How to become a Visual Artist / Designer

Fine art, design and visual practice. Most routes need a portfolio.

What does a Visual Artist / Designer actually do?

More about this career

Fine art and design degrees are built around a portfolio – most of your mark comes from studio work, not exams – and most application routes require you to submit or present a portfolio alongside your marks. Career paths range from gallery/fine artist and freelance illustrator to graphic design, set design and art direction, and income is often a mix of commissions, employment and teaching.

Where this degree can take you

Graphic Designer
Illustrator
Art Director
Set/Costume Designer

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

Visual Arts
Design

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

The subject requirements on the programme pages below
Your school’s guidance teacher

What the programmes we’ve captured actually ask for

Mathematics – asked for by 4 of 20 programmes
Mathematical Literacy – asked for by 4 of 20 programmes
Technical Mathematics – asked for by 3 of 20 programmes

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each programme links to the page it came from.

Programmes that lead here

20 programmes at 15 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Central University of Technology

Partly verifiedNot fully verified

Diploma in Design and Studio Art

Humanities

CUT APS 27 points out of 49

Portfolio, interview and practical assessment – A portfolio testing drawing ability, imagination, colour sensitivity, design skills and visual communication, plus an interview and a practical skills assessment, alongside the CUT score.

Selection is portfolio-led rather than purely marks-based - meeting the CUT score does not by itself guarantee a place. Same confidence tier as the Public Management diploma above. This programme’s figures came through an AI-summarized fetch of the official CUT page rather than a raw read of the page itself - re-verify against cut.ac.za before fully relying on it. No 2027 closing date is stated on CUT’s own pages.

Source: View the official page (cut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Durban University of Technology

No cut-off publishedSelection programme

Bachelor of Applied Arts in Commercial Photography

Arts & Design

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

English: level 3 (40% or more)
Four more subjects – Four recognised 20-credit subjects at level 4.
Portfolio / selection – Departmental selection requirements apply on top of the NSC minimum.

New row, read directly from DUT’s 2027 Study Opportunities prospectus (dut-pass-3). Closes 30 September 2026. From DUT’s 2027 Study Opportunities prospectus. Applications go through the CAO (cao.ac.za), not directly to DUT; general closing date 30 September 2026 (fee R250 SA / R300 international).

Source: View the official page (dut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

No cut-off publishedSelection programme

Diploma in Fine Art

Arts & Design · 3 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

English: level 3 (40% or more)
Four more subjects – Four 20-credit subjects at level 3 (not more than one language).
Portfolio and interview – Selection is by portfolio and interview. CAO code DU-B-DIF.

Source: View the official page (dut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

North-West University

Selection programme

BA in Graphic Design

Humanities · 4 years

NWU APS 24 points out of 48

English: level 5 (60% or more)
Portfolio and interview – A screening phase - a photo portfolio of graphics or artwork, an academic record, and an interview.

New row, from the user-supplied Faculty of Humanities 2026 Yearbook.

Source: View the official page (humanities.nwu.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Rhodes University

BA / BFA Fine Art (Fine Art Practice major)

Humanities · 4 years

Rhodes points 45 points

English: 60% if it is your Home Language, 65% if it is your First Additional Language
Portfolio – An entrance portfolio of recent artwork is required to take Fine Art Practice as a major.
Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

Raw-confirmed 2026-10-04 against the Rhodes 2026 Undergraduate Prospectus (pages 13-19): points bands, English and subject levels match. Rhodes points of 34-44 are considered at the Dean’s discretion; 45 or more receives a provisional offer. We show 45 as the qualifying number so that "you qualify" means exactly that - but you are still worth an application from 34. Rhodes has no Engineering and no MBChB. The NBT is recommended, not required. Life Orientation is not scored, but you need at least 50% in it.

Source: View the official page (ru.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

BA Visual Arts

Arts & Social Sciences · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 60 %

Portfolio – A portfolio is required.

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. The published aggregate for BA Visual Arts, BA Drama and BMus is 60-65% depending on the programme; we show the lower end of that range.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Tshwane University of Technology

Selection programme

Diploma in Fine and Applied Arts

Arts & Design · 3 years

TUT APS 20 points

English: level 3 (40% or more)

New row, read directly from TUT’s 2026 faculty prospectus (tut-pass-3). Creative programmes at TUT may add a portfolio or interview - check the department. Closes 31 July 2026 (TUT First-Year Course Information).

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Selection programme

Diploma in Commercial Photography

Arts & Design · 3 years

TUT APS 22 points

English: level 3 (40% or more)

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Cape Town

Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art

Humanities · 4 years

UCT Faculty Points Score 380 out of 600

English: 50% if it is your Home Language, 60% if it is your First Additional Language
NBT – An NBT Academic Literacy result of Lower Intermediate or Basic normally rules an applicant out.
Portfolio – A supplementary application questionnaire and a portfolio of work are required - this is the leading factor in admission, with places awarded on merit. Applicants below the minimum FPS who excel in the portfolio may still be considered.

FPS 380 or above is the published minimum, but unlike the general BA/BSocSc there are no separate guaranteed/likely bands here - the portfolio evaluation decides it. A four-year structured degree at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, not a BA major.

Source: View the official page (uct.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Fort Hare

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Social Sciences and Humanities · 4 years

UFH APS 27

English: level 4 (50% or more)
Another language – Another language at level 4.
Four more subjects – One further subject at level 3 and three at level 4 or better.
Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

APS confirmed at 27 from the user-supplied Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities 2026 Prospectus' qualifications summary table - a lower-APS Diploma in Fine Art (APS 22, 3 years) also exists, not shown as its own row. 2027 undergraduate applications: opened 1 May 2026, close 31 October 2026 (from ufh.ac.za/admission).

