Fine Art
BA (Hons)
Key facts
UCAS code
W100
Start dates
September 2023 / September 2024
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years
Part time: 5 - 8 years
Department
UCAS Tariff Points
112
Overview
Discover, test and experiment with contemporary fine art as you forge an independent creative practice.
You’ll be introduced to a range of artistic practices that link traditional skills and approaches with alternative media such as sound, video and installation. You’ll make use of our excellent contemporary and traditional facilities to produce distinctive, challenging and imaginative artworks.
By studying the key concepts in recent critical theory and learning how they underpin contemporary art, you’ll develop an informed practice and the ability to analyse and discuss contemporary art.
Throughout the course you’ll have the opportunity to build rich professional and practical skills through modules that are routed in the real art world.
You’ll be taught by practicing artists, curators, writers, and technical specialists, and benefit from our relationships with contemporary galleries and arts organisations.
Many of our graduates establish themselves as self-employed artists or go on to careers within the creative industries.
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How to apply
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 112
A Level: BBC
IB Points: 30
BTEC: DMM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 88
A Level: CCD
IB Points: 27
BTEC: MMM
Further offer details
We welcome applications from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
Selection process
Applicants are offered places through:
- submission of a digital portfolio of an appropriate standard; and
- an interview with a member of staff and a current student from the programme.
Most interviews take place between late January and the middle of March. Applicants who submit their application early may be invited for interview in December.
Portfolio guidance:
What are we looking for?
We want to find out what excites you as an emerging artist. Through your portfolio we will be looking to see your artistic ability and creative thought processes. Your portfolio should demonstrate a range of work, techniques and processes; this will help us to gauge your experience and abilities. We encourage you to include both finished and in-progress work that you're proud of. Don't be afraid to include unfinished work, it is all part of your process as an artist and will help us to understand the approach you take to your work.
Your portfolio can contain a variety of different types of work:
Free-hand / observational drawing
Sketchbooks and workbooks (both project based and those containing sketches from trips you may have taken / contextual studies etc.)
Life drawing (pencil, charcoal etc.)
Collages / montages / mixed media
Maquettes and models
Evidence of experimentation
Photography
Video and film
Website design
Large works including paintings, sculptures, installations, time based media should be included through photographic documentation which makes the scale of the work clear. When photographing your work, also consider whether you could enrich our experience of the piece by including details.
Compiling and sharing your portfolio
You can present your portfolio as a PDF file or you can use an online service to put your portfolio together. When putting your portfolio together, ensure that it is well organised and that your work is clearly labelled. It's your work so give it the best possible chance of making a good impression. Feel free to include text labels and indicators so we know what materials and creative methods were involved.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Application process
Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCASPart time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityInternational applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityFull time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Compulsory costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
Art materials |
From £100 |
| End of year show (final year) | £200-600 |
| Exhibition costs for two professionally displayed exhibitions for public view | From £350 |
Optional costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| European Field trip | £350-600 |
| Field trips to London and other local venues. | £30 |
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
| You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £8 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Learning and assessment
In Year 1 we will introduce you to a range of technical skills, such as:
- printmaking
- 3-D construction
- photography and film
- painting
- digital image manipulation
- theoretical perspectives
- creative strategies for generating experimental contemporary artwork.
Year 2 will support and develop your individual working. You'll explore your own ideas and begin to establish means of expression through the core of Fine Art Practice modules. The Real Art World (RAW) modules enable you to put the creativity and skills into practice in external projects of your choice, while other compulsory modules develop your engagement with the study and theories informing contemporary art.
In Year 3 you will research and develop a body of independent artwork, which will culminate in the end-of-year show. You will write an extended research essay on a topic of your choice, deepening your understanding of the context of your own creative practice. You'll attend individual and group tutorials, lectures and seminars, and continue to work independently in your own studio space at Oxford Brookes.
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Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from that shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
Teaching sessions include individual and group tutorials, workshops, lectures and seminars.
Through workshops you’ll be introduced to develop knowledge of and confidence in a variety of practical methods and techniques. Lecturers, seminars and tutorials offer you a platform to learn about and critically discuss historical, theoretical and contextual concepts and approaches. This will broaden your knowledge of contemporary art and help to inform your work as an artist.
You will have 24-hour access to studio space, enabling you to work independently on your artistic practice.
The Real Art World modules throughout the course offer you the opportunity to build your knowledge and experience of working within the creative industries.
Our teaching staff have a wide range of practice, research interests and expertise. They make work for galleries all over the world.
Field trips
Field trips are undertaken to a variety of national and local galleries and exhibitions throughout the 3 year course, any compulsory trips are paid for by the University. In addition an optional foreign field trip takes place on an annual basis. Previous destinations include Venice for the Biennale, Barcelona, Berlin and Lisbon. Costs for travel and accommodation, which is booked by the University, are kept as low as possible and in the past have amounted to approximately £350 per student.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
Practice modules are assessed by the presentation of completed artworks, including the submission of your research and development work, sketchbooks, and a written self-evaluation of the project. Slide presentations of your work also help you to gain confidence in speaking publicly about your practice.
Theory modules are assessed by written assignments or essays and Professional Practice modules are assessed by written assignments or oral presentations.
Study Abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
After you graduate
Career prospects
Throughout this course you’ll shape your own independent practice. A supportive and intellectually challenging environment is provided to enable you to:
- develop into a confident, reflective and self-motivated graduate
- become a skilled and practical maker, exhibiting high levels of professionalism
- acquire skills that will enable you to thrive in the art world and wider society
- learn to articulate your views and ideas, and to communicate clearly about your work and the work of others.
The professional strand of the course will enable you to maximise these skills for employment, postgraduate education or self-employment and will provide you with opportunities to engage with a range of arts-related professionals.
Many of our graduates continue to work as artists, generating their own projects as well as working for others through commission or on community-based projects. Others go on to careers as teachers, curators or gallery managers, art therapists and arts journalists, or continue their studies at postgraduate level.
Further study
This course equips students to apply for MA courses in Fine Art and other postgraduate options.
Our Staff
Dr Stephen Cornford
Specialising in video, sound, installation and digital art practices, Stephen teaches across the BA Fine Art course and contributes to the MFA in Fine Fine Art.
Read more about StephenFree language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Related courses
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Programme Changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website.For more information, please visit our Changes to programmes page.