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





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






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








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.
Read more about our advanced workshops.
Fine Art Staff
Course Leader: Dr Simon Harris

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 on 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 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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