Expand+3 years

Attendance

The course is full time and is delivered as a series of Studio Practice, History and Theory and Professional Practice modules. The relationship between these areas is fundamental to the contemporary study and practice of Fine...

Hide-3 years

Attendance

The course is full time and is delivered as a series of Studio Practice, History and Theory and Professional Practice modules. The relationship between these areas is fundamental to the contemporary study and practice of Fine Art and students are required to pass all modules at each level to progress.

Students taking the full time course are expected to attend campus five days a week.

Studio Practice Modules are 40 credits and students take one of these modules every semester. This is a commitment of 400 effort hours and students must attended scheduled artists lectures and talks, group critiques and workshops and individual tutorials. Timetables vary across the semester but students receive in total 12 hours of lectures, 60 hours of Studio seminars, workshops, critiques and field trips and 3 hours of tutorials each semester. The studios are accessible most of the semester and students are expected to input 325 hours of independent studio practice and study including assessments.

In the first year students also undertake two History and Theory modules which are 20 credits each, one in each semester. History and Theory Lectures and Seminars are held on a Tuesday and students are expected to attend a lecture and seminars each week. In total students receive 12 hours of lectures, 24 hours of seminars and 1 hour of individual tutorials. Students are expected to undertake 153 hours of independent study including assessments.

Expand+General Entry Requirements: Undergraduate courses

To be eligible to apply for an undergraduate degree or honours degree course, you must;
◦meet the General Entrance Requirements, and
◦meet any additional requirements for your chosen ...

Hide-General Entry Requirements: Undergraduate courses

To be eligible to apply for an undergraduate degree or honours degree course, you must;
◦meet the General Entrance Requirements, and
◦meet any additional requirements for your chosen course as outlined in the online prospectus.

Alternative qualifications for undergraduate programmes

Ulster University will consider the following alternative qualifications for entry to an undergraduate degree or honours degree course:

◦two A levels (grades A-E) and three passes at GCSE (grades A-C/4-9) or an Intermediate GNVQ or two Double Award Vocational GCSEs

◦BTEC National qualifications awarded by the Edexcel Foundation

◦Cambridge International Pre-U Diploma

◦Canbridge Technicals

◦OCR National qualifications

◦Highers or Advanced Highers of the Scottish Qualifications Authority

◦European, International or Welsh Baccalaureate

◦Irish Leaving Certificate at higher level with passes in four approved subjects at grade D/H6

◦satisfactory completion of an approved Access programme

◦any foundation degree awarded by Ulster University

◦for entry to Art and Design degree programmes, satisfactory completion of a full-time foundation programme in Art and Design, of not less than one academic year in duration.

No subject may be counted at more than one level except in the case of the A level or Applied A level combined with the Intermediate GNVQ. Qualifications not listed will be considered on merit.

You must also meet the additional requirements for your chosen course as outlined in the online prospectus.

Additional Entry Requirements

A level

The A Level requirement for this course is BCC - BBB.

Applicants can satisfy the requirement for one of the A level grades (or equivalent) by substituting a combination of alternative qualifications recognised by the University.

BTEC

The BTEC Extended Diploma requirement for this course is based on an overall BTEC award profile of DMM (to include a minimum of 7 distinctions) - DDM (to include a minimum of 9 distinctions).

Irish Leaving Certificate

The Irish Leaving Certificate requirement for this course is H3, H3, H3, H4, H4 – H3, H3, H3, H3, H3 and English Language at grade O4 or above.

Scottish Highers

The Scottish Highers requirement for this course is CCCCC - BBBCC.

Scottish Advanced Highers

The Scottish Advanced Highers requirement for this course is CDD - CCC.

International Baccalaureate

Overall International Baccalaureate profile minimum 24 points (12 at higher level).

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Successful completion of Access Course with an average mark of between 65% - 70%.

GCSE

GCSE Profile to include English Language at minimum grade C.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Additional Entry Requirements

Submission of a satisfactory portfolio.

Expand+About

You learn through the direct experiences of making art and of critical reflection within a studio environment. Studios, workshops and technical support are close by to best cultivate productive studio practice.

The course is broadly organ...

Hide-About

You learn through the direct experiences of making art and of critical reflection within a studio environment. Studios, workshops and technical support are close by to best cultivate productive studio practice.

The course is broadly organised as a series of Studio Practice and History and Theory modules.

Year 1: You are introduced to the studio and philosophic culture of Fine Art. From the start you are encouraged to think for yourself and develop your ideas; to organise your working space and time; to be self sufficient; to become aware of art, artists and ideas connected to your work and to be inventive, imaginative and experimental. Making art, looking at art and discussing art and related ideas are central to the Fine Art ethos. You are also introduced to techniques, histories, theories, academic methods, skills and critical approaches which inform studio and written work.

Year 2: You develop confidence and a sense of identity as an artist and are encouraged to take increased responsibility for your practice; to explore more ambitious art projects; to become more self critical; and to research and consider relevant art, artists and ideas in greater depth. You learn to thoughtfully articulate (in your practice, speech and writing) the questions, issues and debates relevant to your artworks and those of others; and you continue to test and extend your ideas, methods of making and aesthetic imagination. In second year you also develop professional skills and knowledge via experiences such as exhibition, placement, application or commission processes.

After successful completion of Year 2 you can opt to undertake a placement year, leading to the award of a Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) or Diploma in International Academic Studies (DIAS). The DPP is generally European-based and workshop orientated. The DIAS allows for further study at an institution in either Europe or in the USA, under the Erasmus scheme, the Study USA scheme or the Year abroad scheme. You will obtain the appropriate award in addition to your degree's classification on successful completion of your Final Year. Many students avail of this exciting and valuable opportunity, and see a great benefit when they return to study in their Final year.

