BA (Hons) Fine Art

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

The curriculum is delivered through a series of projects which will give you the opportunity to develop making and designing skills, conceptual ideas, contextual knowledge and understanding and experience of live industry briefs/ external projects in the public domain.

Studio and workshop culture is core to our courses and you will be encouraged to become part of the art and design community through time spent working in the studios, workshops and labs available to students across the week.

All courses in the School of Art are now 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.

LEVEL 4

At level 4 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.

LEVEL 5

At level 5 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 external partners through a series of ‘Off Site’ projects and increasingly debate theoretical positions within your practice.

LEVEL 6

As a Level 6 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.

Why not check out what our students got up to for their final projects at our annual Degree Show 2019

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 and a fully functioning glass blowing workshop through to the very latest audio-visual computers, digital manufacturing techniques and prototyping hardware. - check them out here
• Has gained an excellent reputation in our student satisfaction surveys, in 2015 our Fine Art course scored a rating of 93% satisfaction among out students, putting us among the top Fine Art courses in the country.
• 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 yearlong 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 members of academic staff who lead this course are Dr Christian Mieves & Simon Harris

Students are assessed 100% on their coursework and are supported to progress and achieve their potential through careful tracking by staff in project feedback sessions, personal tutorials and formative assessment points. Each module has two points of formative assessment that provide key performance indicators for the student and staff teams to use in personal development planning. Assessment reviews and tutorials will be used to assess progress, galvanise the student to understand and map their own learning journey and to use this information to improve their indicative grades and project work. The assessment strategy has been designed to provide students with a number of opportunities throughout the year to test their work against the learning outcomes and to further develop aspects of their practice before receiving a final summative grade for the module. These formative reviews will also be used by staff to trigger university and subject support mechanisms for students who are not achieving at an appropriate level before summative results start to affect progression and achievement at each level.

A principal aim of the course is to enable students to understand and locate their work appropriately within the broad and specialists contexts and research appropriate to their personal and career objectives. This is reinforced through specific vocational projects throughout the course:  all students are involved in a level 5 Off-Site Project. The Level 5 scheme enables students to develop professional relations and to showcase their site-specific work outside the university. The Creative Industries Project (level 6) presents a broad range of speakers from different areas in the Fine Art creative industries who offer first-hand accounts of careers as independent artists, art curators, gallery educators, art therapists and teachers.

All of our students have the opportunity to engage with an additional ‘Employability Award’ associated with their degree, and a high percentage of our students achieve the gold standard as a result of our employment-focused curriculum.

All courses in the School of Art are now available with a professional placement option (Sandwich Year).  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. The school assists students in securing work placements, undertaking live briefs, engaging directly with employers and developing key employability skills.  The School is committed to raising student awareness of the opportunities that exist post-graduation.

A principal aim of the course is to enable students to understand and locate their work appropriately within the broad and specialists contexts and research appropriate to their personal and career objectives. This is reinforced through specific vocational projects throughout the course:  all students are involved in a level 5 Off-Site Project. The Level 5 scheme enables students to develop professional relations and to showcase their site-specific work outside the university. The Creative Industries Project (level 6) presents a broad range of speakers from different areas in the Fine Art creative industries who offer first-hand accounts of careers as independent artists, art curators, gallery educators, art therapists and teachers.

All of our students have the opportunity to engage with an additional ‘Employability Award’ associated with their degree, and a high percentage of our students achieve the gold standard as a result of our employment-focused curriculum.

All courses in the School of Art are now available with a professional placement option (Sandwich Year).  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. The school assists students in securing work placements, undertaking live briefs, engaging directly with employers and developing key employability skills.  The School is committed to raising student awareness of the opportunities that exist post-graduation.

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.

These modules are correct at the time of publication. Modules may change over time due to validation and continuous monitoring policies. Applicants will be notified in writing of any significant changes to their chosen course(s).

2019 Entry

• BBC from ‘A’ levels
• BTEC QCF Extended Diploma grade DMM; BTEC QCF Diploma grade D*D*
• UAL Extended Diploma in Art & Design grade M
• Foundation Studies (Art & Design and Art) grade D
• Successful completion of a Foundation Course in Art and Design
• Access to HE Diploma full award (Pass of 60 credits - of which a minimum of 45 credits must be at level 3 including 18 at Merit or Distinction)
• If you've got other qualifications or relevant experience, please contact The Gateway for further advice before applying.
• International entry requirements and application guidance can be found here

• Successful completion of the International Foundation Year in Arts guarantees entry on to this course

Other Requirements

Those meeting the entry requirements may be shortlisted for a Portfolio Review. 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.

Applicants who do not meet the entry requirements may be offered an alternative course.