BA (Hons) Fine Art

Year One — You’ll embark on a short orientation period with a strong emphasis on drawing, an approach for which the University is renowned. This initial period of orientation, induction and familiarisation introduces you to the staff you will be working with, the University and your peers before you join one of the specialist studio communities.

Year Two — You’ll develop your work within your studio community where tutorials and critiques will extend your practice. You will enhance your professionalism through a focus on artists’ strategies and exhibition practice.

Year Three — You’ll consolidate your informed and positioned practice, working within your studio community, undertaking tutorials and critiques to mentor you through your final year. You will position yourself as an emerging professional artist, undertaking an agreed project in the form of a public exhibition and an extensive research project.

Work experience covers a broad range of activities and students are encouraged to undertake work placements during their time at university. As well as guidance from the course team our Careers, Employability and Enterprise team offer support that enhances employability skills and underpins engagement with industry.

Work experience that our alumni have negotiated has included ‘Think Out of The Box’ supported work experience with East Street Arts, Leeds; bronze foundry work experience at the Scottish Sculpture Workshop in Aberdeenshire; work experience with the British Art Show 8 external project at Leeds Art Gallery; mentored awards by AON, a national project organised by Work Place Consultancy; and undertaking volunteer positions in the Learning Department at The Hepworth Wakefield and at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Our students win many prestigious awards and prizes. Recently, these have included:

• Associate Artists for Yorkshire Sculpture International
• Winner Ingram Collection Purchase Prize
• The Kenneth Armitage Student Sculpture Award
• Winner of the Best Collective Art Show at Free Range
• Winner of the Free Range Emerging Artist
• Aon Community Art Awards
• Winner of The Northern Art Show Award Bursary
• Winner of The Drawing Year at Royal Drawing School

Our students have also been shortlisted for the Royal British Society of Artists Rome Scholarship, John  Moores Painting Prize, The Lynn Painters and Stainers and the Royal Academy Summer Show.  As part of live projects students have performed in The Art Party Conference Scarborough, collaborated with the Scarborough Winter School at Crescent Arts and exhibited in the USA at Syracuse University and the Cooper Union in New York, and in ‘The Ones to Watch’, a regional exhibition competition. 

Click here to view the course specification

Undergraduate degree courses at Leeds Arts University are delivered and supported through a range of teaching and learning strategies. Courses are made up of modules, these are elements of study that are taught and assessed separately. Each module carries a clearly identified credit value, the accumulation of which will allow you to progress to the next level of the course. 100 hours of learning are expected for every ten credits of the course. Each level (year) of the course is made up of 120 credits and therefore requires 1200 hours of learning. This equates to 40 hours of study per week throughout the academic year.

For every 100 hours of study, approximately 25 hours are delivered as taught or staff-led sessions and the remaining hours are a combination of other types of supported learning and independent study.

For further information visit Undergraduate teaching & learning at Leeds Arts University.

Graduates go into a wide variety of careers including independent art practice, community arts, curating and teaching. Graduates may also continue to postgraduate study.

We’re looking for students with the best potential to succeed - irrespective of their background. That’s why we welcome a wide range of qualifications and experience.

Click here to view our entry requirements

Tuition Fees

Our current fees are listed here

Other Costs

Further costs of study are related largely to the costs of materials and depend very much on how individual students choose to respond to University briefs. The costs below are the result of asking our students to state how much they spend during the year and creating an average, as such they are indicative only. 

Equipment and Materials

• Level 4 (First Year) Materials - Approximately £10-£150
• Level 5 (Second Year) Materials - Approximately £10-£200
• Level 6 (Third Year) Materials - Approximately £20-£300

It is advisable that you possess a portfolio for carrying your work to and from the University in order to keep it in good condition.

Computers & Digital Equipment

Our course is offered using a blended learning model which means you will need to access some course materials and video conference using a computer or mobile de-vice (eg laptop, tablet or smartphone). If you are intending to buy a computer for your studies we suggest that you wait until you commence your studies. You will quickly find out what you need and what you don’t need. The Course Team will be able to offer you advice on what to buy and where to purchase it from based on your creative needs and budget. If you do not have access to a mobile device and are unable to afford one you may be eligible for further support from our hardship fund, more information can be found here.

Educational Visits & Offsite Activities

Engaging with galleries and museums continues to be a valuable source of research and reference for the Undergraduate Fine Artist. We encourage you to conduct independent visits to contemporary exhibitions and historical collections of art throughout your course of study.
Due to current travel restrictions and the uncertainties caused by the pandemic no residential trips are planned for the autumn 2020 term. This situation will be assessed and reviewed as the course progresses so that opportunities for educational visits further afield can be explored. Costs for such trips are in addition to other costs but attendance is not mandatory.

We provide support for undergraduate students dependent upon their financial circumstances. Visit Undergraduate Financial Support for further information.

Click here to view our Terms & Conditions

Click here to view the Key Information for this course

We are delighted to welcome undergraduate visiting and exchange students from Europe and around the world who would like to spend a semester or a full academic year taking credits from our exciting range of courses. You will be fully integrated into the academic and social life of the University during a period of full-time supervised study and your credits transferred back to your home institution.

You can join us through programmes such as Erasmus+, individual university partnerships or as an independent applicant. Please see here for more information and how to apply.

Leeds Arts University students interested in spending some time overseas can find information on the international opportunities available during your course here.

Questions? Contact international@leeds-art.ac.uk