Imagine. Learn. Create.
Art
goes beyond galleries. It is felt in our city, landscapes, and buildings where
we learn, live, work, and play. Art informs how we understand the world, how we
reflect our individual and collective pasts and how we challenge and celebrate
our present moment.
Art
also informs our digital lives, enabling us to share our stories. By studying this
BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at Northumbria, you will become a critical thinker
and a developed maker. You will learn the power and potential of art and be
provided with a platform through which to turn your practice into action alongside
regional, national, and global communities.
With
a broad range of modules, the course combines theory and practice to provide
you with the knowledge and skills needed for employment in an extensive variety
of roles. Examples include community arts, teaching, curating, arts management,
assisting artists, gallery or studio management, business, marketing, and more.
Carefully
constructed by Northumbria’s leading Art practitioners, theoreticians and
historians, alongside local industrial partners such as The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, the BA (Hons) Fine Art unpacks all the elements of creation – how it’s made and how it’s
received. Every module draws on active research which is expertly brought to
life in your lectures and seminars.
This degree is dynamic,
interdisciplinary, and addresses real world challenges, which you can tailor to
ensure you will have the best possible foundation for future study and continued
success.
Your Learning Experience
This course is delivered
through a mix of classroom and studio-based learning, with engagement with the
cultural centres in the region available to further enhance your learning.
Your modules will be taught
through lectures, seminars, practical sessions, workshops, and fieldtrips.
Meanwhile, you’ll be assessed using a range of methods including practice-based
submissions, essays, and presentations.
Throughout your degree,
you’ll be encouraged to develop your making skills – having the opportunity to
develop your techniques and use equipment in intriguing ways.
In your third year, you can
extend your studies, either taking an additional placement year or even taking
a year to study abroad in the likes of mainland Europe or North America.
In your final year, you will
embark on a Final
Project which is an opportunity to focus on what interests you most while
developing your portfolio and academic skills. This project becomes a
cumulation of all the skills and understanding that you have received
throughout your studies and establishes your style as a contemporary artist. After this course you can look into one of our postgraduate courses such as our Fine Art Conservation MA (Easel Painting).
How does this course enhance my employability?
From
the very start of your studies, you are supported as you begin to develop
transferable skills, such as critical thinking, communication, team working,
and confidence.
As
your studies progress, you’ll then hone these skills to more industry-specific
proficiencies. On the course, you’ll learn how to use industry-standard digital
editing software, identify the key elements of art criticism, and understand
the planning and production required in research, design, storytelling,
presentation, curation, management, and the application of theory.
An
invaluable opportunity for first-hand employability skills is the chance to work
with the BALTIC Centre in your second year. Here, you will encounter live briefs
where you will work in teams, as artists with different skill sets and
backgrounds, alongside local employers from the cultural sector. In doing so,
you will develop skills in project management and arts business that are
important to employers within the creative and cultural industries.
Many
modules have been specifically designed to enhance your employability and
encourage you to consider how your interests align with potential future career
routes after graduation. For example, during your second year, you will have
the opportunity to organise and facilitate an external work placement –
stepping into industry to gain professional skills and confidence in real-world
settings.
Why choose Northumbria to study Fine Art?
Top 25 – Art & Design at Northumbria is ranked Top 20 in the UK by the Complete University Guide for 2025.
Taking on Tomorrow – This course is contemporary, future-facing, and critically rigorous, preparing you to make a positive impact in the world.
Research Powerhouse – Art and Design at Northumbria is ranked 4th in the UK for research power (REF, 2021). This is a rise of 6 places compared to 2014.
Partnered with Industry – The fantastic opportunity to work with the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, where you will be set live briefs and can work within public and community settings.
Graduate Prospects – Art & Design at Northumbria is ranked 9th in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Times Good University Guide, 2024).