Fine Art BA (Hons)

• Overview

  Our Fine Art undergraduate course gives you the chance to explore contemporary approaches to fine art across a range of disciplines, making use of our excellent resources for printmaking, painting, photography, digital arts, video and sculpture. You will build confidence with various media, informed by historical and contemporary references, cultural and social contexts and the professional requirements you will need to meet when you graduate. We encourage our students to engage in live projects, competitions and exhibitions throughout the course.

  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.

  Course

  Highlights

  • Access to comprehensive specialist resources with technical instruction and support.
  • Research into the broader context of contemporary art practices and theoretical debates.
  • International study trips, typically one European option and one long-haul destination.
  • Guaranteed paid internship with the Northampton Employment Promise.

  HP Laptop and software included with this course.*

  *Terms and Conditions apply

  Apply Now Open Days

  
• Course Details

  You will learn through studio practice, specialist media workshops, professional study components and a programme of lectures and seminars. The course will give you an informed and critical understanding of contemporary practices and debates, encouraging the development of your creative and critical intelligence and showing you how to integrate innovative thinking with practical ability. You will be able to explore and question the nature of any given medium and/or hybrid practices and you will have the opportunity to explore art as an instrument for social change and a way of improving our society and culture. You will benefit from spacious and well-equipped facilities and links to the Milton Keynes Gallery, NN Contemporary Art (Northampton), Corby Cube Gallery and Rugby Museum and Art Gallery.

  On-site Printmaking workshop

  Creative students at the University of Northampton are benefiting from a new printmaking workshop at Waterside campus – and you can take a tour with our video, below.

  The facilities, which are located in the Creative Hub, are available for students on a variety of courses to use, from Fine Art, Painting and Drawing, MA Fine Art and Illustration, through to Graphic Communication and Textiles for Fashion.

  All of our staff are practicing artists who publish and exhibit nationally and internationally. We have regular visits from innovative arts organizations such as Artangel and internationally renowned artists including Richard Long, Ian Davenport, Mark Francis, Jenny Saville, Marcus Harvey, Dan Hays, Michael Landy, Richard Deacon, Ian McKeever and Richard Wilson.

  Throughout this course, your ideas will be nurtured and developed by a close relationship with our team of specialists, visiting artists and other students. You will graduate with a unique balance of critical, practical and creative skills, thanks to the opportunities you will be given to move between media disciplines. There are also trips involved in the course, which have included France, Italy, Spain, India and the USA.

  The Degree Show

  Final year students display their work at the annual Degree Show at our Avenue Campus. Our Fine Art students deliver some stunning work.

  Changing Futures Week

  Our annual Changing Futures Week is an exciting event and an excellent opportunity for our students to explore the potential of their course and understand where their university experience can lead them beyond graduation. It offers a unique chance to network with high profile industry professionals from the arts, TV, film, fashion and more.

  Work Experience

  In your second year, the Professional Studies module will include the opportunity for a work experience placement. You could work as a gallery intern, artist’s assistant, art educator or curatorial assistant to name a few, and we can help you to arrange this. You could also incorporate this experience with your Major Critical Study in the final year.
  Course content

  Methods of Learning

  We take a range of approaches to teach this course, to help you learn in the best way for you. A combination of studio practice, specialist workshops, visiting artists’ sessions, professional collaborations, lectures and seminars will give you theoretical and practical experience.

  Assessments

  Theory is assessed through essays, assignments, a major critical study and presentations, while practical work is judged through studio presentations and exhibitions.

  There will be two assessment periods. The first, around December to January, will be a chance for you to see how you are progressing and will not contribute to your final grade. The second, in May to June will be the official assessment for the year and will form your grade.

  Read more

  Additional

  Information

  Opportunities Abroad

  The course includes frequent international trips which have included destinations such as France, Italy, Spain, India and the USA. Costs for study visits vary but are always competitive. UK trips would typically cost £10-50. European international trips would typically cost in the region of £250-450 with a long haul trip such as Hanoi or Calcutta in the region of £800-900. Some students have subsidised this further through fundraising activities that relate to the programme you wish to study.

• Careers and Events
  • The Northampton Employment Promise.

    *We promise to secure paid experience for you, if you need it.

    We work with employers to understand what they’re looking for and we’re confident that if you follow one of our structured awards, as well as committing to your studies you’ll be in a competitive position when it comes to applying for graduate jobs.

    We’re so confident, that we promise to secure a paid 3-6 month internship for you, if you need it. Find out more about the Northampton Employment Promise, including how it works and who is eligible.

    
  • Open Days

    Discover your Course

    Our Open Days offer you a fantastic opportunity to get a real taste of university life at Northampton and discover how studying here will be a life-changing experience.

    Each Open Day has a packed programme of subjects talks, advice sessions and activities designed to give you all the information you need about studying with us.

    To find out more about the day, please feel free to have a look at our Open Day Guide.

    
  • Student Story

    Wayne Chisnall

    Wayne graduated from the University of Northampton’s Fine Art degree in 1999.

