Program Overview

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Architectural Studies and Fine Art

The Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Monash is your first step towards a varied and exciting career in the built environment. Combined with a Bachelor of Fine Art, this unique double degree will enrich both your practical and theoretical understanding, shaping you into a well-rounded creative professional with a unique edge.

Why Study a Bachelor of Architectural Studies and Bachelor of Fine Art at Monash?

The world is urbanising at a rapid pace and there is an increasing demand for architectural industry experts who can bring a multidimensional approach to a project.

In the Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Monash, you’ll explore the social, political, environmental and economic implications of architectural practice through applied, hands-on learning in a studio environment. You’ll work on real projects in small groups to develop responses to a wide range of social and spatial issues, often with community or embedded in an architectural practice.

Complementing your architectural studies with a Bachelor of Fine Art will help you develop a unique blend of creative vision and spatial intelligence, empowering you to design with both aesthetic depth and structural purpose. With a shared creative foundation, this unique degree combination will give you a deep understanding of form, space and composition.

You’ll be immersed in our creative community at Monash Art, Design and Architecture, where the majority of your studies will be spent in studio and creative practice learning at our Caulfield campus.

In the final year of your double degree you will undertake a capstone unit bringing your two chosen areas of study together in a unique applied project.

Where Will the Bachelor of Architectural Studies and Bachelor of Fine Art Take You?

By blending your architectural studies with a fine art degree, you’ll be equipped to respond to the dynamic, multifaceted needs of contemporary architecture. We’ll train you to think in future-oriented ways and give you the confidence to engage with and respond to the challenges of our time, such as climate change and equitable access to housing.

Whether you want to deepen your material knowledge as an architect or want to understand the place and structures of art within the built environment, this program will help you develop a unique skill set and creative outlook to approach architecture through an artistic lens or vice versa.

On completion of the four-year double degree program, you can enter into an exciting career in the built environment. Some career options include:

• Architectural designer
• Spatial practitioner
• Sculptor
• Public artist
• Set designer
• Film maker
• And more

Become an Architect

You can also choose to continue on your journey with us to becoming a registered architect. To become a registered architect in Australia, you need to complete an accredited course, such as the Monash Master of Architecture.

On successful completion of the Bachelor of Architectural Studies in any of our double degree combinations, you’re guaranteed a place in our accredited Master of Architecture.

The Master of Architecture at Monash is accredited by the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA), as well as the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), and is also recognised by the Board of Architects Malaysia (Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia - LAM), among others.

To become an architect in Victoria, you’ll also need to meet the professional practice requirements of the Architectural Registration Board of Victoria. If you want to work as an architect outside Victoria, check your local registration board for more information on professional requirements for entry into the profession, as these may vary.

Other Double Degree Combinations

You can also choose to combine the Bachelor of Architectural Studies with:

• Bachelor of Business
• Bachelor of Design
• Bachelor of Information Technology

Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements (International students)

You need to satisfy all of the following requirements to be considered for entry into this course.

Minimum Age Requirements

At the time of enrolment in a course at Monash University, you must be at least 17 years of age.

Academic Entry Requirements

All Monash undergraduate courses require you to have successfully completed a minimum of an Australian Year 12 qualification (or equivalent) and achieve the required academic entry score. Most Monash faculties generally use your most recent studies for admission however other guidelines may apply where your prior qualification may be considered.

Post-Secondary Qualifications

International entry requirements for post-secondary qualifications can be located in the study credit and admissions eligibility search. If your qualification is not listed we will assess your qualification when you apply.

Qualifications that are competency based (without grades or marks) will not be considered for admission.

Some Monash courses assess post-secondary qualifications on a case by case basis where further details can be located on the study credit and admissions eligibility search.

Higher Education

The above entry requirements are set according to Monash University’s grading scale (100% scale where 50% is a pass). If you have a complete or incomplete international bachelor degree, it must be accredited and equivalent to an Australian level where the entry requirement will vary than listed above.

English Entry Requirements

All Monash undergraduate courses require you to satisfy English entry requirements in one of the following ways:

English Subject (Australian Year 12 Equivalent)

You can meet English entry requirements if you have completed an English subject in your prior secondary studies that is equivalent to an Australian Year 12 level (score requirements also apply). Acceptable English subjects for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and IB Diploma Programme are detailed in the prerequisite subject requirements section below. English subjects completed in other qualifications may be accepted and are assessed on a case by case basis when you apply.

Language of Instruction

You can meet English entry requirements if you have completed half a year of full time study (equivalent to 24 Monash credit points) at Australian VET Diploma (AQF level 5) or higher (or equivalent) at an institution where English is the language of instruction, communication and assessment for all aspects of study for the whole of the educational institution.

