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BA (Hons) Fine Art

On BA (Hons) Fine Art, you'll be part of an exciting, multidisciplinary course set within our dynamic culture of making in our purpose-built studios, as part of a thriving art community here at AUB.

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Overview

Be part of an exciting, multi-discipline BA (Hons) Fine Art course, set within our dynamic culture of making in our purpose-built studios.

We take great pride in our course to create a thriving fine art community.

Explore current student artwork on our course Instagram: @aubfineart

BA (Hons) Fine Art course information

This course considers fine art in its widest sense, which means you can test out many different approaches or choose to specialise in one. Experimental workshops in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, video, digital media and sonic arts provide you with a solid foundation in testing the physical and conceptual potential of materials that you can then develop further.

Three reasons to study BA (Hons) Fine Art at AUB:

  1. You'll create your personal identity as an artist through a combination of making and thinking skills.
  2. You'll discover how a supportive studio community can help realise your creative ambitions.
  3. You'll have opportunities to exhibit your artwork nationally and internationally.

Our course is designed to provide you with a high-quality education in contemporary art practice, and is delivered by highly respected tutors, acclaimed artists and excellent technicians.

Over the duration of the course, you'll develop your individual artistic voice, informed through your own research and critical evaluation, peer and tutor feedback and a deep understanding of your chosen materials. When you graduate, you'll be fully equipped to contribute and add something new to the UK’s art scene as an emerging artist.

Exhibiting and being enterprising is a key part of our course. We offer many opportunities for you to exhibit your work with an emphasis on site-specific locations thanks to our unique partnerships with local museums, councils and research centres. We also have a series of international student artist residency placements and worldwide partner university study exchanges. All these experiences are specially created by our tutors to give you a real sense of what it means to be a professional artist – both in the studio and the broader world.

In the first year, you'll work in open plan studios and participate in collective workshops to find what inspires and excites you as an artist. In the following years, you'll develop your practical, theoretical and critical skills within your self-defined study plans.

We support and encourage experimentation and development of skills, and workshops are offered as a continual part of the course over the three years. These are conducted in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, video, digital media and sonic art as well as seminars to foster your conceptual development and understanding of curation and how exhibitions are put together.

You'll have additional access to the latest technology, such as laser cutters, CNC (computer numerically controlled) machines and 3D printers. Our aim is to provide you with a solid foundation so that you can create contemporary artworks with high technical skill combined with solid conceptual grounding.

Above all, we offer a welcoming and inclusive course, set in a vibrant campus dedicated to creative practices of all kinds.

Course duration

3 or 4 years (full-time)

Placement

Option of a 1-year placement

UCAS course code

W100

UCAS institution code

A66

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.

Exchange and international summer programmes

Students on BA (Hons) Fine Art have the chance to broaden their horizons through exciting exchange and international summer programmes. These opportunities allow you to study abroad at one of our brilliant partner institutions, experience different cultures, and enhance your academic journey.

Looking to be inspired? You can browse our gallery of BA (Hons) Fine Art student work and take a look at some of the projects that our current students have been working on.

Pink image with cropped images of student work, copy reads: Join our creative community.

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN

Now that you've found the perfect course, it's time to apply.

The early deadline may have passed, but applications are still open! Check out our handy 'how to apply' guide and our portfolio top tips.

Apply Now
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AUB SHOWCASE

We're proud of our alumni, and rightfully so.

Explore the incredible work of our freshly graduated 'Class of 2024' in our online AUB Showcase.

Browse work by course, student or theme.

Discover AUB Showcase

Meet the BA (Hons) Fine Art course team

On the BA (Hons) Fine Art course, you’ll benefit from the expert guidance from our experienced teaching staff. You can read more about their specialisms by exploring their profiles below.

Sadie Aston Technician Demonstrator (Painting)

MA, BA (Hons)

Email me saston@aub.ac.uk
Edward Liddle Visiting Tutor

MA

Eugenia Popesco Printroom Technician Demonstrator

MA RCA, BA (Hons), FHEA, PGCert

Associate Professor Dominic Shepherd Course Leader – MA Painting and Art Subject leader Graduate School

MA, FHEA

Our course challenges visual culture through the creation of new paintings, sculptures, videos and performance. We offer you many opportunities to explore materials and their application in new and exciting ways. A broad team of experienced practising artists will help you to progress and refine your art, testing it in real-world situations through the many international study and exhibition projects.

Richard Waring, Course Leader

Watch our course videos

Discover from student Ella about what it's like to study BA (Hons) Fine Art at AUB.

