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- BA (Hons) Ceramics*
- Course details
BA (Hons) Ceramics*
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement: Optional 1 year
- Course code: W270 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
BA (Hons) Ceramics course information
The BA (Hons) Ceramics degree provides a range of opportunities to engage with the ceramics and wider creative industries throughout their three years of study. You'll gain valuable practical experience and professional insight, as they are supported in the development of a portfolio and body of work that showcases their personal creative identity and technical skill.
The course includes dedicated units that introduce you to entrepreneurship, self-promotion, funding applications, and intellectual property, giving them the tools to navigate careers as freelance ceramicists, studio practitioners, or creative business owners. Whether aiming to launch an independent practice, collaborate with design brands, or continue into further study, you'll graduate with the confidence and knowledge to shape a sustainable, creative future.
As you build your skills, you'll also engage with emerging tools such as digital visualisation, AI-assisted design, and 3D scanning to enhance your creative development. You'll produce original ceramic works that range from functional design pieces to sculptural and conceptual objects, gaining insight into the role of ceramics within today’s cultural, social, and environmental landscape.
You'll also explore themes such as identity, material culture, sustainability, and ethics, while developing a critical understanding of ceramics as a platform for personal expression and social commentary.
Placement year
All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.
If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.
Level 4 (first year)
The first year of the BA (Hons) Ceramics degree introduces students to studying at higher education level and builds foundational knowledge in ceramic processes and material exploration. Students will develop core skills in hand-building, mould-making, casting, throwing and surface decoration, as well as gaining a practical understanding of clay bodies, glazing, and kiln firing.
Alongside technical development, students will explore the cultural and historical contexts of ceramics, examining key makers and movements that have shaped the discipline. A strong emphasis is placed on experimentation, critical thinking, and studio practice, allowing students to begin forming their own creative identity. The year also introduces simple digital tools for form exploration and design visualisation, including the responsible use of emerging technologies such as AI.
Level 5 (second year)
In the second year, students consolidate their technical and conceptual skills through more ambitious projects and collaborative experiences. A skills audit will help students reflect on their strengths and development areas, while set projects encourage teamwork across different roles common within creative practice.
The curriculum deepens its engagement with themes such as sustainability, material ethics, and identity in design. Students will explore how ceramics can communicate values, cultural narratives, and personal stories, contributing to broader conversations around diversity, inclusion, and social impact. Students will also be challenged to respond to live or competition briefs, propose their own self-initiated projects, and investigate relevant designers or studios in a case study that aligns with their emerging practice.
Level 6 (third year)
The final year is designed to prepare students for professional practice or further study. It provides the opportunity to take on larger, self-directed projects that demonstrate both technical mastery and critical intent. Students will produce a Final Major Project, which serves as the centrepiece of their portfolio and reflects their personal voice as a maker or designer.
Students will also write an industry-focused report, helping them define their career pathway—whether that’s launching a studio practice, pursuing freelance work, entering product design, or applying for postgraduate study. The year includes professional development support, portfolio preparation, and opportunities to present work in exhibitions and events, ensuring graduates are ready to contribute meaningfully to the future of ceramics.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN
Now that you've found the perfect course, it's time to apply.
Check out our handy 'how to apply' guide and our portfolio top tips.
OPEN DAYS
Open Days are a great way to get a feel for undergraduate life at AUB. At an Open Day, you'll be able to explore the campus, talk to course teams and discover our industry-standard facilities.
Visit us on:
- 6 December
- 10 January
AUB SHOWCASE
We're proud of our alumni, and rightfully so.
Explore the incredible work of our graduates in our online AUB Showcase.
Browse work by course, student or theme.
Teaching, learning and assessment
BA (Hons) Ceramics is delivered through a dynamic blend of practical making, critical thinking, and contextual understanding. Teaching methods include lectures, technical workshops, demonstrations, and studio-based practice, with a strong emphasis on learning through doing. From the outset, you'll explore material processes and develop ideas through hands-on experimentation with clay.
You'll regularly engage in sessions that support personal expression and collaborative working. Studio learning is supported by access to specialist facilities, including kilns, potters’ wheels, plaster workshops, and digital tools for visualisation and design development.
Throughout the course, you'll receive regular feedback from tutors to support growth and reflection. Guest lectures and visiting practitioners bring real-world insight into contemporary ceramics and related creative industries. Independent thinking and self-directed study are encouraged at every stage, nurturing the creative confidence, problem-solving ability, and entrepreneurial mindset essential for a professional career in ceramics.
Independent learning is a vital part of the BA (Hons) Ceramics course. It encourages you to take ownership of your creative journey, explore personal interests, and develop a distinctive voice within contemporary ceramic practice. Through self-directed projects, you'll learn to research, problem-solve, and experiment with ideas and materials in a way that supports individual growth and confidence.
While supported by regular tutorials, workshops, and feedback, you're expected to engage in studio practice beyond taught sessions, developing your work through reflection, curiosity, and critical enquiry. Independent learning also involves staying engaged with current conversations in design, craft, and sustainability, and building awareness of professional contexts.
This approach nurtures resilience, adaptability, and creative independence – key qualities for a future in the arts, whether you choose to launch your own practice, work with creative studios, or continue into further study.
Contact hours include all scheduled teaching sessions, but also supervised time in the workshop or studio. In line with national guidance, we include in our calculation of contact hours all the time which is scheduled in the studio for independent study which is also supported by staff (either academic staff, or technicians).
Each unit is assessed separately, and the assessment forms part of the unit. Assessment both provides a measure of your achievement, and also gives you regular feedback on how your learning is developing.
For every unit of your course, we'll inform you of what you're expected to learn; what you have to submit; how your work will be assessed; and the deadline for presenting your work for assessment. This is made available through the online Unit Information.
A minimum of one unit at Level 4 will be assessed on a pass/fail basis, with written feedback but no numerical grade. Details of this will be clearly expressed on the Unit Information Sheet. All other units will be given a percentage mark.
The final mark for each unit will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). With the exception of the pass/fail unit, each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any 10-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.
All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.
On successful completion of your Honours degree course, you'll be awarded a degree classification based on your unit marks. The final classification is determined using all unit marks at Levels 5 and 6.
If you have joined Level 6 through either the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route or having completed a Foundation Degree (FdA), the final classification is determined using only your unit marks at Level 6.
For further information on assessment, progression, awards and classifications, please visit our Regulations page.
Firstly, through regular review of coursework, you receive feedback on how your learning is developing towards the achievement of the learning outcomes.
This process is delivered through the tutorial and critique experience and by engaging with this process, you'll develop your knowledge and skills.
You can experience the assessment process from an increased personal perspective and make serious critical decisions in conjunction with the teaching staff with regard to your peers’ work.
Formative assessment is provided during tutorials where an action plan is formulated to develop your work. Viewings and critiques offer indications of the quality of work and how it relates to the assessment criteria. Formative assessment points will be outlined in the online unit information and within the scheme of work.
The second purpose is to provide a measure of your achievement, in the form of a mark or classification, at the end of a defined period of study, i.e. unit, level, or final award.