Courses for high school students

DiscoverFAD

Expand your skill set and get a taste of uni life, with a short course from UC's Faculty of Arts and Design (FAD). From 3D Art to Journalism, Architecture to Culture and Heritage, you'll have the opportunity to explore your interests while getting a glimpse into your future career as a creative professional.

Held during the Winter school holidays over two or three days, our short courses provide hands-on learning opportunities inspired by our creative degrees. Get a sense of life as a uni student before you finish school, learn from the best in the field, and discover your passions within the Faculty of Arts and Design.

DiscoverFAD short courses offer a certificate upon completion that recognises your attendance and participation. These courses focus on producing work worthy of a portfolio, which can be used to apply for your dream degree in a way that doesn't rely on your ATAR score. FAD's Portfolio Entry scheme emphasises practical experience and creativity over standardised tests, and is the perfect pathway for a range of aspiring designers, filmmakers, architects and storytellers.

Additionally, any work you produce gives you a chance to submit work for the UC Creative Competition, which celebrates the creativity of Year 11 and 12 students from across the country. Participating students have a chance to win a full year’s tuition and semester study grants towards an Arts and Design degree at UC, and cash prizes for each competition category.

Key dates

  1. July
    1 July: UC Creative Competition entries open
    7 - 18 July: DiscoverFAD short courses
  2. September
    20 September: UC Open Day
    26 September: UC Creative Competition submissions close
  3. October
    15 October: UC Creative Competition voting opens
    31 October: UC Creative Competition voting opens
  4. November
    12 November: UC Creative Competition winners announced

Why take a DiscoverFAD short course?

Our short courses are a great way to get a glimpse into what your future career could look like, and understand your study pathways to get there.

Affordable prices from $0 to $79
$20 discount when you spend $80 or more per transaction

Great school holiday activity

Explore a study area that matches your passions

Submit your finished work into UC Creative Competition or Portfolio Entry

Our courses

Kickstart Your 3D Art Career

On campus

$59

16 – 18 July 2025

9.30 am - 12.30 pm

This short course will teach you how to create and sell 3D Voxel Asset Packs on a range of digital marketplaces. This will be achieved using a range of free software packages. This course doesn’t require previous knowledge in 3D.

Careers in Museums and Heritage

On campus

$59

7 – 9 July 2025

10 am - 1 pm

This short course will introduce you to various aspects and skills of heritage and conservation that are integral to a career in the Galleries Museums, Archives and Libraries (GLAM) and heritage sectors through a series of hands-on activities and workshops.

Architectural Space Making

On campus

$39

16,17 July

9.30am - 12.30pm (16 July), 1.00 - 4.00pm (17 July)

This short course will explore creative spatial design strategies in the built environment: architecture, interior architecture and landscape architecture. We will use a combination of hand drawing and physical modelling towards the realisation of a spatial proposition.

Future Fabrications: Lighting Design with Robotic Printing

On campus

$59

14 – 16 July 2025

9.30 am - 12.30 pm

In this course, you will be introduced to the industrial design process, professional design tools and emergent technologies (robotic 3d printing) through a real-world product design project.

On Air and Online: Introduction to Multimedia Storytelling

On campus

$39

7 & 9 July 2025

10.00 am - 1.00 pm

Learn the basic principles of multimedia journalism and produce stories for radio and online.

So, you want to change the world?

On campus

$39

10 July 2025

9.30 am - 3.30 pm

This course focuses on social movements, exploring the creative tactics and strategies that can bring about social and political change. Through historical case studies and contemporary activism, we will learn just what it takes to change the world.

Give Me A Sign! A Visual Communication Design Experience

On campus

$39

16 – 17 July 2025

1.00 - 3.00 pm

In this project we will walk around the UC campus and identify spaces which we think need a little help. Following the steps of Visual Communication Design practice, we will develop a sign/signs for the spaces we have identified and fabricate them to display in their allocated spaces.

Brain Blast: an overview of the world of branding and communications

On campus

$39

15 – 16 July 2025

2.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Supercharge Your Creative Problem-Solving Skills! This short course will provide an overview of the world of creativity and branding. You will gain insight into brands and how they are managed whilst developing your design thinking and creative problem-solving skills.

Gallery of work

Visit the DiscoverFAD gallery to view images of finished work from previous courses.

For schools

Teachers and career advisors can also request a tailored workshop or information session for a whole class or school group. The Faculty of Arts and Design is always keen to grow partnerships with high schools and colleges, simply visit for schools website to see how we can help engage and inspire creativity in all students.

Discover more

Study at UC

Whether you want to chase your dream career or pursue a lifelong passion, it’s all possible at UC. Choose from more than 200 courses across a diverse range of study areas.

Portfolio Entry

Don’t let your ATAR define you. At UC, we know ATARs aren't everything. Thanks to Portfolio Entry, if you've got the will to get into university, we've got the way.

UC Creative Competition

The UC Creative Competition celebrates the creativity of Year 11 and 12 students from across Australia.

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Contact us

Email us for more information about DiscoverFAD short courses for high school students.

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