School of Creative Industries

BA (Hons) Fine Art

BA (Hons) Part-time 6 years, Full-time 3 years

Ranked 13th in the Guardian League Tables 2023. Fine Art, covers painting, sculpture, printmaking, conceptual and social practice, film, video, photography, performance and installation.

Ranked 13th in the Guardian League Tables 2023. Fine Art, covers painting, sculpture, printmaking, conceptual and social practice, film, video, photography, performance and installation.

Award
BA (Hons)
Start date(s)
15 September 2025,16 September 2024
UCAS Code
W100
Course specifications
Course length
Part-time (6 years),Full-time (3 years)
Campus location
University: City Campus
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

Ranked 16th in the Guardian League Tables 2025. Fine Art, covers painting, sculpture, printmaking, conceptual and social practice, film, video, photography, performance and installation.

Each area is supported by specialist tutors and facilities. The Fine Art course is located in the purpose-built George Wallis building, which opened in 1970, however there has been an Art School in Wolverhampton since 1851 and we are very proud of this heritage. We are situated on the 6th and 7th floors in studios recently refurbished for British Art Show 9. You will have studio space of your own and join a stimulating community of fine art practitioners where you can test ideas and discuss decisions/motivations/media processes in relation to your individually negotiated themes and practices. Our vibrant, well used studio becomes the base for your increasingly independent and personally-focused learning.

Fine Art FacilitiesFine Art FacilitiesFine Art FacilitiesFine Art FacilitiesFine Art FacilitiesFine Art FacilitiesFine Art Facilities

Our Graduates

Cheryl Jones, BA (Hons) Fine Art (Painting) graduate 2000

Cheryl graduated from the School of Art in 2000 and is now Director of the Grand Union art gallery in Digbeth, Birmingham. She credits her time at the University for widening her experience and enjoyment of all art forms as well as just painting. Watch here. 

What's unique about this course?

  • Ranked 16th in the Guardian League Tables 2025
  • We are situated on the 6th and 7th floors in studios recently refurbished for British Art Show 9.
  • At all levels of the course, you will work alongside practicing artists and researchers who aim to teach through their specialist fields.
  • You will have access to all facilities across the School of Art including dark room photography facilities and printmaking workshops.

What happens on the course?

The Fine Art course aims to offer an open ended and practice–led approach to learning with students working from conceptual ideas through to the tools and materials of studio production. The course aims to fuse practical and material led practice with critical and contextual exploration. This fusion will enable you to develop a sustainable model of practice as a professional artist and teach you a range of transferable skills relevant to careers in the creative industries. At all levels of the course, you will work alongside practicing artists and researchers who aim to teach through their specialist fields.

The course aims to: 

  • Encourage you to explore different media relevant to the development of your own work.
  • Support you to acquire knowledge and practical experience of working in painting, sculpture, printmaking, conceptual and social practice, film video, photography, performance and installation.
  • Provide you with the opportunity to observe, discuss and take part in a sustainable model of studio-based practice alongside artist/practitioners who are engaged in their own work.
  • Enable you to develop an individually negotiated Fine Art practice informed by a relevant theoretical and contextual framework.
  • Develop critical and analytical skills in historical and critical research and writing.
  • Understand and locate your work appropriately within the broad and specialist contexts of your subject and research appropriate to your personal and career objectives.

BA (Hons) Fine Art is assessed on 100% coursework.

The curriculum is delivered through a series of tutorials, lectures, seminars and specialist workshops which will give you the opportunity to develop your independent practice.

Studio and workshop culture are core to our courses and you will be encouraged to become part of the art community through time spent working in the studios, workshops and through experience of external exhibitions in the public domain.

This course is available with a professional placement (sandwich year) option.  A professional placement provides an opportunity for professional development in the work place and as such, greatly enhances the student’s prospects of finding rewarding and relevant employment at the end of their studies.

