Fine Art BA (Hons) at University of Northampton

Our Fine Art undergraduate course gives you the chance to explore contemporary approaches to fine art across a range of disciplines, making use of our excellent resources for printmaking, painting, photography, digital arts, video and sculpture. You will build confidence with various media, informed by historical and contemporary references, cultural and social contexts and the professional requirements you will need to meet when you graduate. We encourage our students to engage in live projects, competitions and exhibitions throughout the course.

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.

Course Highlights

• Access to comprehensive specialist resources with technical instruction and support.
• Research into the broader context of contemporary art practices and theoretical debates.
• International study trips, typically one European option and one long-haul destination.
• Guaranteed paid internship with the Northampton Employment Promise.

HP Laptop and software included with this course.

Course Details

You will learn through studio practice, specialist media workshops, professional study components and a programme of lectures and seminars. The course will give you an informed and critical understanding of contemporary practices and debates, encouraging the development of your creative and critical intelligence and showing you how to integrate innovative thinking with practical ability. You will be able to explore and question the nature of any given medium and/or hybrid practices and you will have the opportunity to explore art as an instrument for social change and a way of improving our society and culture. You will benefit from spacious and well-equipped facilities and links to the Milton Keynes Gallery, NN Contemporary Art (Northampton), Corby Cube Gallery and Rugby Museum and Art Gallery.

To see a gallery of our students’ work please visit our flickr website.

All of our staff are practicing artists who publish and exhibit nationally and internationally. We have regular visits from innovative arts organizations such as Artangel and internationally renowned artists including Richard Long, Ian Davenport, Mark Francis, Jenny Saville, Marcus Harvey, Dan Hays, Michael Landy, Richard Deacon, Ian McKeever and Richard Wilson.

Throughout this course, your ideas will be nurtured and developed by a close relationship with our team of specialists, visiting artists and other students. You will graduate with a unique balance of critical, practical and creative skills, thanks to the opportunities you will be given to move between media disciplines. There are also trips involved in the course, which have included France, Italy, Spain, India and the USA.

The Degree Show

Final year students display their work at the annual Degree Show at our Avenue Campus. Our Fine Art students deliver some stunning work.

Subject Futures Week

Our annual Subject Futures Week is an exciting event and an excellent opportunity for our students to explore the potential of their course and understand where their university experience can lead them beyond graduation. It offers a unique chance to network with high profile industry professionals from the arts, TV, film, fashion and more.

Work Experience

In your second year, the Professional Studies module will include the opportunity for a work experience placement. You could work as a gallery intern, artist’s assistant, art educator or curatorial assistant to name a few, and we can help you to arrange this. You could also incorporate this experience with your Major Critical Study in the final year.
Course content

Methods of Learning

We take a range of approaches to teach this course, to help you learn in the best way for you. A combination of studio practice, specialist workshops, visiting artists’ sessions, professional collaborations, lectures and seminars will give you theoretical and practical experience.

Assessments

Theory is assessed through essays, assignments, a major critical study and presentations, while practical work is judged through studio presentations and exhibitions.

There will be two assessment periods. The first, around December to January, will be a chance for you to see how you are progressing and will not contribute to your final grade. The second, in May to June will be the official assessment for the year and will form your grade.