BA(Hons) Fine Art (with Foundation Year)
This course is open for applications
Accreditations and partnerships:
About
Build your confidence in fine art practice and develop a range of transferable professional skills to support your future in the creative industries and beyond.
Why study fine art?
Art generates powerful platforms for debate. Artists make new ideas visible and play important roles in society as cultural commentators, teachers and activists. Fine Art at UWE Bristol opens doors to a wide range of careers within the global landscape of the creative industries.
Why UWE Bristol?
BA(Hons) Fine Art is based at Spike Island, an internationally renowned contemporary art venue in the heart of Bristol. This is part of UWE Bristol's City Campus, along with Bower Ashton Studios, which house exceptional making facilities and resources. Here, you'll join a vibrant arts and cultural community that'll challenge and inspire you.
This multi-disciplinary course offers a collaborative environment, modern facilities, supportive workshop instruction, critical discussion and expert input. Studying here will allow you to develop your practice in areas such as painting, sculpture, installation, performance, film and digital media.
Tailoring the course towards your particular interests and ideas, you'll have the chance to work in any medium during your studies, develop your ideas and shape your own professional journey.
You'll exhibit and showcase your work regularly throughout the course, including in the renowned annual Spike Island Open Studios, when the whole of Spike Island opens to the public.
Where can it take me?
Our BA(Hons) Fine Art course is dedicated to fostering your career growth. As a graduate, you could not only become an accomplished artist, but also emerge as a leader, educator or social entrepreneur.
You'll develop skills and strengths that are highly valued by a wide range of employers, making you a desirable graduate. You could find employment in diverse roles across the cultural sector, the creative industries, and beyond.
Watch: Welcome to the School of Arts at UWE Bristol
Entry
Typical offers
You will need to meet the following Level 2 requirements:
- GCSE: Grade C/4 in English, or equivalent.
In addition to the above Level 2 qualifications, you'll need to achieve the published tariff points from your Level 3 studies prior to entry. Below is an indicative list of the main qualification types. However, we will consider any Level 3 qualifications towards meeting our entry requirements.
- Tariff points: 72
- Contextual tariff: See our contextual offers page.
- English Language Requirement:
International and EU applicants are requirement to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 5.5 with 5.5 in each component (or 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 you will need in our English Language section. Please visit our English language requirements page. - A-level subjects: No specific subjects required.
- EDEXCEL (BTEC) Diploma: No specific subjects required.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
- Access: No specific subjects required.
- Baccalaureate IB: No specific subjects required. We accept the IB Career-related Programme in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications.
- Irish Highers: No specific subjects required.
- T Levels: No specific subjects required.
Selection process
Following our review of your application, we may request that you provide us with a digital portfolio.
If you are asked to provide a digital portfolio and we have any questions about your portfolio, you may also be invited for an online interview.
A decision will then be made on the basis of both your application and our review of your portfolio.
For more details on the process, please visit our selection page.
Entry requirements
If you exceed the entry requirements you may be eligible for BA(Hons) Fine Art.
International applicants
For country specific entry requirements please find your country on the country information pages.
Read more about entry requirements.
How to apply
Read more about undergraduate applications.
Read more about international applications and key international deadline dates.
For further information
- Email:
UK applicants
Admissions@uwe.ac.ukInternational/EU applicants
International@uwe.ac.uk - Telephone:
UK applicants
+44 (0)117 32 83333International/EU applicants
+44 (0)117 32 86644
Structure
Content
The optional modules listed are those that are most likely to be available, but they may be subject to change.
Year zero (Foundation year)
You'll study:
- Disciplinary Projects
- Foundation Project
- Building Creative Skills
- Core Studies in Art, Media and Design.
You normally need to pass your foundation year before going onto Year one.
Year one
You'll study:
- Introduction to Art Practice 1
- Introduction to Art Practice 2
- Arts Contexts
- Introduction to Research and Professional Practice.
Year two
You'll study:
- Developing Art Practice 1
- Developing Research and Professional Practice.
Plus, optional modules (the amount depending on credit requirement) from:
- Developing Art Practice 2*
- Arts Futures *
- International Exchange. **
*Not available to study if you participate in an International Exchange.
