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PLEASE NOTE: This course is subject to validation. The first year of entry is September 2024. For September 2023 entry, please visit: BA (Hons) Fine Art

Imagine. Learn. Create.

Art goes beyond galleries. It is felt in our city, landscapes, and buildings where we learn, live, work, and play. Art informs how we understand the world, how we reflect our individual and collective pasts and how we challenge and celebrate our present moment.

Art also informs our digital lives, enabling us to share our stories. By studying this BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at Northumbria, you will become a critical thinker and a developed maker. You will learn the power and potential of art and be provided with a platform through which to turn your practice into action alongside regional, national, and global communities.

With a broad range of modules, the course combines theory and practice to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed for employment in an extensive variety of roles. Examples include community arts, teaching, curating, arts management, assisting artists, gallery or studio management, business, marketing, and more.

Carefully constructed by Northumbria’s leading Art practitioners, theoreticians and historians, alongside local industrial partners such as The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, the BA (Hons) Fine Art unpacks all the elements of creation – how it’s made and how it’s received. Every module draws on active research which is expertly brought to life in your lectures and seminars.

This degree is dynamic, interdisciplinary, and addresses real world challenges, which you can tailor to ensure you will have the best possible foundation for future study and continued success.

 

Your Learning Experience

This course is delivered through a mix of classroom and studio-based learning, with engagement with the cultural centres in the region available to further enhance your learning.

Your modules will be taught through lectures, seminars, practical sessions, workshops, and fieldtrips. Meanwhile, you’ll be assessed using a range of methods including practice-based submissions, essays, and presentations.

Throughout your degree, you’ll be encouraged to develop your making skills – having the opportunity to develop your techniques and use equipment in intriguing ways.

In your third year, you can extend your studies, either taking an additional placement year or even taking a year to study abroad in the likes of mainland Europe or North America.

In your final year, you will embark on a Final Project which is an opportunity to focus on what interests you most while developing your portfolio and academic skills. This project becomes a cumulation of all the skills and understanding that you have received throughout your studies and establishes your style as a contemporary artist.

 

How does this course enhance my employability?

From the very start of your studies, you are supported as you begin to develop transferable skills, such as critical thinking, communication, team working, and confidence.

As your studies progress, you’ll then hone these skills to more industry-specific proficiencies. On the course, you’ll learn how to use industry-standard digital editing software, identify the key elements of art criticism, and understand the planning and production required in research, design, storytelling, presentation, curation, management, and the application of theory.

An invaluable opportunity for first-hand employability skills is the chance to work with the BALTIC Centre in your second year. Here, you will encounter live briefs where you will work in teams, as artists with different skill sets and backgrounds, alongside local employers from the cultural sector. In doing so, you will develop skills in project management and arts business that are important to employers within the creative and cultural industries.

Many modules have been specifically designed to enhance your employability and encourage you to consider how your interests align with potential future career routes after graduation. For example, during your second year, you will have the opportunity to organise and facilitate an external work placement – stepping into industry to gain professional skills and confidence in real-world settings.

Why choose Northumbria to study BA (Hons) Fine Art?

Top 25 - Northumbria University is ranked top 20 in the UK for Art & Design Studies (Times Good University Guide, Subject League Table 2023).

Taking on Tomorrow – This course is contemporary, future-facing, and critically rigorous, preparing you to make positive impact in the world.

Research Powerhouse – Northumbria’s Art & Design department are ranked 4th in the UK for research power (REF, 2021), measured by the impact of their research.

Partnered with Industry – The fantastic opportunity to work with the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, where you will be set live briefs and can work within public and community settings.

 

PLEASE NOTE: This course is subject to validation. The first year of entry is September 2024. For September 2023 entry, please visit: BA (Hons) Fine Art

Imagine. Learn. Create.

Art goes beyond galleries. It is felt in our city, landscapes, and buildings where we learn, live, work, and play. Art informs how we understand the world, how we reflect our individual and collective pasts and how we challenge and celebrate our present moment.

Art also informs our digital lives, enabling us to share our stories. By studying this BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at Northumbria, you will become a critical thinker and a developed maker. You will learn the power and potential of art and be provided with a platform through which to turn your practice into action alongside regional, national, and global communities.

With a broad range of modules, the course combines theory and practice to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed for employment in an extensive variety of roles. Examples include community arts, teaching, curating, arts management, assisting artists, gallery or studio management, business, marketing, and more.

Carefully constructed by Northumbria’s leading Art practitioners, theoreticians and historians, alongside local industrial partners such as The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, the BA (Hons) Fine Art unpacks all the elements of creation – how it’s made and how it’s received. Every module draws on active research which is expertly brought to life in your lectures and seminars.

This degree is dynamic, interdisciplinary, and addresses real world challenges, which you can tailor to ensure you will have the best possible foundation for future study and continued success.

 

Your Learning Experience

This course is delivered through a mix of classroom and studio-based learning, with engagement with the cultural centres in the region available to further enhance your learning.

Your modules will be taught through lectures, seminars, practical sessions, workshops, and fieldtrips. Meanwhile, you’ll be assessed using a range of methods including practice-based submissions, essays, and presentations.