Year One

Fine Art student working in their studio spaceFine Art lecturer teaching a workshopFine Art students participating in a workshopFine Art student working in their studio spaceFine Art lecturer helping a student during a workshop

In the first year you will have the time and space to evolve ideas in relation to current debates and concerns within visual art. You will be learning and acquiring the fundamental skills of Fine Art practice with close support from subject specialist artists/teachers through a combination of specialist workshop-based learning and studio practice, supported by seminars, tutorials and lectures. A more detailed outline of the modules can be seen below.

Year Two

BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 5BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 5BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 5BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 5BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 5BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 5

In the second year you will have the opportunity to broaden and test your art practice as part of a sustained studio culture. You will engage with the art community and increasingly debate theoretical positions within your practice. This is supported by advanced workshops that are led by the academic staff and seek to broaden your conceptual and contextual knowledge in specialist fields of contemporary art. Currently we have a choice of advanced workshops to choose from. A more detailed outline of the modules can be seen below.

Year Three

 BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6BA (Hons) Fine Art, Level 6

In your third year student you will develop a more independent and outward facing approach to Fine Art practice. A concentrated period of studio practice will give you the confidence to independently manage your studio time, conduct and resolve ideas in your practical work and learn to present yourself confidently as an emerging artist in the outside world. 

Advanced Workshops

Exhibition by Fine Art & Photography students Wolverhampton School of Art

Workshops are a major part of the learning experience at the Wolverhampton School of Art, stretching an understanding of practical skills whilst coming into contact with material, cultural, social, historical and contemporary issues.

This exhibition brings together work produced by BA (Hons) Fine Art, BA (Hons) Photography and MA Fine Art students who took part in an Advanced Workshop programme of their choice between September 2020 - May 2021.

Fine Art Staff

Course Leader: Dr Simon Harris

BA (Hons) Fine Art, Staff

Simon Harris: ‘I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler’

BIO

Hi, I’m Simon the course leader for the BA (Hons) Fine Art Degree. I have been the course leader since 2019 but my connection to the Fine Art course is much longer. I enrolled to the Fine Art Degree at the University of Wolverhampton in 2000 as a mature student, previously I had been a full time staff nurse and went part-time to pursue the degree. Since then, there has been no turning back, I continued to work part time as a nurse whilst study Fine Art and completed both a MA and PhD. In 2015, I took a full time position as a Senior Lecturer at the University becoming the course leader in 2019. My practice and research are centred on painting, printmaking and experimental photography. I have the privilege to work with a fantastic academic team all of which are practicing artists exhibiting both nationally and internationally.

Additional Information

BA (Hons) Fine Art

Wolverhampton School of Art

  • For more information about the Wolverhampton School of Art: visit our home page.
  • Discover more about our outstanding facilities – visit our facilities pages.
  • Learn about the creative industries and everything we do to make your creative career a reality on our Creative Futures page.
  • Check out the work of our 2022 graduating students on our Degree Show and MA Show pages.
  • Find out what our students say – view testimonies from successful graduates on our Case Studies page.
  • Research – learn about the Centre for Art and Design Research and Experimentation (CADRE) and FEINART, our ambitious and innovative pan European training network.
  • Wolverhampton School of Art hosted the prestigious British Art Show 9 in 2022. 
  • Artsfest – our established programme of arts and cultural events continues to bring you the very best this region has to offer!