**Compulsory (and only available to study) if you participate in an International Exchange.
Year three
You'll study:
- Arts Research Project
- Independent Art Practice
- Professional Practice: Career Strategies.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
Learning and Teaching
The learning outcomes for this course are achieved through a mix of active teaching methods in timetabled sessions, as well as tutorial support and independent study.
You'll participate in activities led or facilitated by teaching staff. These include lectures (such as the Fine Art Lecture Series), seminars, tutorials, presentations, peer reviews, technical workshops, practical studio time, and off-site visits and events.
Most sessions are face-to-face on campus, with some blended learning to enhance your experience. Tutors include fine artists, curators, and writers with national and international profiles, connected to UWE Bristol research groups and the wider cultural sector.
A key difference from school or college is the emphasis on independent study. You'll prepare for sessions through project development, research tasks, and assessment preparation. Independent study time increases as you progress, reflecting a greater focus on self-directed learning.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
Study time
In a typical week in your first year, you could expect to be timetabled with academic staff for an average of 12 hours, with the expectation that you'll also work on practice and assessment tasks through independent self-study for an additional 12 -18 hours.
Assessment
There are no exams on this course. You'll be assessed through the art you make, presentations, reflective and analytical written assignments and research projects through a series of modules during the course.
You'll be supported by tutors in developing your assessment tasks. The University also provides a wide range of study support.
Learn more about assessments.
Fees
Full time course
Supplementary fee information
Your overall entitlement to funding is based on how long the course is that you're registered on. Standard funding is allocated based on the standard number of years that your course lasts, plus one additional year.
You'll apply for funding each year that you study and Student Finance will take into account how long the course is in each year that you apply. So if you register for the five year course and then transfer to the four year course, the number of years you can apply for funding will change. Student Finance will reassess your funding based on how many years you have been in study, not just those years for which you received student finance.
Always seek advice before taking any action that may have implications for your funding.
Additional costs
Additional costs are for items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
Features
Placements
Students who get work experience tend to graduate with better degrees. Experience also hones your skills, industry knowledge and professional network, making you a sought-after graduate. Work experience is a component part of this course. We've extensive links with industry and commerce and the cultural and voluntary sectors.
Study abroad
Broaden your perspective by taking part in our international exchange programme.
Increase your confidence, intercultural communication skills and boost your employability. Explore our study abroad pages to find out more.
We provide support and encouragement for students who want to apply for competitions, further study and funding.
Fieldwork
You'll go on study visits during this course. We organise trips to see new exhibitions and connect with arts professionals in UK locations.
Study facilities
Access a range of resources available at other City Campus sites, including Bower Ashton and Spike Island.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Art facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
Personalised virtual tour
There's no need to visit us in person to explore our facilities and campuses. Take a personalised virtual tour and discover it all for yourself from wherever you are.
Take a virtual tourCareers
Careers / Further study
BA(Hons) Fine Art at UWE Bristol is strongly focused on your career development. As well as becoming successful artists, our graduates become leaders, educators and social entrepreneurs, employed in a wide range of roles in the cultural sector, creative industries and beyond.
Our Fine Art graduates possess skills and strengths that are important to a wide range of employers. You'll develop valuable transferable skills through our integrated professional practice modules that build your confidence about career development year on year. This includes undertaking work experience.
We have also developed a series of professional opportunities with high profile partners to help your emerging career as an art practitioner. For instance, recent graduates have benefitted from opportunities such as British Council Venice Fellowships, Graduate Fellowships with Spike Island and Spike Associates Bursaries.
Past students have been selected for some of the most prestigious contemporary art platforms in the UK including New Contemporaries and The Turner Prize.
Our graduates have gone on to be employed by the Tate, Hayward Gallery, Arnolfini, Camden Art Centre and many other cultural institutions. Others have held senior positions in secondary education, universities and regional government and have set up acclaimed social enterprises and businesses, such as Frank Water.
Some graduates go on to further study at postgraduate level, including our own MA Fine Art course and PGCE teacher training postgraduate courses.
Get inspired
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
Life
Accommodation
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
Bristol
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
Sports, societies and activities
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
Health and Wellbeing
We provide support in the way you need it.
Campus and facilities
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.