Completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject? Top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree in Fine Art. Our BA (Hons) Fine Art course takes you on a comprehensive, immersive and transformative journey into the world of creativity. Our program combines traditional art techniques with contemporary practices, allowing you to explore and experiment with a wide range of artistic mediums and styles.
Why study BA (Hons) Fine Art Top-up at BNU?
A degree for you
A top-up degree is the equivalent of the final year of an undergraduate degree, and offers a chance to deepen your knowledge, skills and understanding of your subject, while also getting an internationally-recognised qualification.
If you have completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject, you can choose to top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree.
Inspiring facilities
As student studying fine art, you’ll be homed in a dedicated studio space. This will serve a space where you can explore your craft and cultivate your artistic practice. In addition, you'll enjoy access to a wide array of Art & Design resources, enhancing your creative journey.
You can take advantage of our Fashion and Textile workshops, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including screen printing, and letterpress equipment, knit machines and Dye Lab. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to explore your creativity in our 3D design workshops, where you can work with various materials such as ceramics, metalwork, and woodworking.
You'll also be supported to develop your photographic, as well as moving image techniques, in our industry-standard photography studios and wet darkroom. Additionally, you’ll be able to edit any video and photographic work with the latest Adobe Creative software in our dedicated Mac media suites.
Discover your career path
Fine art offers a remarkable opportunity to embark on a global journey, from art galleries and exhibitions to immersive experiences and commissioned projects. Regardless of where you envision your artistic endeavours taking you, with BNU guidance, you can transform your creative ideas and concepts into a thriving career.
Being a part of the Art, Design and Performance School at BNU means you'll benefit from a hands-on course grounded in practical experience and complemented by contextual studies. You'll have the opportunity to engage with various courses across the university in collaborative projects. This will enable you to establish a diverse network, reflecting the realities of the real world.
What will I study?
Whether your passion lies in ceramics, woodwork, metalwork, sculpture, photography, video, painting, drawing, or any other artistic medium, your degree empowers you to craft compelling pieces that transcend individual media. As an artist, you are encouraged to flourish through collaborative projects with your fellow students, actively engage with the community, and partner with external organizations to expand and share your creative practice.
During your time studying this degree you’ll engage with cutting edge approaches to material and visual practices, as well as those that challenge the boundaries of the field. This is done through conceptual, theoretical, cultural, and ethical frameworks that underpin the contemporary arts, through practical workshops, studio-based practice and self-managed projects.
The curriculum for this course has been specifically designed to help you develop your knowledge of Fine Art through experimentation, investigation, interdisciplinary practices, collaboration, socially engaged practice, and draw from the intersections between analogue and digital approaches to making.
Year One
Core Modules
Contextual Report on Practice
Creative and Professional Development
Professional Practice
Research and Development: Final Major Project
Final Major Project
At the centre of this course is studio-based activity. You’ll spend a significant amount of time in the studio working on both individual study and group tuition. On the course you are pushed to explore your own style, which you’ll build into your own distinctive portfolio that demonstrates your unique strengths and interests for prospective work opportunities after graduation.
Our experienced teaching team of practicing artists, art professionals and researchers, provides a supportive environment to help you reach your full potential during this formative stage of your career and boost your confidence.
To achieve the full BA (Hons) in Fine Art you’ll need to complete the modules listed, as well as a major project and a dissertation.
The major project and dissertation will allow you to investigate a topic important to you within interior and spatial design. You will cover the whole research process, undertaking empirical investigation and analysis. You will be allocated a dissertation supervisor, who will offer support and advice.
The Professional Practice module gives you the opportunity to undertake work-based learning or answer live industry briefs, gaining the practical and transferable skills you need for your career in the creative industries.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Buckinghamshire New University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
Visit bnu.ac.uk/international to find out more about applying to BNU as an international student!
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | We require an IELTS score of 6.0 (with no element lower that 5.5) or a recognised equivalent. |
BNU English Language Requirements https://www.bnu.ac.uk/study/general-entry-requirements
We aim to cultivate an environment where individuality, diversity, and academic excellence thrive.
Our decision-making process is not just about grades; we assess the entire application, including personal statements, relevant experience and where appropriate portfolios. Within our Contextual Offer Scheme, we strive to embrace students whose educational and social backgrounds may have influenced their academic journey.
This underpins how we champion an inclusive community that transforms lives.
This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| EU | £15150 | Year 1 |
| International | £15150 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Buckinghamshire New University tuition fees cover the cost of instruction, assessment, and core academic materials. However, additional costs may be incurred for course-related items or requirements, such as, but not limited to:
Additional costs will vary by course. It is your responsibility as a student to budget for any additional expenses associated with your studies.
For further details on what is included in your tuition fees, please check bnu.ac.uk/fees-and-funding
There are several ways you can fund your studies, including sponsorship and student loans. You may be able to use ELCAS credits for some of our courses. We also have scholarships and bursaries to help support our students.
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Phone:01494 605060
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