Fine Art BA Hons | University of Chester

You are viewing Course summary

Course Summary

The Fine Art course will expand and develop your visual creativity within a contemporary, practice-based context, underpinned by relevant theory. It includes possibilities in painting and drawing, sculpture, time-based and lens-based media, textiles, printmaking and interdisciplinary studio contexts.

The diverse and exciting nature of contemporary fine art is represented in the design and delivery of the course; whilst the emphasis is on practice, this is underpinned by a strong theoretical and contextual element. You will gain practical and workshop skills that are then applied to studio projects at Levels 4 and 5 and your own autonomous practice at Level 6.

Workshops are well-resourced and can include specialist foundry, fabrication and construction workshops, printmaking studio, textiles studio, drawing and painting studios, as well as facilities for video, photographic and computer-based activity. Level 5 and 6 students work in their own studio spaces with adequate storage for work. Opportunities for placements and elements of professional practice provide the course with a ‘real-life’ edge, so you can envisage the fine artist you could become.

There is regular tutorial and teaching contact with academic staff, many of whom are practitioners and researchers of national and international standing.

Recent field trips have included New York, London, Berlin, Florence and Paris.

An overview of the Department of Art and Design

What you'll Study

The BA (Hons) Fine Art course is made up of core modules at Levels 4, 5 and 6.

At Level 4, students will undertake studio practice projects in various media areas including:

drawing and painting
sculpture
textiles
printmaking
and time-based media.

Workshop inductions will form part of these projects, with an emphasis on specialist techniques alongside speculative and experimental approaches to the making of art.

Critical Theory will inform and underpin studio activity from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Students will become familiar with reflection on, and discussion of their ideas. They will focus on working processes and outcomes and their appropriate dissemination through exhibition, publication, formal and informal delivery.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

Level 5 will see students approaching themed studio practice projects that explore strategies for making in two, three and four dimensions, before ultimately writing their own studio brief towards the latter part of the academic year, usually resulting in a public exhibition.

Critical Theory, lectures and seminar discussion will promote individual positions and alignments in relation to contexts informing practice and theory outcomes.

Students will have the opportunity to apply their subject knowledge and experience, and to consider broader questions regarding employability within a placement module at the end of Level 5.

At Level 6, students will be supported in generating their own studio practice briefs which will in part have been defined by the interests, concerns and alignments emerging from their Level 4 and Level 5 experience.

Studio learning agreements will define the territory and, in the initial stages of Level 6, students will undertake speculative studio activity to test and further define such territory.

An interim exhibition will indicate the outcomes of this testing phase, providing an opportunity for feedback to define more closely the studio practice that will ultimately make up a student’s individual degree show exhibition. Students will similarly define a topic for in-depth research, resulting in a written essay or dissertation, often related to their studio interests.

A contextual research journal will capture and serve as both a repository and site of reflection of relevant information, informing both written and studio-based outcomes.

Elements of professional practice are built into Level 6 supporting degree show activity and preparation, whilst also preparing students for their trajectory towards graduation, employment, self-employment and future artistic operation and development.

The University offers several optional modules to provide students with the opportunity to learn a language and study abroad. 

The course is delivered across three, ten-week terms, each term containing modules to the value of 40 credits. A student’s timetable will schedule in-person sessions each week, amounting to between 6 to 12 hours of contact time, and students will be responsible for scheduling self-study time each week of approximately 30 to 34 hours.

Teaching will be delivered by expert staff who are practicing artists and researchers who exhibit and publish at national and international levels. Taught sessions will take the form of lectures and seminars, group and individual tutorials, group crits, silent crits, peer learning, workshop sessions and demonstrations. The nature of Fine Art practice and teaching means that sessions are face-to-face in social learning environments such as the Fine Art studios.

Where appropriate, visiting speakers and guest lecturers will deliver particular sessions bringing further diversity to the course content.

The Fine Art course employs a broad range of assessment methods that are applied to a variety of assessment tasks and outcomes. Students are assessed through coursework, there are no written exams.