    Although renowned for his sculpture, Wayne is also a painter, print maker, photographer and illustrator.

    His work has appeared in galleries around the world, and featured in magazines and on TV (including BBC2’s The Culture Show, Channel 4 News and 2008 film Scratch).

    Read about Wayne’s experience on the course and after graduating.

    
  • Careers

    Career Opportunities

    Graduates of our Fine Art course can find careers in arts organisation, gallery management, exhibition curating, photography, journalism, teaching, art therapy, theatre, film and television or other roles that value creative thinking.

    If you are interested in further study, you can also continue on to our Fine Art Postgraduate course or embark upon independent creative practice.

    
• Requirements

  Standard entry requirements apply. A typical offer would be BCC at A Level or DMM at BTEC. 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.

  Applicants are interviewed and are requested to provide a portfolio of their own work in Art and Design. International students may submit their portfolio electronically. 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.

  For more 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.

  Foundation Study Framework Entry Requirements

  Admission to this foundation programme is normally DEE at A Level or MPP at BTEC. 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.

  English Language Requirements

  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.

  Contacts

  Course enquiries
  study@northampton.ac.uk

  Application status enquiries
  admissions2020@northampton.ac.uk

  Current student enquiries
  SID@northampton.ac.uk

  International student enquiries
  international@northampton.ac.uk

  Enquire online
  Online enquiry form

  Applying for 2020
  Facebook Applicant Group

  Office hours:
  Mon – Thu: 9am – 5pm
  Fri: 9am – 4.30pm

  Phone Call

  0300 303 2772

  +44 (0)1604 892134

  +44 (0)1604 892546

• Course Content
  • Stage 1
  • Stage 2
  • Stage 3
  • Foundation

  In your first year, you will explore a variety of technical and conceptual approaches to fine art, including painting, photography, digital imaging, video, printmaking, sculpture, installation and performance. This is supported and underpinned by engaging with contemporary theory.

  • Understanding the Visual (20 Credits)
    Module code: ART1012

    Core Module Y
  • Introduction to Media Practice (40 Credits)
    Module code: ART1013

    Core Module Y
  • Extended Studio Practice and Context (40 Credits)
    Module code: ART1033

    Core Module Y
  • Introduction to Drawing in Fine Art Practice (20 Credits)
    Module code: ART1039

    Core Module Y

  During your second year, you will establish your own studio practice within our supportive environment. You will continue to study contemporary theory and begin your professional studies, giving you the chance to engage in external and collaborative projects, preparing you for your future career.

  • Professional Studies (20 Credits)
    Module code: ART2017

    Core Module Y
  • Media Practice 2 (40 Credits)
    Module code: ART2020

    Core Module Y
  • Fine Art Practice 2 (40 Credits)
    Module code: ART2021

    Core Module Y
  • Themes and Issues in Contemporary Art (20 Credits)
    Module code: ART2022

    Core Module Y

  For your final year, you will refine and develop your personal visual language and theoretical position, culminating in a public exhibition. Alongside practical work, you will undertake a major critical study which could be a traditional dissertation or another approach, giving you the flexibility to choose what is most useful for you and the career path you want to take.

  • Practice Exhibition (Fine Art) (80 Credits)
    Module code: ART4013

    Core Module Y
  • Critical Study (40 Credits)
    Module code: ART3018

    Core Module Y
  • Professional Practice and Employability (20 Credits)
    Module code: ART3019

    Core Module Y

  • Investigations into your Subject Area 1: Arts (40 Credits)
    Module code: FDN010

    Core Module Y
  • Investigations into your Subject Area 2: Arts (40 Credits)
    Module code: FDN013

    Core Module Y
  • Investigation into your Subject Area 3: Changemaking (40 Credits)
    Module code: FDN016

    Core Module Y

  • Reading List
    • Guilda Williams, How to Write about Contemporary Art
    • Julian Bell, What is Painting
    • Cornelia Bulter and Catherine de Zegher – Online: Drawing through the Twentieth Century
    • Paul Coldwell, Printmaking, A Contemporary Perspective
    • Antony Hudek, The Object, Documents of Contemporary Art

  Facilities &

  Special Features

  Some of your teaching will take place at Waterside Campus, but the Fine Art subject is also enriched through a spectrum of professional specialist spaces which we will be keeping at Avenue Campus. These include:

  • Fine Art New Media Space
  • Photographic Studio
  • Photographic Dark Room
  • Wood Workshop
  • Metal Workshop
  • Plaster and Resin Workshop
  • Etching Printroom
  • Screen Printing Room (including laser cutting)
  • The Drawing Lab (Drawing research space and life room)
  • Canvas Preparation Room
  • Bookable installation spaces
• Further Studies
  • Postgraduate Opportunities

    Further your Study

    Our postgraduate courses are a great way to enhance the skills you have already learnt. Benefit from our 20% alumni discount on postgraduate fees to give yourself a CV that will catch the eye of employers.

