Art, Design and Architecture

At the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), we believe
that art, architecture and design can make this world a better
place. We are deeply invested in ensuring that our students learn
to be proactive about finding and creating situations where they
can put their knowledge, skills and values into practice.

We, the hashtag generation.
With the rise of the Internet and the strong presence of social media, we have  become an interconnected society in which people from different cultures and beliefs can share ideas instantly. Therefore, it is important to us to incorporate
the global art, design and architecture community into what and how we teach.

Creativity is embracing each other’s differences.
FADA houses all the creative disciplines under one roof and with this we maintain a strong focus on sustainability and relevance; and engage actively with the dynamism, creativity and diversity of Johannesburg and the rest of the world. With nine academic departments, namely the Department of Architecture, the Graduate School of Architecture (GSA), the Department of Fashion Design, the Department of Graphic Design,
the Department of Industrial Design, the Department of Interior Design, the Department of Jewellery Design & Manufacture, the Department of Multimedia, and the Department of Visual Art, we expand each of these fields beyond their traditional boundaries through internal and external collaborations. We also have two research centres: Visual Identities in Art and Design (VIAD), and the NRF South African Research Chair (SARChI) in
South African Art and Visual Culture.

The Faculty is also home to UJ Arts & Culture, based on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus (with cultural offices on the Doornfontein and Soweto Campuses), which runs two professional theatres and the UJ Art Gallery, and offers a dynamic range of public-facing performing and visual arts programmes for students and professionals.

Always on top of change.
FADA works closely with the industry to ensure that its professional programmes remain relevant and competitive. Our graduates are employed nationally and internationally in diverse areas of the industry, or work as freelance designers, architects or independent artists. Whatever their preference, they have been thoroughly prepared as professionals in the highly competitive fields of art, design and architecture through creative and entrepreneurial development, which are key elements in the
programmes offered.