You may be required to submit documentary evidence in the form of an official letter from the institution at which the study was completed. This document must be written and signed by the institution’s registrar (or other authorised person of the institution).

English Tests

If you have not met English entry requirements as outlined above, Monash accepts the following English tests where the entry scores for this course are as follows:

If your English test does not meet the above scores you may want to consider Monash English. Some Monash courses however do not accept Monash English.

The English measures outlined above must be completed within 3 years prior to the Monash course commencement date (other time limitations may apply as outlined in the Admission to Coursework Courses and Units Procedure). If you have completed several measures of English proficiency over a period of time, the highest valid measure will be accepted.

Monash University reserve the right to ask students to complete an English test to meet English course requirements upon request.

Further information can be located at English language requirements.

Prerequisite Subject Requirements

All Monash University undergraduate courses require you to have previously studied and achieved required Australian level standards in specific subject known as prerequisite subjects.

You must satisfy the following prerequisite subject requirements for this course:

English

• VCE: Score of 25 in Units 3 and 4
• IB Diploma Programme: Score of 4 in Standard Level or Higher Level English

Additional Requirements

You must satisfy the following additional requirements for this course:

Selection Requirements

• Folio: All domestic applicants must apply via VTAC and register for a Fine Art folio presentation. Each applicant's final ranking is based on their folio presentation.

Fees

Fees are subject to change annually.

International Fee

Fees are per 48 credit points which represents a standard full-time course load for a year. The fees for 2025 are:

• A$49,800

Enrolment Obligations

International students enrolling in a CRICOS-registered course can study no more than one third (33%) of their course by distance and/or online learning. Students must enrol in at least one unit that is not by distance and/or online in each compulsory study period unless the student is completing the last unit of their course. See standard 8.19 and 8.20 of National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018.

CRICOS code: C

Course Structure

Architectural Studies

Part A. Architecture Design Studios

Architecture design studio units bring together a range of complex issues inherent in the production of architecture: material, structure, program, site, history and representation. They focus on the architectural project as a process of investigation, critical observation and experimentation. Design studios foreground the development of architectural designs through material and three-dimensional testing of ideas. They combine various design, technical, conceptual, historical and professional issues into creative architectural outcomes across a range of scales and types of projects.

Part B. Architectural Performance Studies

Architectural performance studies units cover the integration of material, structural, construction and environmental conditions within the context of responsible and sustainable practices. Studies begin with the exploration of construction and materials through models and drawings. They expand to consider structural systems and environmental systems, including human comfort and energy usage. Studies culminate with a comprehensive integration of building systems and the introduction of relevant professional practices. Across the units, issues are explored through design projects including the use of physical and digital models for performance analysis.

Part C. Positions and Dialogues Study

Positions and dialogues units cover the multiple histories, theories, perspectives and knowledge systems that inform the discipline of architecture. Beginning with a faculty wide unit that introduces Indigenous Australian creative practices and approaches to Country, you will go on to explore the formation of the discipline of architecture along with the shifting role of the architect. These units engage with contemporary, social, political, cultural and technical ideas and how architectural practitioners shape their work in response to these. You’ll carry out co-research and collaborative writing and editing, and work with your peers to plan, co-author and co-edit a piece of architectural research that communicates architectural ideas for a broad audience.

Part D. Communication Studies

In the communications units you’ll be introduced to concepts, tools and techniques for the representation of architectural ideas in two and three dimensions including drawing, physical and digital model making and computer aided design (CAD). You’ll learn to select appropriate tools and methods to communicate a variety of architectural design ideas and explore the principles and uses of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in architectural design and project delivery, engaging with Building Information Modelling (BIM), Rule-based Systems, and Digital Fabrication.

Part E. Occupational Health and Safety Study

This will introduce you to occupational health, safety and environmental training particularly within the context of studying art, design and architecture.

Fine Art

Part A. History and Theory Studies

History and theory units will equip you with the skills necessary to research fine arts issues and provide the research methods relevant to your studio or workshop practice. They will enable you to contextualise your own practice and communicate ideas and strategies. Through the prism of history, as well as reference to bodies of knowledge relevant to cultural production, you will begin to situate the place of art in society.

Part B. Drawing Foundation

This will assist you to develop the perceptual, practical and intellectual skills required by art and design students in the discipline of drawing.

Part C. Fine Art Knowledge and Practice

Through this component of the course you will develop key skills and concepts particular to your fine art specialisation. Through lectures and seminars, studios or practice driven workshops, you will develop the capacity for independent cultural production within fine art and related fields. Interdisciplinary skills and practices will be explored in conjunction with critical thinking.