Fine Art BA (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- UCAS Code(s): W100
- Start Date(s): September 2023
- Duration: Three years full-time
- Study Mode(s): Full-time
- Campus: City Campus
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Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
Explore what it means to be an artist in the 21st Century, considering the role of contemporary art in modern society. Develop your artistic work across the full range of contemporary fine art media, including drawing, installation, painting, sculpture, performance, photography, film, video, sound, and print.
Nottingham is internationally recognised as a vibrant hub for new and emerging artists and artist-led initiatives, boasting a diverse and thriving network of galleries, art spaces and artist collectives. Benefit from our links with such organisations locally, nationally and internationally by working on collaborative projects and enhancing your professional practice.
You’ll have the opportunity to enter competitions and exhibit your work globally. Our Fine Art graduates have played a big role in the development of the artistic network in Nottingham – there is direct correlation with the amount of art projects going on in the city and our alumni – a reciprocal ecosystem that future students can benefit from.
If you have any questions about our Fine Art course, you can now chat to our experienced lecturers and course leaders through Unibuddy.
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You’ll have the opportunity to complete a work experience placement of up to a year in length. Dependent on the duration of your placement, you could gain an additional Diploma or Certificate in Professional Practice. -
Attend our Live Lecture Series, featuring national and international artists, creative practitioners and theorists. You will also benefit from our extensive links with festivals, art organisations and artists’ groups, nationally and internationally. -
Go on optional study trips to destinations such as Berlin, New York, and Copenhagen. You can also apply to study part of your degree abroad through our European or international exchange programmes. -
Be inspired by Nottingham’s artistic community and creative places to visit, including Nottingham Contemporary, New Art Exchange and Lakeside Arts. You will also create connections with Nottingham’s wider art community through our alumni and staff network.
What you’ll study
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
Careers and employability
A high proportion of graduates stay in Nottingham to pursue artistic activities. Many go on to become artists or work in roles such as curators, teachers, gallerists, animators, musicians, community artists, photographers and filmmakers. Some go on to use the skills and experience they’ve gained to enter careers in journalism, media, photography, web design, interiors, landscape design, and education.
Successful and notable graduates from this course include:
- film director Simon Ellis
- painter Nigel Cooke
- artist and illustrator Jon Burgerman
- curators Hannah Conroy and Ashley Gallant
- artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster
- award-winning landscape designer Sarah Price
- video artist Marianna Simnett
- artist Yoko Hayashi
- sculptor David Batchelor.
Professional practice and internship opportunities
You’ll have the opportunity to complete work experience or longer placement with external art organisations, galleries, and collectives, with the chance to gain an additional Diploma or Certificate in Professional Practice, dependent on duration. Course tutors and our Employability team are on hand to support you in applying for placement and professional practice opportunities. You’ll have access to:
- a database containing contacts for potential work placements
- collaborative opportunities for project development, exhibitions, and shows of work.
You will benefit from opportunities to collaborate on projects and exhibitions with a range of prestigious Nottingham institutions, including:
- Nottingham Contemporary
- New Art Exchange
- Broadway Cinema
- One Thoresby Street
- Primary
- Backlit
- Surface Gallery
- Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery.
Fine Art students at NTU also benefit from collaborative opportunities with our staff and technicians.
YouFirst – working with our Employability team
Studying a creative degree in a large university has many benefits, none more so than having access to a large employability team.
Our friendly, experienced careers consultants will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the internet. You can benefit from this at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course.
Creative Industries Federation
We are members of the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), which means students in the Nottingham School of Art & Design have the opportunity to sign up to free student membership. Creative Industries Federation are an organisation that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries and membership grants students exclusive access to their selection of resources and events to help advance your career and connect with industry.
Links with the creative community
This course is set against the backdrop of Nottingham’s exceptionally strong contemporary art community. The city is internationally recognised as a centre of world-leading artistic innovation and creative business.
Over recent years, Nottingham has become a vibrant hub for new and emerging artists, boasting a diverse and thriving network of galleries, art spaces and artist led initiatives – many of which our graduates are involved with. A high volume of our graduating students choose to stay in Nottingham, developing career paths within the city’s art scene.
You’ll benefit from NTU’s wealth of contacts and links with regional and national art organisations, galleries, and collectives. Our Fine Art students have recently exhibited publicly at venues like Surface Gallery, Backlit, and One Thoresby Street, as well as other pop-up galleries in Nottingham and Internationally.
Live lectures
Our Live Lecture programme runs throughout all years of the course. It welcomes national and international artists, creative practitioners and theorists, including:
- Rachel Pimm
- Jeremy Deller
- Richard Wentworth
- Esther Leslie
- Pil and Galia Kollectiv
- Hetain Patel
- Rehana Zaman
- Harold Offeh
- John Newling
Competitions
Our Fine Art students enter competitions as available and relevant to their areas of practice. The main focus of this course is on developing collaborative relationships with external art organisations and practices.
Recent examples of competitions students have taken part in include the Woon Foundation Painting and Sculpture Prize, Harbin International University Snow Sculpture competition, the Saatchi Gallery's New Sensations, Bloomberg New Contemporaries, The Jerwood Drawing Prize, and the ING Prize.
Campus and facilities
How to apply
Apply through UCAS.
We will ask you to provide a digital portfolio. Visit our webpage which has some advice on what to include to help make your portfolio stand out. After you have submitted your portfolio, we may also invite you to an online interview to help us make our final decision.
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Your portfolio
If your initial application is successful, you may be asked to upload a portfolio of your work and you may also be asked to attend an interview.
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.