Michael Evans
Senior Lecturer - Painting
level:UG;top_up:false;international:true;foundation:true;clearing:false;full_time:true;part_time:true;start_month:September;location:Development Hub (Waterside)
Fine Art BA (Hons)
Key Facts
-
UCAS Code
BA: W100
BA with Foundation: W101 -
Duration
Full Time: 3 years
Full Time Foundation: 4 years
Part Time: 5 - 6 years
-
BBC at A Level or,
DMM at BTEC -
Full Time: £9,535
Part Time: £1,585 per 20 credit module
Integrated Foundation Year: £9,535
Updated 18/11/2025
Updated 18/11/2025
Get in touch
UK STUDENTS ENQUIRIES
study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENQUIRIES
Our BA Fine Art degree gives you the chance to explore contemporary approaches to Fine Art across a range of disciplines, making use of our excellent resources for painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, installation, lens based and digital arts.
You will be part of a diverse group of students, each of whom bring their own unique experiences and interests to this Fine Arts degree, making our supportive studio environment a great place to discover your artistic voice.
In our first-year modules, you will gain experience and confidence across various media and concepts, and start to develop your own personal practice which you will then build upon over the next two years. Throughout your Fine Art course, we will support your journey with tutorials, seminars, study visits and opportunities to participate in projects, competitions and exhibitions.
For satisfied with teaching in the Guardian University Guide 2026.
Data taken from the 2026 Guardian University Guide Fine Art Subject table, filtered by Satisfied with Feedback.
Highlights
- Excellent studio spaces and high-quality teaching from practising artists.
- Students have achieved national and international recognition in competitions including The John Moores Painting Prize, Freelands Painting Prize, WSA Painting Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Derwent Art Prize, Wells Art Contemporary, Rugby Open, MK Gallery Platform Award and Chaiya Art Prize.
- Access to comprehensive specialist workshop resources with technical instruction and support.
- Materials and equipment provided for most first year workshop activities.
- A great range of national and international study trips and exhibition opportunities.
- Research into the broader context of contemporary art practices and debates through our art theory modules and guest speaker programme.
- A real focus on your future career, with employability modules in Year 2 and 3 of the course.
- Guaranteed paid internship with the Northampton Employment Promise.
- HP laptop and software included with this Fine Art course for eligible students* (*see Eligibility criteria and Terms and Conditions)
Entry Requirements
A typical offer to study BA Fine Art at the University of Northampton would be:
- BBC at A Level or,
- DMM at BTEC/Cambridge Technical or,
- Pass (C and above) at T Level
In addition, we expect applicants to have studied art or a relevant subject at A Level, BTEC or equivalent. We also accept Foundation Diplomas in Art and Design.
If you have a relevant HND or Foundation Degree with a suitable profile of achievement you may be admitted onto year two or three of this course.
We welcome applications from students with a mix of A levels and BTEC/Cambridge Technical qualifications.
For more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.
If you are an International student and would like information on making an application, please see our How to Apply page.
Admission to this Fine Art foundation programme is normally :
- DEE at A Level or,
- MPP at BTEC or,
- Pass (D or E) at T Level
However, we would also like to hear from you if you have professional or industry experience instead, a range of other qualifications or self-developed subject knowledge that relates to the programme you wish to study.
If you are considering a change in career or if you are returning to education after time away, then we suggest you contact Admissions to book an advisory interview with the course leader so we can explore how best to support your study ambitions.
All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:
- IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5.5 in all bands
for study at undergraduate level.
For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.
What You'll Learn
Throughout our Fine Art course, you will benefit from spacious studios and well-equipped facilities, and tuition from practicing artists who publish and exhibit nationally and internationally. Your ideas will be nurtured and developed through a close relationship with our Fine Art team and technical demonstrators, and of course the diverse group of students you will work alongside in our studios.
This BA Fine Art degree at UON has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
In the first year of your fine art degree, you will complete one 60 credit module each semester comprising of both studio and theoretical content. The Year One art studio modules are based around project themes, workshops and other activities. Through these projects you will be introduced to a wide range of materials and processes across fine art disciplines, and new concepts and ways of thinking about art. We encourage risk-taking, bold experimentation and an open mind to begin to locate discipline interests and approaches.
The first year of theory introduces students to key skills including critical thinking, academic writing and visual analysis. You will also be introduced to a range of theoretical concepts and contemporary examples across studio and theory, and will be supported to develop effective research, written and presentation skills.
