Bachelor of Illustration
Overview
3 years full time / 6 years part time
3 years
February
February
Take the creative arts industry by storm with our Bachelor of Illustration.
The Bachelor of Illustration at Melbourne Polytechnic delivers practical learning from our dedicated studio, which encompasses traditional materials and methods and new technologies, and contains theory studies around research and practice pertaining to illustration, with a strong focus on the global nature of the creative arts industry.
Unlike other courses, our Bachelor of Illustration specialises solely in illustration blending foundational and modern craft elements that explore drawing, design and contemporary media context.
With this qualification in hand, you can work as an Illustrator in many diverse settings, such as community murals, graphic novels, animation, art direction, and book illustrations. You may also go onto a career as an Art Curator, Publisher, Exhibition Designer or Creative Artist.
Career Pathways
Where will the Bachelor of Illustration take me?
This unique degree sets you up to succeed, addressing business practice and opportunities for entrepreneurship in today’s creative arts industry.
- Publisher
- Exhibition Designer
- Event Manager
- Creative Artist
- Self-Employed Artist
- Consultant
- Art Curator
- Illustrator
Attend an Information Session
Course Details
Delivery methods
Course delivery continues at Melbourne Polytechnic during the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation the world is facing right now. Our top priority remains the health, safety and well-being of our community.
Class Schedule
Contact the Creative Arts Department for more information on part-time study.
Assessment Methods
Various forms of assessment may be used including portfolio, projects work, research, essays and presentations.
Units of Study
Credit points are a basic measure of student workload. All subjects are given a credit point value. Most subjects at Melbourne Polytechnic are 12 credit points. A normal full-time annual workload is 96 credit points. The academic year is divided into two main semesters; full-time students usually enrol in 48 credit points each semester, part-time students usually enrol in 24 credit points each semester or less.
| Code | Subject | Elective | Description | Year | Semester |
| ILL102 | Illustration 1 | Core | This subject introduces students to the basic knowledge and practice of illustration. Students will begin to develop understanding of, and technical proficiency in, illustrative drawing and rendering through practical briefs. A creative process journal provides a record of concept research and composition development. | 1 | 1 |
| ILL103 | Digital Illustration 1 | Core | This subject introduces students to conventions and methods employed in contemporary digital illustration practice. Students develop practical skills and awareness of industry practice through exercises, creative projects, illustration research and maintenance of a creative process journal. | 1 | 1 |
| ILL104 | Media, Culture & Context 1 | Core | The development of visual narrative prior to the 20th century is examined in this subject, with particular focus on illustration, how it diverged from, and intersected with, visual arts history. Students will investigate characteristics of pre-20th century visual communication and its influence on current visual arts thinking and practice. | 1 | 1 |
| ILL101 | Drawing 1 | Core | This subject introduces students to the basic knowledge and practice of drawing and rendering. Students will develop proficiency through life and observational drawing, practical exercises and briefs. Research, investigation and experimentation is evidenced through the maintenance of a creative process journal. | 1 | 1 |
| ILL105 | Drawing 2 | Core | Students will develop perceptual and observational skills through the application of drawing and interpretation techniques, addressing the human figure and more complex subject matter. Students will apply design elements and principles to drawing. | 1 | 2 |
| ILL106 | Illustration 2 | Core | Students will apply design elements and principles to illustrative composition, refine rendering techniques and explore concept development to interpret a visual narrative. | 1 | 2 |
| ILL107 | Digital Illustration 2 | Core | Students further develop skills and knowledge in digital illustration. Through analysis of seminal historical and contemporary illustration works, experimentation and reflection on their own practice, students use diverse digital mediums to produce increasingly innovative and original illustrations. | 1 | 2 |
| ILL108 | Media, Culture & Context 2 | Core | Illustration and its emergence as a definitive commercial craft and medium for personal expression is examined in this subject. Students will evaluate and critique key developments in illustration and creative thinking against the backdrop of 20th century history and change. | 1 | 2 |
| ILL201 | Drawing 3 | Core | Students will demonstrate inventiveness in the production of drawings, integrating traditional and experimental drawing techniques. More complex drawings will be characterised by a developing personal style. | 2 | 1 |
| ILL202 | Illustration 3 | Core | Students will demonstrate inventiveness in the production of illustrations. More complex concepts will be characterised by personalised visual narrative and stylised graphic outcomes. | 2 | 1 |
