Bachelor of Fine Arts: Fine Arts & Photo Media

In your first year it’s all about building a strong foundation. Visual Thinking will teach you how to transform your abstract ideas into striking visuals that communicate powerfully, while Photography & Media Arts introduces essential tools for creating compelling imagery across mediums. Alongside this Materials & Processes will give you the opportunity to try new ways of working with drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and more; Studio I is where experimentation meets collaboration - as you’ll refine your work through supportive group critiques in an environment designed for growth. Critical & Contextual IA will connect your artworks to the cultural and historical forces shaping art today.

As you move into year two, you’ll be refining your skills and pushing your creative boundaries. Studio courses will challenge you to experiment further and prepare work for public presentation. Critical & Contextual studies will deepen your understanding of how global movements and local issues inform artistic practice - placing your work and yourself into the broader conversations about culture and creativity.

In your final year everything comes together - your research, creative projects, technical skills, and personal vision culminate in professional exhibitions that showcase who you are as an artist. You’ll present your work publicly - to critics, peers, and audiences - while refining how you want to communicate your ideas visually and conceptually.

By the time you graduate, you won’t just have a degree - you’ll have matched inspiration with technique in ways that express your voice with clarity and confidence - and built a portfolio ready for galleries, residencies, or further study.

Whitecliffe College is New Zealand’s highest-ranked and most awarded institution in the private education sector. Established in 1984, it is a long-standing Category One Private Training Establishment (PTE), recognized for its excellence and innovation.

Whitecliffe stands as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s private education landscape, with a rich combined legacy of over 130 years dedicated to outstanding teaching and academic excellence across the fields of Fine Arts, Design, Fashion Design, Information Technology, and Creative Arts Therapies.

The merger of three of New Zealand’s oldest PTEs has strengthened Whitecliffe’s position as a leading force in tertiary education. Offering a comprehensive range of programmes — from certificates and undergraduate degrees to master’s qualifications (Levels 4–9) — Whitecliffe is synonymous with academic distinction and is deeply committed to shaping students into global citizens and future leaders in their chosen professions.

At Whitecliffe, we actively collaborate with industry partners to ensure work-integrated learning, deliver high-quality academic programmes, and prepare our graduates for successful, fulfilling careers.

Our graduates are innovators and trailblazers, confident in their skills and ready to lead the future.