The Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts (CUA60720 / CUA60725) is a nationally recognised vocational qualification delivered under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) by TAFEs and registered private training organisations across Australia. It reflects the role of individuals who have developed para-professional level technical, creative and conceptual skills to originate, realise and exhibit a substantial body of resolved work that expresses their own creative vision. Students work within and across many mediums — including ceramics, digital art, glasswork, drawing and illustration, jewellery making, painting, photomedia, printmaking, public art, sculpture and textiles — developing both a personal artistic identity and the professional practice skills needed to sustain a creative career. The qualification is structured around 12 units of competency, comprising 6 core units and 6 elective units, and often allows students to choose a specialisation that suits their creative direction.

The course is designed for practising artists and designers who want to deepen and professionalise their studio practice, build an exhibition-ready body of work, and position themselves for independent or institutional careers in the arts. It builds on the skills developed at Diploma level, pushing students to develop original conceptual frameworks, engage critically with art history and theory, and manage the business and professional dimensions of creative practice. Graduates are well positioned to work as independent artists, enter arts administration and gallery environments, teach in community settings, or articulate into undergraduate degrees at Australian universities — with many providers offering credit of up to two years of study. Key employers include public and commercial art galleries, museums, local councils with public art programs, arts funding bodies, community arts organisations, schools, and the wider creative industries sector.

The primary entry pathway for the Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts is completion of a Diploma of Visual Arts (CUA51120 or equivalent). Applicants who do not hold a formal Diploma may be considered if they can demonstrate equivalent skills and experience through a portfolio assessment and/or interview. Portfolio requirements typically ask applicants to provide evidence of their technical and organisational skills across a range of materials and techniques — including illustrations, observational drawings, paintings, prints, photography or digital work — as well as evidence of conceptual development and experience presenting or exhibiting work. Some providers also assess an applicant's ability to apply art theory and history, and their readiness to take on a senior role within a student studio community.

For domestic students, there are no formal academic prerequisites beyond demonstrated creative competency, and recognition of prior learning (RPL) is available for those with relevant industry experience. For international students, English language proficiency is required — typically an Academic IELTS score of 6.0 overall (or equivalent PTE/TOEFL score) — along with completion of the Diploma of Visual Arts or evidence of equivalent prior study. Some providers may also require applicants to have completed the prerequisite unit CUAPPR505 Establish and Maintain Safe Creative Practice before commencing. Mature-age applicants with strong professional arts portfolios but no formal qualifications are often welcomed through a skills recognition pathway, and prospective students are encouraged to contact providers directly to discuss their individual circumstances.