| ILL203 | Digital Illustration 3 | Core | Students develop an understanding of principles, conventions and methods in digital illustration for moving images. Digital illustration skills are applied to industry relevant projects such as spot illustrations and character model sheets, editorial illustrations and Zine production of sequential imagery. | 2 | 1 |
| ILL204 | Media, Culture & Context 3 | Core | The historic and ongoing connection between illustration and storytelling is examined in this subject. Students will look at the structures of visual storytelling and critique and interpret texts to develop visual narratives. | 2 | 1 |
| ILL205 | Drawing 4 | Core | Students in this subject will apply personal methodologies in developing an innovative drawing practice. Research and analysis of historical and contemporary drawing is maintained, and authentic industry contexts will be explored. | 2 | 2 |
| ILL206 | Illustration 4 | Core | Students in this subject will begin to apply personal methodologies in developing an innovative illustration practice. Authentic industry contexts will be explored. | 2 | 2 |
| ILL207 | Digital Illustration 4 | Core | Students exercise concept research and visual development skills for digital illustration in industry. They design and pitch concepts for graphic novels, including refined character and environment visualisation, in the context of a narrative | 2 | 2 |
| ILL208 | Media, Culture & Context 4 | Core | Illustration is now an integral facet of contemporary visual culture. This subject contextualises illustration in the prevailing creative arts culture and enables analysis and discussion of the broad issues around current illustration practice. Students will critically engage in analysis of illustration from a historical and contemporary perspective. It will prepare them to plan, execute, reflect and appraise illustration processes to industry standards. | 2 | 2 |
| ILL301 | Creative Studio 1 | Core | This subject consolidates and extends the scope of students’ self-initiated practice to further develop personal artwork. With a focus on concept and narrative development, the pursuit of aesthetic refinement and technical proficiency, this subject supports the establishment of a creative identity surrounding personal practice. | 3 | 1 |
| ILL302 | Industry Studio 1 | Core | Students apply illustration to diverse creative industries, respond to authentic industry briefs and pitch concepts to clients. Students create an online portfolio and develop works for exhibition. | 3 | 1 |
| ILE305 | Digital Painting | Elective | Students learn the process for creating digital paintings and use digital technologies to create painted illustrations that imitate tradition media methods, such as oil paint, Gouache, pastel and watercolour. | 3 | 1 |
| ILE306 | Storyboarding | Elective | This subject explores the production of storyboards - the process of visualising a moving picture sequence in a succession of singular, cumulative images. It includes the capture of action, dialogue and environment design, critical to the film narrative. | 3 | 1 |
| ILE307 | Illustrating Nature | Elective | Students learn and apply a variety of biological and botanical principles in the context of illustration and design, that will find use in a variety of industries, including film, gaming, books and scientific media. | 3 | 1 |
| ILE308 | Imaginary Environments | Elective | Students will apply illustrative principles of form, colour and light to explore themes and narrative through environmental design, providing a foundation in background design and concept art. | 3 | 1 |
| ILL303 | Creative Studio 2 | Core | This subject extends students’ accumulated body of knowledge to develop an innovative and creative illustration portfolio. Students produce a body of illustrative work that reflects a self-critical selection of imagery and content. Consolidation of personal style enhances the students’ capabilities and enables full engagement in the creative arts industry: to lead and collaborate as confident contemporary illustrators. | 3 | 2 |
| ILL304 | Industry Studio 2 | Core | Students work in collaboration with colleagues to fundraise for a group exhibition and create illustrative works in shared studio spaces. Students liaise with gallery staff and curate works for exhibition in a professional gallery space. | 3 | 2 |
| ILE309 | Comics | Elective | This subject enables the analysis of the history of popular comics, from their emergence as sequential panels visualising a narrative, to their contemporary adaptation to film and digital media. Genres are identified, as are the social, political and economic contexts that founded comic development. | 3 | 2 |
| ILE310 | Designing Assets for Movement | Elective | In this subject, students use an existing narrative of choice, and research and adapt the story to produce a portfolio of assets for moving images, such as in animation or games. Assets designed will include but are not limited to character design and turnarounds for movement, environment and background design, narrative beat boards and style frames. | 3 | 2 |
| ILE311 | Small Arts Business | Elective | Students analyse their personal creative practice to inform an individualised small arts business plan. They articulate their vision for the business and develop components of a business plan that address finances, marketing and promotion. Students also research available arts grants from a range of sources and compose a grant application. | 3 | 2 |
Bachelor of Illustration on Instagram
Follow us on Instagram for samples of student work and exhibition details.
