience (includes those who left secondary education more than 2 years ago)

Previous Australian secondary studies

If you have previously completed Year 12 in Australia you will be assessed through a competitive interview process.

Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

Applicants who are not current school leavers and do not have suitable qualifications for entry to the National Art School may sit STAT (Multiple Choice).

Applicants over 21 years of age

Consideration for entry to B Fine Art is given to post-school entrants. Applicants will be considered eligible to apply if they have completed one of the following:

  • the Leaving Certificate (1955–66)
  • the NSW Higher School Certificate (1967–present) or equivalent
  • a Diploma or Advanced Diploma at TAFE or other accredited tertiary institution
  • an approved tertiary preparation course.

Applicants with overseas qualifications

Australian citizens or permanent residents of Australia with overseas qualifications should contact Student Services for advice on whether their qualification is eligible. If you have completed qualifications not in English you may be required to provide evidence of your English language proficiency.

How to apply

Apply through UAC.

Enrolment

Acceptance of offer

If you receive an offer from the National Art School it will include detailed information on accepting the offer and the enrolment procedure you need to follow prior to commencing the course. Follow these instructions carefully. If you have any queries, call Student Services on (02) 9339 8651 or email student.services@nas.edu.au.

Advanced standing

Applications for advanced standing or academic credit must be made at the time of application. Applications for recognition of prior learning must be received by the census date for the relevant unit.

Deferment

Due to the limited places available, deferrals can only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Deferment is possible for one year only.

Fees and charges

For the latest fee-information visit the National Art School website. National Art School students can choose to pay their fees in full or in part through FEE-HELP. Tuition fees are required to be paid during enrolment.

For further information on FEE-HELP, visit the Study Assist website.

Financial assistance

Youth and student allowances

For details of Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY, visit Services Australia website.

Loans

FEE-HELP is available for higher education courses offered at SAE. Australian or New Zealand citizens or holders of a humanitarian visa may be eligible to pay tuition fees via FEE-HELP. For further information, visit Study Assist website.

 

Where to get further information

  • National Art School – National Art School's Institute Profile
  • TEQSA national register – The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia's independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education
  • ComparED – The ComparED website provides prospective students with transparent institution information from recent graduates and current students views.
  • Study Assist – Information for students about government assistance for financing tertiary study.
  • Tertiary Admission Centre: UAC (NSW and ACT)

Student Profile

The table below gives an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students at the institution. It provides data on all students who commenced undergraduate study in the most relevant recent intake period, including those admitted through all offer rounds, across all Australian campuses, and international students studying in Australia.

For more information about the Student Profile, please visit Student Profile explained.

Applicant background Semester one/full year intake 2022
Number of students No. of students Percentage of all students % of all students
(A) Higher education study 22 11%
(B) Vocational education and training (VET) study <5 <5
(C) Work and life experience 46 23%
(D) Recent secondary education    
  • Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR
 0 0%
  • Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered
 0 0%
  • Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor
 127 65%
(E) International students N/P N/P
All students 196 100%

<5   - the number of students is less than 5

N/A - Students not accepted in this category

N/P - Not published to prevent calculation of numbers in cells with less than 5 students

There are no undergraduate courses listed. Please visit the institutions website for more information.

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Student outcomes
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N/A: Data not available for this study area or institution.
Data source: ComparED website
No QILT data is available for this institution.
For further information visit ComparED website
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L/N: Low numbers – The number of survey responses are too low to display.

N/A: Data not available for this study area or institution.

Data source: ComparED website

No QILT data available for this study area.
For further information visit ComparED website