Throughout your degree, you’ll be encouraged to develop your making skills – having the opportunity to develop your techniques and use equipment in intriguing ways.

In your third year, you can extend your studies, either taking an additional placement year or even taking a year to study abroad in the likes of mainland Europe or North America.

In your final year, you will embark on a Final Project which is an opportunity to focus on what interests you most while developing your portfolio and academic skills. This project becomes a cumulation of all the skills and understanding that you have received throughout your studies and establishes your style as a contemporary artist.

 

How does this course enhance my employability?

From the very start of your studies, you are supported as you begin to develop transferable skills, such as critical thinking, communication, team working, and confidence.

As your studies progress, you’ll then hone these skills to more industry-specific proficiencies. On the course, you’ll learn how to use industry-standard digital editing software, identify the key elements of art criticism, and understand the planning and production required in research, design, storytelling, presentation, curation, management, and the application of theory.

An invaluable opportunity for first-hand employability skills is the chance to work with the BALTIC Centre in your second year. Here, you will encounter live briefs where you will work in teams, as artists with different skill sets and backgrounds, alongside local employers from the cultural sector. In doing so, you will develop skills in project management and arts business that are important to employers within the creative and cultural industries.

Many modules have been specifically designed to enhance your employability and encourage you to consider how your interests align with potential future career routes after graduation. For example, during your second year, you will have the opportunity to organise and facilitate an external work placement – stepping into industry to gain professional skills and confidence in real-world settings.

Why choose Northumbria to study BA (Hons) Fine Art?

Top 25 - Northumbria University is ranked top 20 in the UK for Art & Design Studies (Times Good University Guide, Subject League Table 2023).

Taking on Tomorrow – This course is contemporary, future-facing, and critically rigorous, preparing you to make positive impact in the world.

Research Powerhouse – Northumbria’s Art & Design department are ranked 4th in the UK for research power (REF, 2021), measured by the impact of their research.

Partnered with Industry – The fantastic opportunity to work with the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, where you will be set live briefs and can work within public and community settings.

 

Course Information

UCAS Code
W105

Level of Study
Undergraduate

Mode of Study
3 years full-time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad

Department
Arts

Location
City Campus, Northumbria University

City
Newcastle

Start
September 2024

Fee Information

Discover NU World / A virtual journey through everything Northumbria has to offer.

Explore our immersive 360 tours, informative subject videos, inspirational student profiles, ground-breaking research, and a range of life at university videos and articles.

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Find out what our Art students and staff are taking part in.

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Watch as Northumbria students showcase there work in 2022 Reveal show

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From creating fine art to conserving it; from radio to film, theatre and television, through to arts management and teaching, our Arts department is a dynamic and stimulating environment to study in.

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A great social scene can be found at the heart of our campuses, featuring award-winning bars and a huge range of clubs and societies to join you'll be sure to meet people who share your enthusiasms.

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Discover our residences

There are many different reasons to choose to study at Northumbria but we got Alice, Reza and Jasmine to narrow it down to just three reasons each on why they wanted to come study here.

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Newcastle

City Life

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Student Life at Northumbria

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The Hub

Student Blog

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Social Wall

#IAmNorthumbria

Book an Open Day / Experience Fine Art BA (Hons)

Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Fine Art. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.

Entry Requirements 2024/25

Standard Entry

120 UCAS Tariff points

From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.

Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

Subject Requirements:

There are no specific subject requirements for this course.

GCSE Requirements:

Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.

Additional Requirements:

A portfolio of creative design work is required. Get advice on preparing your portfolio here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/coming-to-northumbria/portfolios-and-auditions

International Qualifications:

We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.

If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry

English Language Requirements:

International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).

*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.

Fees and Funding 2024/25 Entry

UK Fee in Year 1*: £9,250

* The maximum tuition fee that we are permitted to charge for UK students is set by government. Tuition fees may increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, these are subject to government regulations and in line with inflation.



EU Fee in Year 1: **TBC


International Fee in Year 1: TBC


Scholarships for 24/25 are currently being announced.  Please keep checking the main Funding Pages which will be updated throughout the cycle.

 


ADDITIONAL COSTS

TBC

If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.

* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here

To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.

BA (Hons) Fine Art

Home or EU applicants please apply through UCAS

International applicants please apply using the links below

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Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help.  They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.


All information is accurate at the time of sharing.

Full time Courses starting in 2023 are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but may include elements of online learning. We continue to monitor government and local authority guidance in relation to Covid-19 and we are ready and able to flex accordingly to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with additional restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors, potentially to a full online offer, should further restrictions be deemed necessary in future. Our online activity will be delivered through Blackboard Ultra, enabling collaboration, connection and engagement with materials and people.

 

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We continuously review and improve course content in consultation with our students and employers. To make sure we can inform you of any changes to your course register for updates on the course page.


Your Learning Experience

Find out about our distinctive approach at 
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northumbria.ac.uk/terms

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northumbria.ac.uk/fees

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northumbria.ac.uk/adpolicy

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If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.

* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here

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