Source: View the official page (ufh.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

No cut-off published

Diploma in Fine Art

Social Sciences and Humanities · 3 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

English – English Home Language or First Additional Language at level 4 (50-59%).
Other subjects – Level 4 in four further subjects and level 2 (30-39%) in one subject; UFH states APS 26 or higher depending on the programme.

Duration and qualification type read 2026-10-04 from UFH’s own programme page; the entry rule is UFH’s general undergraduate rule from its undergraduate page (English at level 4 in Home or First Additional Language, level 4 in four further subjects and level 2 in one subject, APS 26 or higher depending on the programme). UFH does not state a numeric APS minimum on this programme’s own page, only subject-level requirements. 2027 undergraduate applications: opened 1 May 2026, close 31 October 2026 (from ufh.ac.za/admission).

Source: View the official page (ufh.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Johannesburg

BA (Industrial Design)

Art, Design and Architecture · 3 years

UJ APS 25 points

English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more)

Read from the 2027 UJ Undergraduate Prospectus, page 32, programme code B8ID1Q. APS 25 with Mathematics, 26 with Mathematical Literacy; Technical Mathematics not accepted.

Source: View the official page (uj.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

BA (Visual Art)

Art, Design and Architecture · 3 years

UJ APS 25 points

English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Technical Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 4 (50% or more)

Read from the 2027 UJ Undergraduate Prospectus, page 33, programme code B8BA7Q. APS 25 with Mathematics or Technical Mathematics, 26 with Mathematical Literacy.

Source: View the official page (uj.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of KwaZulu-Natal

From an older document

BA Visual Art

Humanities · 3 years

UKZN APS 28 points out of 48

English: level 4 (50% or more)
Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)
One listed subject – One subject from UKZN’s designated list at level 5 (Business Studies, Consumer Studies, Dramatic Arts, Economics, Geography, History, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy at level 2, Music, Religion Studies, Visual Arts, or a language at Home or First Additional level 5).

Read 2026-10-04 from the table in the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure (CAO code KN-P-AAV); published APS range 48-28. Offered on the Pietermaritzburg campus. This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Pretoria

BA in Fine Arts

Humanities · 4 years

UP APS 28 points

English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
Portfolio – An A4 portfolio must be submitted and is evaluated alongside a UP competency test with practical and theoretical components; applicants must pass with at least 60%.

From the user-supplied Humanities 2027 Faculty Yearbook (programme code 01130119) - a 5-year extended version also exists at a lower APS 26/English level 4, not shown as its own row. Most UP closing dates are 30 June; Veterinary Science closes 31 May. Grade 12 applicants apply with their final Grade 11 results.

Source: View the official page (drupalwebprod-files.up.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Free State

Selection programme

BA (Fine Arts)

Humanities

UFS AP score 30 points out of 49

English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
Portfolio – A portfolio of creative work and a selection form are required; closing date 30 September.

New row, from the user-supplied 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus.

Source: View the official page (ufs.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of the Witwatersrand

BA Fine Arts

Humanities · 4 years

Wits APS 34 points

English: 60%
Portfolio – A portfolio and a questionnaire are required.

Re-checked 2026-10-04 against the course-finder page (programme code AFA01): APS 34+, English level 5, online questionnaire plus a portfolio of artworks and a CV; closes 30 September 2026. An APS of 30-33 is also considered.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Vaal University of Technology

Selection programme

Diploma in Photography

Human Sciences · 3 years

VUT APS 21 points

English: level 4 (50% or more)
Mathematics: 30% OR Technical Mathematics: 30% OR Mathematical Literacy: 40%
Interview and portfolio – A practical interview and portfolio submission are an additional compulsory selection criterion.

Read 2026-10-04 from the VUT 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements poster (page images). APS 21 with Mathematics or Technical Mathematics, 22 with Mathematical Literacy. Shared admission table with Fashion, Graphic Design and Fine Art. From VUT’s 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements PDF. Academic applications close 30 September 2026 (residences 31 October 2026); fee R110.

Source: View the official page (vut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Selection programme

Diploma in Fine Art

Human Sciences · 3 years

VUT APS 21 points

English: level 4 (50% or more)
Mathematics: 30% OR Technical Mathematics: 30% OR Mathematical Literacy: 40%
Interview and portfolio – A practical interview and portfolio submission are an additional compulsory selection criterion.

Read 2026-10-04 from the VUT 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements poster (page images). APS 21 with Mathematics or Technical Mathematics, 22 with Mathematical Literacy. Shared admission table with Fashion, Photography and Graphic Design. From VUT’s 2027 Undergraduate Minimum Admission Requirements PDF. Academic applications close 30 September 2026 (residences 31 October 2026); fee R110.

Source: View the official page (vut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Walter Sisulu University

Selection programme

Diploma in Fine Art

Law, Humanities & Social Sciences · 3 years

WSU APS 19 points out of 48 (56 for Education programmes)

English: level 3 (40% or more)
Portfolio – In exceptional cases an excellent portfolio and an internal assessment/interview can admit a talented artist with only level 2 in English.

Raw-read 2026-10-04 from WSU’s own 2027 Undergraduate Information Brochure & Admission Requirements (main-stream figures; Extended Curriculum Programmes accept a lower APS, noted where the brochure gives one). Buffalo City campus. Applications: the brochure lists no closing date - check wsu.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (wsu.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Are your marks enough?

Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every programme above – scored each university’s own way.

What do I qualify for?