Students will be introduced to the traditions of art studio practice, through a schedule of briefs, workshops and micro-projects that, collectively, offer an introduction to some of the materials, processes and theoretical approaches associated with fine art.
Through a series of structured activities students will develop confidence across an expanded range of analogue and digital contemporary fine art techniques and processesA range of artist-led debates are introduced, with students forming more individual responses to set activities and beginning to build effective research and presentation skills.
Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 25/26. The modules relating to the academic year 26/27 will be available from June 2026.
If you join this full time Fine Art degree at the University of Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins.* The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home. In addition to the Office365 (including Word, Powerpoint and Excel) which all University of Northampton students have full access to, students enrolled on our BA Fine Art degree can also access Adobe Creative Suite software including Photoshop, Premiere, InDesign and Illustrator. At the University of Northampton, all materials and equipment that you need for workshops and Yr1 projects will be provided, and a supply of basic art materials is also available to enable you to experiment with a range of media and techniques.
Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.
To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.
*UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).
The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.
If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements, we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.
Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.
Are there any exhibition opportunities on this Fine Art course?
You will exhibit your work during your studies in our studios, project space and potentially in external venues in the region. In recent years, UON Fine Art students have exhibited work at NN Contemporary (Northampton), MK Gallery (Milton Keynes) and nearby Lamport Hall and Delapre Abbey. Students are actively encouraged to enter exhibition competitions to begin to establish a professional artist profile.
Are there any study visits?
Study Visits are a key feature of the BA Fine Art university degree, and you will be only one hour from central London as well as other major art centres such as Birmingham and Nottingham.
Our students have benefitted from international study visits to Paris, Venice, Barcelona, Berlin and New York as well as UK visits to spaces such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Henry Moore Institute, BALTIC, Nottingham Contemporary, the Liverpool Biennial, Folkstone Triennial and IKON Gallery in Birmingham. We are regular visitors to the Venice Biennale, the oldest and largest visual art festival in the world.
I’ve got more questions, who can I ask?
If you have any questions about studying BA Fine Art at the University of Northampton, they will usually be answered by attending one of our Open Days; but if you can’t attend an Open Day or have any other questions, please email the Programme Leader Stefan Gant who will be happy to help.
Fees and Funding
2025/26 Tuition Fees
- UK – Full Time: £9,535
- UK – Part Time: £1,585 per 20 credit module
- UK – Integrated Foundation Year: £9,535
- International – Full Time: £15,700
- International – Integrated Foundation Year: £15,700
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 2025/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years. UON will adjust UK fees annually in line with Government Policy.
All materials and equipment that you need for workshops and Year 1 projects will be provided, and a supply of basic art materials is also available to enable you to experiment with a range of media and techniques. As your personal art practice develops, you can also purchase a range of competitively priced art materials from the University art shop run by our Student Union. Costs for study visits vary but are always competitive, with UK trips would typically costing £10-50 and overseas trips normally in the region of £300-450.
For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.
For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK – Full Time: £9,250
- UK – Part Time: £1,540 per 20 credit module
- UK – Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250
- International – Full Time: £15,200
- International – Integrated Foundation Year: £15,200
Staff
Stefan Gant
Senior Lecturer in Drawing and Digital Practice
Michelle Keegan
Senior Lecturer in Printmaking
Andrew Hewitt
Professor of Art and the Public Sphere
Anthony Iles
Associate Lecturer (Fine Art)
Craig Staff
Professor in Fine Art
Richard Hollinshead
Senior Lecturer in Sculpture & Spatial Practice
Careers and Employability
Employability is central to our BA Fine Art degree, with specialist modules in your second and third years of study that prepare our students for the next steps in their careers. Our students benefit from guest speakers who introduce a range of career options including freelance artist, curator, art therapist, art teacher, gallerist and other areas of arts management.
Master’s Opportunities
Our master’s courses are a great way to enhance the skills you have already learnt. Benefit from our 20% alumni discount on master’s fees to give you a CV that will catch the eye of employers.
Facilities and special features
- Your own personal studio space
- Bookable project space for testing and exhibiting your work
- Printmaking Workshop, including screen-printing and intaglio processes
- 3D Workshops, including casting, fabrication and laser-cutting
- Photographic studios and darkroom
- Canvas prep-room
- Mac Suite with Adobe Creative Suite software
- Negotiable access to other specialist workshops (for example, fashion, greenscreen studios etc)
- Audio-Visual equipment loan centre
Onsite printmaking workshop
Our onsite printmaking workshop can enhance the creative practices of students on a variety of courses
View Facility