Studio practice projects and modules will see students developing both supporting artwork and resolved artwork in two and three dimensions, including work that is time-based or performative or that is site-specific, site-responsive or installation based.

A Studio Journal (Level 4), Reflective Journal, (Level 5) and Contextual Research Journal, (Level 6) will accompany the Studio Practice, enriching and informing the conversation that surrounds it.

Written work will include essays, journals and reports and some modules have components which are assessed through student presentations.

Assessment is embedded, continuous and authentic. Continuous in as much as formative assessment occurs at regular intervals, whether that be at the end of a project or simply during a tutorial in the studio, with summative assessment at the end of a series of projects or the completion of a module. Assessment is authentic in as much as the premise, language, task, timeframe and output asked of the student replicate those experienced by Fine Artists working professionally.

Fine Art students are provided with the materials they need to complete all Level 4 studio practice projects. Tools, equipment and equipment consumables are provided by the course. Whilst a range of materials are also provided for Level 5 and 6 students, they may also need to purchase supplementary materials as defined by them and aligned to the necessities of the particular works in question.

Students within Fine Art may be asked to pay a nominal sum, in the region of £30, to secure their place on a residential trip to London, which is otherwise subsidised by the course.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence, and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Study a Common First Year

This course shares a common first year with students on the Photography course.

This means that you’ll learn alongside students studying a similar discipline, helping to broaden your knowledge and exposure to other concepts, perspectives and professions in the first year of your degree.

As you learn and collaborate with students from other courses, you'll not only widen your social and professional network but also learn new skills that will set you up for success in your industry.

In your second and third years, you will progress to studying more specialist modules within fine art, developing your skills to become a World Ready graduate.

Entry requirements

112UCAS points

UCAS Tariff	112 points
GCE A Level	Typical offer – BCC-BBC
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM
International Baccalaureate	26 points
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H3 H4 Scottish Highers - BBBB
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above
T Level	Merit
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diplima: DMM
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

72UCAS points

UCAS Tariff	72 points
GCE A level	72 points overall, including grade D in A level
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP
International Baccalaureate	24 points
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4 Scottish Highers: CCDD
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall
T Level	T Level: Pass (D or E on the core)
OCR Cambridge Technicals	OCR Extended Diploma: MMP
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs. If you are a mature student (21 or over) and have been out of education for a while or do not have experience or qualifications at Level 3 (equivalent to A Levels), then our Foundation Year courses will help you to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to succeed in your chosen degree.

Fees and funding

£9,250per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,250 a year, or £1,540 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

The University may increase these fees at the start of each subsequent year of your course in line with inflation at that time, as measured by the Retail Price Index. These fee levels and increases are subject to any necessary government, and other regulatory, approvals.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £13,950.

This fee is set for each year of study. All undergraduate students are eligible for international and merit-based scholarships which are applicable to each year of study.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

The University of Chester supports fair access for students who may need additional support through a range of bursaries and scholarships.

Full details, as well as terms and conditions for all bursaries and scholarships can be found on the Fees and Finance section of our website.

Who you'll Learn from

Dr Jeremy Turner

Deputy Head of Art & Design; Programme Leader: BA (Hons) Fine Art

Dr Maxine Bristow

Associate Professor

Dr Tom McGuirk

Senior Lecturer Fine Art

Stephen Clarke

Lecturer in Fine Art, Graphic Design and Photography

Where you'll study Creative Campus, Kingsway, Chester

Join our Creative Community

Connect with Experts

Specialist Studio and Workshop Spaces

Art and Design female student in art studio workspace with various art materials.

Music Rehearsal and Recording Facilities

A group of music students performing on stage.

Contemporary Art Space Chester (CASC)

A man looking at photography printed artwork in gallery space

Equipment Loan Provision

Your Future Career

Job Prospects

Fine Art graduates possess multiple transferable skills, including specialist workshop skills, research and presentation skills, communication and writing skills, universally applicable across a broad range of roles. Graduates from the course work in galleries and museums, as curators, educators and makers and roles that involve any form of visual communication.

Progression options

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers & Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

Fine Art BA (Hons)

Available with: