Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) (Degree with Honours)

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) aims to provide an opportunity for candidates under the guidance of their supervisor to engage in independent research in their chosen field of artistic practice. The degree will introduce students to practice-led research skills and methodologies toward producing a creative work major project and related research paper. The degree seeks to introduce graduates of proven ability and aptitude to research training and develop their capacity for devising, defining and managing a major project. It also provides candidates with a direct pathway to a masters research degree as well as equips them to work as professional practicing artists in their chosen field of specialisation.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) (Degree with Honours) is an undergraduate degree consisting of 400 points, normally taking four years of full‐time study. The initial 300 points of the degree are completed within a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) or equivalent. The final 100 points provides a focused course of study in contemporary music. Selection into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) (Degree with Honours) requires completion of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) degree or equivalent with a Grade Point Average of not less than 70%. Applicants may be required to audition or submit a folio of previous work. The degree comprises 75 points of one major project along with 25 points research related subjects.

The specialised study of the Honours year of the degree deepens students’ knowledge in the specific specialisation in which their individual major project is placed, including the research methodologies in their chosen field of artistic practice.

The BFA (Honours) aims to provide opportunities for suitably qualified candidates to develop their potential for practice-led research as well as attain in-depth knowledge of their field of practice and contribute to the understandings of contemporary artistic practice and theories of art and culture. Emphasis on independent research required in devising and managing a major creative project and research paper prepares candidates for critical and creative thinking and problem solving with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning.

Subject Level 4 Compulsory

Subject Title and Points:

Major Project - 75

Research Paper -12.5

Research Methods -12.5

Completion requirements
To be awarded honours, students must gain:

• a pass in at least 100 points of subjects in thier chosen program;

• a result of at least 65% in the major project;

• a weighted credit point average of 65% or greater.

1. The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant's ability to pursue the course successfully using the following criteria.

• completed a major study in a Fine Arts discipline and attained a three year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree or equivalent qualification at H2B standard or equivalent.

and

• performance in one or more of an audition, test, interview, workshop, portfolio or folio presentation, as prescribed by the Academic Board for the stream to which entry is sought.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct further interviews or tests and may call for referee reports and employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

Communication: Students must be able to participate in and produce performances, screen productions, creative screenwriting or exhibitions as required; they will also need to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written forms. Communication with fellow students, professional and academic staff, and the wider public about their knowledge and application of practising Arts disciplines is essential.

Creative, Intellectual and Organisational Abilities: Students require the capacity for high-level creative performance or production. They are also expected to have the ability to develop problem-solving skills and to comprehend disciplinary and cross-disciplinary information. Students must have the ability to establish study plans and prioritise training objectives and outcomes.

Behavioural and Social Attributes: Students must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. They must take full responsibility for their own participation and learning. Students also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative environments and must therefore demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills which consider the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Disability: Students who have a disability which may prevent them from participating in tasks involving these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability; however, students will need to participate in the course in an independent manner.

Graduates may progress to a wide range of graduate coursework programs as well as research higher degree programs, including the Doctor of Philosophy.

On completing this course students will have acquired key skills including:

• the ability to engage in independent and contextually-informed artistic practice;
• well developed and flexible problem-solving abilities appropriate to the discipline;
• the capacity to effectively communicate the results of research and scholarship by oral and written means;
• an ability to initiate major projects and formulate viable research questions;
• a capacity for critical evaluation of relevant scholarly literature and artistic practice;
• an ability to manage time and to maximise the quality of research and scholarship;
• an understanding of, and facility with, scholarly conventions in the discipline area
• an understanding of the relationship with and responsibility to the cultural environment and society;respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethic of research and scholarship