    Fine Art MA

    
  • Research

    We are committed to delivering outstanding research that makes a difference to society. Our Research Institutes and Centres work closely with external partner organisations, locally, nationally and internationally. We produce internationally renowned and relevant research and disseminate knowledge on an international scale.

    Visit our Research Hub page for more information.

    
  • Business and Enterprise

    We are committed to supporting and encouraging business growth and we are involved in a variety of initiatives which seek to benefit the wider community as well as students and staff of the University.

    Discover what businesses we work with and what opportunities may be available to you on our Business and Enterprise pages.

    
• Fees & Funding
  • UK & EU
  • International

  20/21 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £9,250
  Part Time: £1,450 per 20 credits module.
  Foundation Study Framework: £6,750 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA rate).

  19/20 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £9,250
  Part Time: £1,400 per 20 credits module.
  Foundation Study Framework: £6,600 as part of a four year programme (subsequent years will be charged at standard BA rate).

  Additional Costs
  The cost of materials for a Fine Art student is of an almost completely individual nature. Traditional art materials can be purchased from the University shop, which has a wide range of art equipment such as paint, charcoal and quality papers. All materials are competitively priced and the shop is run by our Student Union. Alternative or specialist materials can be locally sourced from building suppliers and our many industry contacts in the region.

  Costs for study visits vary but are always competitive, UK trips would typically cost £10-50, European trips would typically cost in the region of £250-450 with long haul trips such as Hanoi or Calcutta in the region of £800-900. In some instances students have helped subsidise this further by group fundraising activities.

  20/21 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 20/21 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £12,900
  Foundation Study Framework: £12,900 as part of a four year programme.

  19/20 Tuition Fees

  Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 19/20 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  Full Time: £12,500
  Foundation Study Framework: £9,800 as part of a four year programme.

  Additional Costs
  The cost of materials for a Fine Art student is of an almost completely individual nature. Traditional art materials can be purchased from the University shop, which has a wide range of art equipment such as paint, charcoal and quality papers. All materials are competitively priced and the shop is run by our Student Union. Alternative or specialist materials can be locally sourced from building suppliers and our many industry contacts in the region.

  Costs for study visits vary but are always competitive, UK trips would typically cost £10-50, European trips would typically cost in the region of £250-450 with long haul trips such as Hanoi or Calcutta in the region of £800-900. In some instances students have helped subsidise this further by group fundraising activities.

  Scholarships

  EU and International Scholarships

  We’re committed to offering the opportunity to study in the UK to the best and brightest students from around the world.

  Sir Thomas White Scholarship

  The Sir Thomas White scholarship will support and acknowledge an academically gifted student, with the proviso that the selection panel is confident that there is…

  TD Lewis Scholarship

  The T D Lewis Scholarship provides both undergraduate and postgraduate students with financial awards of up to £1,000.  This scholarship is awarded on educational excellence…

  The Chancellor's Fund

  The Chancellor’s Fund is a bi-annual fund providing students with awards of between £100 and £1,000. You must be a current student to apply.  The…

  Wilson Endowment Scholarship

  The Wilson Endowment Scholarship provides a £1,500 scholarship to undergraduate students from the Northamptonshire area. The endowed scholarship was donated in memory of Mr Lynn Wilson,…

• Foundation

  Course information

  The Foundation Study Framework 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 for Fine Art we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year Fine Art programme which includes a Foundation Study Framework Year. The Foundation Study Framework will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

  Featuring a reduced tuition fee in the first year, 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.

   

  Course Structure

  In your first year of study on the four year Fine Art you will study three 40 credit modules that form the Foundation Study Framework. These are:

  Investigations into your subject 1 – Academic & Investigation skills.

  Introduces the concept of research and provides the tools of how to do it, with short assessment tasks involving identifying resources and describing how they would be used.

   

  Investigations into your Subject 2 – Employability and Professional Context. Provides a framework and opportunity to start relating research to own practice and employability – making connections.

   

  Investigations into your Subject 3: Changemaking, Introduction to Social Innovation.

  Focuses specifically on the generation and development of ideas around our social development aspirations.

   

   

  Upon successful completion of these modules, you will progress to Stage two Fine Art.

  Typical timetabled week of study

  Foundation Study Framework teaching will be a combination of lectures, seminars and/or workshop based sessions. Each module involves a teaching contact time of 12 hours per week and you are also expected to engage in approximately 12 hours of independent study, to support your learning experience.

  Foundation study will help you to build a solid understanding of the study skills and general theoretical and practical aspects that will underpin Fine Art. Throughout all stages of your programme you will also be supported by a Personal Academic Tutor, to guide you through the learning experience and help you make informed study choices.

  Foundation study will enable you to acquire the necessary study skills to succeed in higher education, as well as developing your understanding of key subject concepts delivered through taught sessions, tutorials and online support.

   

  Visit our Foundation Framework page to learn more.

  Read more

*Course data provided by Unistats