Illustration: "This Way Up" by Natalie Dixon
Fees & Costs
Fee-paying Places
| Per year | $20160 |
| Per semester | $10080 |
| Per year | $24000 |
| Per semester | $12000 |
When you are studying higher education courses you may qualify for FEE-HELP payments for part or all of your tuition fees. FEE-HELP loans do not cover materials costs.
Fees displayed are effective for new applications received on or after 1st of November. Tuition fees do not include textbooks, course materials or overseas student health insurance and visa fees.
After initial deposit, international students are able to pay tuition fees in installments, four times per year.
For more detailed information please read the International Student Fees.
Related Courses
Requirements
Attend an interview.
Students with a Diploma of Visual Arts (Illustration) CUA51120 may articulate directly into the second year of the Bachelor of Illustration
Applicants with recent secondary education (within the past two years)
- Year 12 VCE or equivalent, with a study score of at least 20 in English
- Presentation of a folio and attendance at an interview
Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study
- Successful completion of a VET Diploma in Visual Arts.
- A Diploma in Visual Arts – Illustration Stream, an Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design or an Advanced Diploma of Creative Product Design enable admission into 2nd Year of the Bachelor of Illustration.
- Presentation of a folio and attendance at an interview.
Applicants with higher education
- A complete or incomplete higher education qualification.
- Presentation of a folio and attendance at an interview.
Applicants with work and life experience
- Relevant creative arts industry or life experience.
- Recognised and appropriate prior learning.
- Presentation of a folio and attendance at an interview.
Higher Education Admissions Criteria
As well as the specific entry requirements above, Melbourne Polytechnic admits students on the basis of the following categories:
If you have already studied higher education: Y ou may meet the admissions criteria for higher education at Melbourne Polytechnic if your highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree.
If you have studied a VET course: You may meet the admissions criteria for higher education at Melbourne Polytechnic if your highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a vocational education and training (VET) course.
If you have recent secondary education: You may meet the admissions criteria for higher education at Melbourne Polytechnic if you are a recent secondary education student whose admission is primarily based on the completion of Year 12 within the past two years.
If you have work and life experience: You may meet the admissions criteria for higher education at Melbourne Polytechnic if you have work and life experience and left secondary education more than two years ago and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.
Attend an interview.
Academic: Australian Year 12 equivalencyEnglish: Academic IELTS 6.0 with no individual band below 5.5, Pearson PTE Academic 50 overall with no individual communicative skill below 42, or Melbourne Polytechnic recognised equivalency.
Other: Applicants are required to present a folio and participate in an interview*
*Interviews by Skype or telephone are available for overseas and interstate applicants
Further: Information about authentic folio verification and lodgement can be provided by the Creative Arts Higher Education (HE) department, by email: illustration@melbournepolytechnic.edu.au
Next Steps
Melbourne Polytechnic is committed to providing transparency to the admissions process. In line with this commitment, we provide you with information that will help in making informed choices about your future studies.
Find out more about Melbourne Polytechnic’s commitment to admissions transparency.
Applicants for this course will need to have met the academic requirements. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.
You may also be required to attend an interview to discuss your career plans, aptitude and understanding of your chosen course of study and the requirements of tertiary study. (This may be conducted face-to-face or by through a video conference call using Skype or other application).
During your interview, you may be asked to provide:
- Your CV outlining your relevant work and life skills and experience
- Any letters of reference from employers
- Documents relating to prior study including course transcripts and subject outlines from other Higher Education Providers if you wish to apply for credit
- Your portfolio of work
Applicants may be required to attend an interview. Details will be provided by telephone or mail to applicants selected to attend an interview.
When we receive your application, the International Office will be in contact with you shortly to discuss your application and provide you additional instructions.
If you'd like to speak to one of our International Office staff directly, call 1300 635 276
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