Year 3: You will make and exhibit art works in the professional, public context of the degree show, and submit a dissertation. In third year you further develop your practical, conceptual and aesthetic skills and the critical means to integrate them in the making of art works. You will articulate your practice and position as an artist in artist’s talks and statements and demonstrate your intellectual curiosity and enquiry through your practice and the subject matter of your written dissertation. In this final year, you consolidate the skills and knowledge necessary to sustain an independent art practice, or to work as a practitioner and employee in wider cultural fields.

Expand+Structure & content

Students learn primarily through the direct experiences of making art and of critical reflection within a studio environment. Studios, workshops and technical support are close by to best cultivate productive studio practice.
...

Hide-Structure & content

Students learn primarily through the direct experiences of making art and of critical reflection within a studio environment. Studios, workshops and technical support are close by to best cultivate productive studio practice.

The course is broadly organised as a series of Studio Practice and History and Theory modules.

Year 1: Students are introduced to the studio and philosophic culture of Fine Art. From the start students are encouraged to think for themselves and develop their ideas; to organise their working spaces and time; to be self sufficient; to become aware of art, artists and ideas connected to their work and to be inventive, imaginative and experimental. Making art, looking at art and discussing art and related ideas are central to the Fine Art ethos. Students are also introduced to techniques, histories, theories, academic methods, skills and critical approaches which inform studio and written work.

Year 2: Students develop confidence and a sense of identity as artists. Students are encouraged to take increased responsibility for their practice; to explore more ambitious art projects; to become more self critical; and to research and consider relevant art, artists and ideas in greater depth. Students learn to thoughtfully articulate (in their practice, speech and writing) the questions, issues and debates relevant to their artworks and those of others; and they continue to test and extend their ideas, methods of making and aesthetic imagination. In second year students also develop professional skills and knowledge via experiences such as exhibition, placement, application or commission processes.

After successful completion of Year 2 a student can opt to undertake a placement year, leading to the award of a Diploma in Professional Practice or Diploma in International Academic Studies. The DPP is generally European-based and workshop orientated. The DIAS allows for further study at an institution in either Europe or in the USA, under the Erasmus scheme, the Study USA scheme or the Year abroad scheme. You will obtain the appropriate award in addition to your degree's classification on successful completion of your Final Year. Many students avail of this exciting and valuable opportunity, and see a great benefit when they return to study in their Final year.


Year 3: Students make and exhibit art works in the professional, public context of the degree show, and submit a dissertation. In third year students further develop their practical, conceptual and aesthetic skills and the critical means to integrate them in the making of art works. They articulate their practices and positions as artists in artist’s talks and statements and they demonstrate their intellectual curiosity and enquiry through their practice and the subject matter of their dissertation. In this final year students consolidate the skills and knowledge necessary to sustain an independent art practice, or to work as practitioners and employees in wider cultural fields.

Expand+Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have gained employment with a wide range of organisations. Here are some examples:
◦Belfast Print Workshop
◦Duncairn Arts Centre
◦Millennium Court Arts
◦Seacourt Print Works...

Hide-Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have gained employment with a wide range of organisations. Here are some examples:
◦Belfast Print Workshop
◦Duncairn Arts Centre
◦Millennium Court Arts
◦Seacourt Print Workshop
◦self employed

Job roles

Graduates from this course are employed in many different roles. Here are some examples:
◦Artist
◦Artist in Residence
◦Assistant Technican
◦Gallery Assistant
◦Printmaking Technician
◦Self-Employed Fine Artist
◦Self-Employed Traineer for charities

Career options

The Fine Art course prepares each student as an artist and thinker, who is able to sustain professional, critical art practice at local, national and international levels, and who can apply their skills, sensibilities and knowledge to wider fields of cultural work, practice and employment.

Students may choose to pursue postgraduate study and research in art practice to MA, MFA, MPhil and PhD level, either within the School of Art and Design, MFA Fine Art or MFA Photography, or in other institutions in the UK, Europe and beyond. Students also go on to postgraduate study in theoretical, cultural and curatorial management, art therapy and other courses. The course also prepares students for the PGCE.

Fine Art education prepares graduates to be extraordinarily flexible and self-reliant. They are able to forge practices and working lives within changing and unpredictable environments both employed and self-employed. The course equips students with a range of professional and transferable skills and experiences.

Many Fine Art graduates practice successfully as artists, exhibiting in galleries; acquiring funding, awards and prizes; undertaking commissions, residencies and public art projects. Others enter careers in education, curating, writing, arts administration, journalism and broadcast media, the gallery and museum sector, community arts, design and the wider cultural industries. Many previous students of Fine Art in Belfast are internationally renowned, influential and award winning artists, curators, academics and writers, and include several Turner Prize nominees and winners.

Work placement / study abroad

Various types of placement opportunities are provided within smaller professional practice and studio practice placements in galleries, arts and community organisations, artists‘ studios, schools, etc.

The year long Placement (DPP) provides an opportunity for you to gain first hand practical experience within a professional environment such as in galleries, arts and community organisations, artists‘ studios, schools, etc.. prior to your final year of study. This module integrates education with the creative industries. It provides you with a range of experiences and skills relative to your practice, future career and professional development. The module is designed to facilitate opportunities for you to interpret and practice your academic knowledge, develop personal, transferrable, professional and entrepreneurial skills and develop a knowledge and understanding of the role of the practitioner within the creative industries.

The year long International Academic Studies (DIAS) option module provides an opportunity to undertake an extended period of study outside the UK and Republic of Ireland. You will develop an enhanced understanding of the academic discipline whilst generating educational and cultural networks.

During second year you are offered an Erasmus exchange. The University has links with a number of European colleges and the course has a particular relationship with the Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb.