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Fine Art

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 4 Years
  • Sandwich
  • 21 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Belfast

Course summary

The Fine Art course reflects and supports the diversity of contemporary art practice including Painting, Video, Photography, Sculpture, Drawing, Performance, Printmaking, Time-based work, and studies in History and Theory. You are taught the practical, philosophical, contextual and professional aspects of art practice through blended learning in studios and online.

Studio Practice centres on your development of an art practice. You work in studios under tutorial guidance. Individual tutorials give focused advice and studio critiques encourage the exchange of ideas and the development of critical understanding. Studio spaces are located adjacent to relevant workshops. Workshops include painting methods, printmaking, wood and metal, moulding and casting, audio-visual and video, photography and plastics. Studio practice includes artwork made in sites, public space, online, through social interaction, as installation, alongside more familiar aesthetic forms.

History and Theory increase your knowledge and understanding of historical and contemporary art practices and related ideas and debates. You are taught academic skills and methods and learn to write analytically about art and related concepts.

The Library, the largest in Northern Ireland, has a vast stock of art history, criticism and theory books, and catalogues; a wide range of art and design magazines and journals; artist’s films, videos, documentaries and cinema; and a unique collection of artists’ books.

Materials are provided for workshop demonstrations and students purchase materials for course work. There is an optional materials contribution of £100 per year.

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
W100
Institution code:
U20
Campus name:
Belfast
Campus Code:
B

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff Not accepted

A level CCC

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) MMM

We will also accept smaller BTEC/OCR qualifications (i.e. Diploma or Extended Certificate / Introductory Diploma / Subsidiary Diploma) in combination with A Levels or other acceptable level 3 qualifications.

To find out if the qualification you are applying with is a qualification we accept for entry, please check our Qualification Checker - https://www.ulster.ac.uk/study/entrance-requirements/equivalence

We will also continue to accept QCF versions of these qualifications although grades asked for may differ. Check what grades you will be asked for by comparing the requirements above with the information under QCF in the Applied General and Tech Level Qualifications section of our Entry Requirements - https://www.ulster.ac.uk/study/entrance-requirements/undergraduate-entry-requirements

Access to HE Diploma

Overall profile of 55% (120 credit Access Course) (NI Access Course)

Overall profile of 45 credits at Merit (60 credit Access Course) (GB Access Course)

Scottish Higher CCCCC

Scottish Advanced Higher DDD

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme 24 points

Overall profile is minimum 24 points (including 12 at higher level)

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

96 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

For full-time study, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first-degree course and hold a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or above in English Language.

Level 2 Certificate in Essential Skills - Communication will be accepted as equivalent to GCSE English.

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.

Applicants to this course will be required to submit a portfolio.

Acceptable alternative qualifications include:

Pass HND with overall Merit to include distinctions in 15 Level 5 credits/units may be specified.

Pass HNC with overall Merit to include distinctions in 45 Level 4 credits/units may be specified.

You may also meet the course entry requirements with combinations of different qualifications to the same standard as recognised by the University (provided subject requirements as noted above are met).

Additional entry requirements

Portfolio
Applicants to this course will be required to submit a portfolio.

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course 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.

Not enough data available

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.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

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.

Additional fee information

Further information about full time undergraduate fees can be found at https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/undergraduate

Please note that fees for NI and ROI students have not yet been confirmed for 2025/26 by the Department for the economy and so there is likely to be some increase on the above publish fee.

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