Fine Art BA (Hons)

at Coventry University

Why you should study this course

Our degree mixes new and traditional technologies to reflect the evolving world of contemporary art. We encourage you to become a highly skilled and self-sufficient practitioner with good working habits and emphasis on interdisciplinary and international practice. You can learn to understand placement of your work within historical and contemporary social, political and cultural contexts.

We offer you a rich experience of guided assignment briefs, self-initiated projects, national or international competitions, ‘live’ projects, and both internal and external exhibition opportunities. Our typical graduate portfolios include: painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, installation, photography, performance, digital media, moving image production and socially engaged practice. Socially engaged practice is work such as Ai Wei Wei’s ‘Sunflower Seeds’ installation exhibited in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall or the activist, community work of the collaborative art group Assemble.

We aim to help you to prepare you for graduation and the world of work. From the outset we aim to develop the professional skills associated with evaluating, exhibiting and distributing your work, which will become more visible to the outside world as the course progresses and your confidence grows.

We have strong links with many regional arts organisations, for example, the Mead Gallery at the Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ArtSpace Projects, Coventry Collective Pod, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry Contemporary Art Biennale and New Art West Midlands. Our commercial partners currently include Warwickshire NHS Trust, the Coventry Building Society and Severn Trent Water, which runs an environmentally themed tri-annual student art commission with the chance for six students to display their work in the company’s state-of-the art Operations Centre in Coventry (subject to availability, competitive application and additional costs).

Our FACeTS (Fine Art at Coventry Talk Series) gives you an opportunity to hear direct from some of the most innovative contemporary artists and creative practitioners from the UK and beyond – recent topics have explored current changes in cultural opportunities across Eastern and Western Europe, post-object art practices in the context of digital media and the impact that artists can have on their environments.

You may also be invited to take part in study trips to exhibitions and events*. Past trips have included the Tate Modern, White Cube, Saatchi Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Birmingham Ikon Gallery, Digbeth First Friday, Liverpool Biennial and British Art Show and many others.

What you'll study

Year one
Our goal is to encourage you to experiment with a variety of media and technologies. Your first year has a series of structured projects, designed to develop your skills across a range of art media and introduce you to a range of contemporary approaches to art practice. These encourage you to become more self-directed in your studies and identify and deepen personal interests and concerns.
You will complete the year by designing an exhibition of your work with your peers.

Modules

• Art Explorations 1 - 40 credits

• Art Introductions 2 - 40 Credits

• Contextual Introductions - 10 credits

• Contextual and Professional Introductions - 20 credits

• Add+Vantage

Year two
In the second year, we will continue to support you in your creative development, considering your creative practice in relation to sites, situations, locations and contexts of display and experience.

You have an opportunity to participate in an overseas study trip in the second semester to further develop your understanding of the contribution of art from a global perspective.

You will be encouraged to consider the larger themes, histories and ideas that contextualise the production and reception of your work.

Modules

• Art Explorations 1 - 40 credits

• Fine Art Contextual Explorations (Part 1) - 10 credits

• Contextual and Professional Explorations - 20 credits

• Add+Vantage - 10 credits

Final year
By the final year, you will be working independently, exploring individual or collaborative interests to produce self-initiated art projects.

In the final stage of your course, you will research, develop and produce a substantial body of work in your final project, suitable for external exhibition and distribution. The year culminates in you presenting your final body of artwork at

Modules

• Art Consolidations 1 - 40 credits

• Art Consolidations 2 - 40 credits

• Art Consolidation and Professional Practice - 40 credits

• Contextual Studies Consolidations -20 credits

• Professional Consolidations - 10 credits

• Add+Vantage

Portfolio

You will be required to submit a portfolio via email or alternatively attend a showcase activity session or audition (as is appropriate for your course) which can be virtual or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites to send in your portfolio or attend these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.
Each application will be considered on its merits.

English language requirements
IELTS: 6.5 overall 

International Tuition Fees:

£19850 per year

Professional experience is embedded into our course, which is why we have such high levels of graduate employability.

Throughout you will produce professional outputs which can be exhibited in public and used to target curators, arts and cultural administrators, publishers, agents, media organisations, competitions, residency and exhibition opportunities and potential employers.