BA (Hons) Fine Art

When can you start this course? | UCAS code | Fees | Course length | Entry requirements

Why choose this course?

You'll get access to modern studios and well equipped workshops.
This course is designed to enable you to explore personal themes through a variety of media.
You'll develop skills which could lead you into careers in art therapy, community arts, curation, journalism and education.

About the course

This stimulating and challenging programme of study enables you to discover your potential as an artist within a creative and thought provoking environment. The focus is on helping you explore your creativity through being given time, space, support and encouragement to experiment with media and materials to the highest levels.

Studio work on the course is rightly recognised as being at the cutting edge of contemporary fine art practice, with students being awarded places at the Student's International Biennale and offered artist's residencies at home and abroad. Graduates regularly progress to Masters programmes nationally and internationally and develop practice as leading fine art practitioners in their field.

Staff have international reputations as principal artists in their specialist disciplines, which cover the wide range of approaches expected of today's foremost practitioners. Tutors have exhibited, toured and lectured across the country and overseas, including Ireland, Portugal and Australia. As well as substantial renown as artists, all lecturers have significant backgrounds as educators, with vast experience of working at Higher Education levels. Because of this wealth of experience, the help you will receive support with your studies will be second to none.

Added to this, we maintain a specific cohort size as a means of fully supporting you during your time with us, so that you will emerge as a fully confident and critically engaged practising artist. On the course you will explore themes, issues and ideas that challenge artists working today through a variety of approaches of critical thinking, ongoing dialogue with peers and tutors and constant studio engagement. You will be pushed to explore working methods within and across inter and multidisciplinary areas including painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, installation, sound, film and video, digital media, performance and installation.

You'll be assessed on your studio work through exhibitions, formal presentations of developmental and resolved work, and your contributions to individual tutorials, group critiques and seminars. Online assignments and essay work will be submitted for your theoretical studies.

If you don't have the appropriate qualifications to start this course, you can study Year Zero for a year first.

Find out more about what subjects and modules you'll be studying...

Your career

Students Anna Mawby and Stuart Alexander were chosen to exhibit work at a major international exhibition. Take a closer look at their success in Italy.

Your artistic and creative independence will make you self motivated and resourceful, so your skills will be really valuable to the creative industries.

Apart from becoming a practising artist, you could go on to have a career in curatorship, art therapy, community arts work or teaching.

We own and manage business incubation units for the creative industries, so if you want to start your own business you will receive studio workspace and business support for a very reasonable rent, in a vibrant and thriving community of artists, designers and makers.

What our students say

Have a look at our blog to find out what's going on in Fine Art. You can find us at fineartisus.blogspot.com. It's a student area, so may not reflect the views of the University.

You can tell us what you think, or ask us a question about the course.

How you'll learn

You'll be taught though studio workshop, group and individual tutorials; seminars; and lectures - all of which are supported by a diverse visiting artists' programme.

How you're assessed

You'll be assessed through assignments, essays, presentation and exhibition of your coursework, and through your contribution to individual tutorials, groups tutorials and seminars.

The Historical and Theoretical in Art component requires you to submit assignment and essay work.

Fieldtrips

You'll have the chance to go on a visit to a cultural centre in Europe or the USA, each year of your course. And you'll also visit the Derbyshire Peak District and galleries and museums nationally.

Start dates

If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in:

September 2012

If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in:

September 2012

UCAS code

W100

Fees

This is a resource intensive course.

UK/EU students

Full time: £7,495 (each year)
Part time: £935 per module (you usually take 18 of these modules in total).

International students

Full time: £9,975 (each year)

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2012 and August 2013. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.