In addition, Jennifer Anyan (Director of School of Arts, Media and Creative Industries Management) sits down with Professor Elizabeth Price and discusses the trajectory of her wide and varied artistic career. Price is a major figure in contemporary art in Britain, having won the Turner Prize in 2012. She has exhibited internationally at major galleries and museums, and has worked as a professor and lecturer at a number of arts universities in the UK.

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Chat to a student

Our student ambassadors are here to answer any questions you might have on university life, our courses and all things AUB.

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Student Stories


Application process

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Meet our Industry Patron – Visual Arts South West

Meet the Industry Patron for BA (Hons) Fine Art – Visual Arts South West (VASW).

BA (Hons) Fine Art has collaborated with VASW to create new career advice resources. These resources begin with a lecture and then provide helpful web-based employment advice; provided by several artists who've been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

Explore our Industry Patrons

Studios and resources

Artworks on display either side of a gallery studio space, with trolleys and drawers of artist supplies in the gangway.

Fine Art Resources

Our purpose-built North Light Studios offer a bright open-plan feel, yet also allow for personal workspaces for each student.

Student wearing safety goggles using a machine in a workshop.

3D Workshop

Our 3D workshops with manual and digital manufacturing equipment and computers

A model sits on a chair in the centre of a room while a group of artists draw them.

Drawing Studio

Our iconic blue Drawing Studio is used by student from all courses and was designed by alumnus Sir Peter Cook​...

Four banks of desks in a computer suite with monitors on them.

Digital Suites

Our Digital Suites offer a digital post-production facility and digital teaching space.

Students working at computers in a library. A set of stairs leads up to a second landing with a balcony running along.

The Library

The Library at AUB holds an excellent range of print and online collections

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Lecture Theatres and Seminar Rooms

We have a number of lecture theatres and seminar rooms scattered around campus to assist students with their studies.

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Central Media Store

The Central Media store houses a diverse array of equipment, offering students the means to craft and capture...

Innovation Studio, photographed by Richard Bryant. Photo of an exterior wall with two reverse-L shaped windows and three semi-circle panels visible. A person walks past towards the right.

Innovation Studio

The Innovation Studio operates as a lab for creative technologies, a nucleus for start-ups and enterprises and an industry engagement hub.

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Printroom

Our printmaking facilities are a hub of creativity on campus and have been inspiring students since 1964.

Three people working on projects in a print room.

Letterpress and Bindery

The Letterpress and Bindery studio is a central resource, where students can learn and explore bookbinding and letterpress printing.

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Explore our Global Networks

The motivation behind Global Networks is to cultivate inspirational and experimental learning environments and open up a world view for both student and tutor through exciting international projects. These optional projects, with one of our international partner organisations, aim to stretch and challenge the student’s art practice and critical faculties whilst simultaneously increasing their awareness of broader social contexts.

Find out more

Teaching, learning and assessment

BA (Hons) Fine Art contains a rich mixture of taught activities that incrementally build practical and theoretical skills during the levels of the course.

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 will inform you of what you are 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 Unit Information, which is on your course blog.

What our graduates are doing

Highly motivated graduates from the BA (Hons) Fine Art course go on to be leading contributors in a variety of fine art disciplines, whether as the next generation of contemporary artists, inspiring teachers, curators, or as assistants to renowned artists.

Our students go on to a broad range of destinations, these include:

  • HackelBury Fine Art – Gallery Manager
  • The Pineapple Group Ltd – Creative Project Manager
  • SpearWorks Jewellery – Jewellery Designer/Maker
  • James Glancy Design Ltd – Production Fabricator
  • Weston College (MA) – Art Tutor
  • Picture Production Company – Head of Editing
  • White Cube – Client Registrar
  • Adidas – Project Manager
  • Seen Displays – Senior Creative Project Manager
  • Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) – Associate Director
  • The Arts of Change – Art Therapist
  • Pinewood Studios – Prop Maker
  • Gloss – Gallery Manager
  • V&A – Internship
  • Digital Arts Organization – Assistant
  • Damien Hirst and Ian McKeever – Studio Assistant
  • ArtSway – Research Assistant as part of a Knowledge Transfer Catalyst Scheme
  • White Cube Gallery – Intern
  • Artworks artists studios – Founder
  • Goldsmiths College – PGCE study
  • Curator – BALTIC Gallery
  • Tate Gallery – technical installation leader

Trips and visits

As part of BA (Hons) Fine Art, you may also get the opportunity to take part in course trips, previous trips have included:

International:

  • Venice
  • Milan
  • Copenhagen
  • Kraków
  • New York
  • Madrid
  • Amsterdam

National:

  • Southampton
  • Salisbury
  • Somerset
  • London

*These trips are optional and some may incur additional costs

Latest from BA (Hons) Fine Art

See more of our student work

Be part of an exciting, multi-discipline fine art course, set within our dynamic culture of making in our purpose-built studios.

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