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Course Modules

Potential Career Paths

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

The BA (Hons) Fine Art Course:

  • Is a diverse and vibrant course which embraces a wide range of specialist media and creative practices including painting, sculpture, printmaking, conceptual and social practice, film video, photography, performance and installation.
  • Is taught in unique purpose-built, spacious and well-equipped studio spaces, supported by a wide range of workshops and facilities.
  • Provides access to an exceptional set of workshops including bronze foundry, a stone carving yard through to the very latest audio-visual computers, digital manufacturing techniques and prototyping hardware.
  • Graduates go on to set up their own studio spaces, work in galleries, schools, community arts and many other professions, with high employment figures within six months of graduating.
  • Maintains a vibrant space for studio practice. As a student on the course you will have your own studio space and make work alongside other lecturers and artists. We run a host of one-to-one, group and lecture sessions, public lectures, a visiting speaker program and regular international study trips.
  • Is designed to provide you with the best possible creative education centred on employability and student support. At each level two year long modules allow you to experience and engage with projects of increasing complexity and varied timescales that reflect the breadth and flexibility of the contemporary Fine Art world.
  • Provides a carefully structured approach that encourages independent learning supported by an integrated delivery of contextual, theoretical, technical and practical skills.
  • Members of the National Association of Fine Art Education.

The Fine Art subject area equips students with a wide range of skills and experiences appropriate to positions within the cultural and creative industries. This includes verbal and written communication, project management, creative thinking and problem-solving, group work, self-directed research and independent learning, reflective and evaluative processes, making and directing skills, marketing, promotion and presentation strategies. The course aims to support and develop students’ vocational awareness and provides opportunities for educational placements and professional practices. Students build relationships to galleries, schools, art and health sector and the wider creative industries both through vocational modules or off-site projects. Specific career’s advice services offer extra support in the development of your general skills and your career.

The Fine Art course aims to:

  • Encourage you to explore different media relevant to the development of your own work.
  • Support you to acquire knowledge and practical experience of working in painting, sculpture, printmaking, conceptual and social practice, film video, photography, performance and installation.
  • Provide you with the opportunity to observe, discuss and take part in a sustainable model of studio-based practice alongside artist/practitioners who are engaged in their own work.
  • Enable you to develop an individually negotiated Fine Art practice informed by a relevant theoretical and contextual framework.
  • Develop critical and analytical skills in historical and critical research and writing.
  • Understand and locate your work appropriately within the broad and specialist contexts of your subject and research appropriate to your personal and career objectives.

Location Mode Fee Year
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2022-23
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2023-24
Home Full-time £9250 per year 2024-25
Home Part-time £3120 per year# 2022-23
Home Part-time £4625 per year# 2023-24
Home Part-time £4625 per year# 2024-25
International Full-time £13450 per year 2022-23
International Full-time £14450 per year 2023-24
International Full-time £14950 per year 2024-25

Additional Course Costs

Additional Materials: £50 to 250 per semester - Prices vary according your subject of practice.

Additional Field Trips: £50 to 500 - Prices will vary according to location.

Additional Events: £350 - Degree Show/New Designers.

Costs will vary according to the medium and mode of your practice but considerations will be around materials, installation and presentation.

Further information on these additional costs will be provided prior to the start of your studies

Further information on these additional costs will be provided prior to the start of your studies

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed

Typical entry requirement: 96 UCAS points including a level 3 qualification in Art and Design.

  • A Levels - grades CCC / BCD
  • BTEC L3 Extended Diploma or OCR Cambridge L3 Technical Extended Diploma - grades MMM
  • BTEC L3 Diploma - grades DD
  • Access to HE Diploma (60 credits) of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 (96 UCAS point equivalence, minimum 45 credits at merit)
  • UAL L3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design - grade M

Use the UCAS Tariff calculator to check your qualifications and points

Other Requirements

Those meeting the entry requirements may be shortlisted for a Portfolio Review. Further details can be found at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/apply/how-to-apply/4---after-youve-applied/subject-specific-applications/. Applicants will also be required to provide satisfactory reference.

Students must have studied a minimum of two years post GCSE level. However, it is expected that some applicants will be mature students with work experience, who wish to further their career development. These applicants will be processed through standard procedures, which may involve an interview as part of the process. Please see http://wlv.ac.uk/mature for further information.

 

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) click here.


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

If your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

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How We Compare

Find out how our course is rated on Discover Uni, the official website for comparing UK higher education courses

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