Fine Art BA (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  This BA Fine Art degree at UON has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  Throughout our Fine Art course, you will benefit from spacious studios and well-equipped facilities, and tuition from practicing artists who publish and exhibit nationally and internationally. Your ideas will be nurtured and developed through a close relationship with our Fine Art team and technical demonstrators, and of course the diverse group of students you will work alongside in our studios.

  Year 1

  In the first year of your fine art degree, you will complete three modules each semester – a small drawing module (10 credits), the main art studio module (40 credits) and a small theory module (10 credits). The Year One art studio modules are based around project themes, each with a number of mini-projects, workshops and other activities within them. Through these projects you will be introduced to a wide range of materials and processes, but also to new concepts and ways of thinking about art – we look for risk-taking and bold experimentation. For the drawing modules you will complete several short projects and build a digital portfolio of work; we have a very broad and inclusive approach to drawing, and include Virtual Reality projects, sculptural work and digital drawing alongside more traditional approaches. Our theory modules are taught by the same team as your art studio modules, and have a real emphasis on the use of art theory by artists. You will be introduced to a range of theoretical concepts and contemporary examples, and will be supported to develop effective research, written and presentation skills.

  Year 2

  In your second year, you will again complete three modules each semester – a small employability module (10 credits), the main art studio module (40 credits) and a small theory module (10 credits). The main art studio modules support you as you develop your own thematic interests, technical expertise and conceptual understanding of your work. In effect, year two studio modules are all about ‘putting down roots’ into the subject and preparing you for a successful final year – the approaches you might take to your artwork are virtually endless, but we will support and challenge you throughout that development process. The employability modules include a visiting speaker programme which introduces you to a range of career paths, and through practical workshops you will build the skills necessary to succeed in the visual arts sector after you graduate. The theory modules build on your learning from year one, and help you develop the analytical skills necessary to use art history and art theory to develop your own artwork.

  Year 3

  Your third year really focuses your art practice as you build towards the final ‘Degree Show’, creating a coherent and ambitious body of artwork for assessment and public exhibition. This main 80 credit module is the heart of your third year, and is the culmination of three years of intensive art practice. Alongside the art studio module you can choose from a range of options to complete the Critical Study and Employability and Professional Practice modules (both 20 credits) – this can take the form of traditional written essays or more practical options such as curating an exhibition or undertaking a placement.

  Study Visits

  Study Visits are a key feature of the BA Fine Art course, and you will be only one hour from central London as well as other major art centres such as Birmingham and Nottingham.

  Our students have benefitted from international study visits to Paris, Venice, Barcelona, Berlin and New York as well as UK visits to spaces such as Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Henry Moore Institute, BALTIC, Nottingham Contemporary, the Liverpool Biennial, Folkstone Triennial and IKON Gallery in Birmingham. We are regular visitors to the Venice Biennale, the oldest and largest visual art festival in the world.

  Exhibition opportunities

  You will exhibit your work regularly throughout your studies, both in our studios and project space but also at other venues in the region. In recent years, UON Fine Art students have exhibited work at NN Contemporary (Northampton), MK Gallery (Milton Keynes) and nearby Lamport Hall and Delapre Abbey.

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

  • Stage 1
    • Traditions of Fine Art Practice (60 Credits)
      Module code: ART1051

      Status: Compulsory
      Students will be introduced to the traditions of art studio practice, through a schedule of briefs, workshops and micro-projects that, collectively, offer an introduction to some of the materials, processes and theoretical approaches associated with fine art.
    • Possibilities in Fine Art Practice (60 Credits)
      Module code: ART1052

      Status: Compulsory
      Through a series of structured activities students will develop confidence across an expanded range of analogue and digital contemporary fine art techniques and processes. A range of artist-led debates are introduced, with students forming more individual responses to set activities and beginning to build effective research and presentation skills.
  • Stage 2
    • Exhibiting and Connecting (60 Credits)
      Module code: ART2066

      Status: Compulsory
      The module encourages development of individual art practice, but also asks the student to explore how their artwork engages with audiences in a gallery context. Students are introduced to gallery curation, exhibition design and associated theories, and to related business models appropriate to their individual practice.
    • Positions in the Arts (60 Credits)
      Module code: ART2067

      Status: Compulsory
      Students are encouraged to develop their individual art practice, but also to explore how their interests can be applied to new and alternative contexts for exhibiting artwork. Theories, exemplars and business models appropriate to a range of practices are introduced, alongside career paths within the wider arts sector.
  • Stage 3
    • Art and Criticality (20 Credits)
      Module code: ART3029

      Status: Compulsory
      The module consolidates the student?s creative and theoretical interests through an articulation of the student?s own practice within a critical framework, and a sustained, independent investigation and analysis of artists and conceptual positions within the field of Fine Art that are relevant to the individual student.
    • Careers in the Arts (20 Credits)
      Module code: ART3030

      Status: Compulsory
      This module enables students to develop their working knowledge of the creative and cultural industries, provides them with a range of skills and strategies to prepare themselves for the external world, and requires the student to take practical actions to progress their career within the arts sector or related field.
    • Fine Art Exhibition (80 Credits)
      Module code: ART4015

      Status: Compulsory
      he module consolidates creative and theoretical interests through an exhibited body of work that demonstrates a refined approach to art practice, consideration of appropriate exhibition format and audience, and the integration of relevant theory and debates. The exhibition is supported by `statements of practice? tailored to a range of audiences.

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• Student Perks

  If you join this full time Fine Art degree at the University of Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins.* The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home. In addition to the Office365 (including Word, Powerpoint and Excel) which all University of Northampton students have full access to, students enrolled on our BA Fine Art degree can also access Adobe Creative Suite software including Photoshop, Premiere, InDesign and Illustrator. At the University of Northampton, all materials and equipment that you need for workshops and Yr1 projects will be provided, and a supply of basic art materials is also available to enable you to experiment with a range of media and techniques.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

  *UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

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• Integrated Foundation Year (IFY)

  The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

  If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements, we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

  Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

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• FAQs

  If you have any questions about studying BA Fine Art at the University of Northampton, they will usually be answered by attending one of our Open Days; but if you can’t attend an Open Day or have any other questions, please email the Programme Leader Richard Hollinshead who will be happy to help.

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