Fine Art at UCA

Diversity of people and art practice is celebrated and vital in our BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at UCA Canterbury, where you will be supported to become the artist you want to be.  

With a high level of individual support and extensive facilities, you will enjoy a bespoke learning experience.

You’ll develop independence in both your thinking and working, come to understand what it means to be creative in relation to your own interests, and learn how to communicate your practice. 

Fine Art at Canterbury is well established. There is easy access to both London and Europe, and our international team of staff with world-leading practices and reputations will support, nurture, and encourage you as you create work that matters.

 

Course entry options

Select from the following options to find out more about the different study options available for our BA (Hons) Fine Art degree:

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Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W100
Campus
canterbury
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
3 years full-time
Entry requirements

112 UCAS points
International equivalent qualifications

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Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W10F
Campus
canterbury
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
4 years full-time
Entry requirements

UK: 32 UCAS points
International / EU: 12 years of schooling (with good grades)

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Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W10H
Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W103
Campus
canterbury
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
4 years full-time
Entry requirements

112 UCAS points
International equivalent qualifications

Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W10G
Campus
canterbury
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
5 years full-time
Entry requirements

UK: 32 UCAS points
International / EU: 12 years of schooling (with good grades)

Close
Institution code
C93
Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements

Upcoming webinars

We offer a range of webinars thoughout the year that Fine Art students may be interested in.


This includes subject talks, masterclasses, application proccess advice and student life guides. Make sure to check out all our upcoming webinars and book your place today.

Two minute stories


Discover the stories of our Art students
What you'll study

What you'll
study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated Foundation Year

Contemporary Practice Toolkit
This module introduces you to contemporary art studio methodologies, emphasising discovery through making. A series of loose conceptual briefs will be set as you begin your art school journey, in order to assess previous knowledge and experiences and to introduce you to more independent and self-guided practices.

Thinking Contemporary Art
This module introduces you to the teaching approaches of art school. It connects studio practice to wider issues and concerns to help you to begin to understand the current state of fine art discourse and develop your place within it. Practical workshops will focus on thinking about art as a collection of forms, concepts and creative methods for addressing personal, ideological, socio-political, environmental, and cultural questions. These workshops set a baseline of experience and knowledge that will create a foundation for the further development of individualised practices.

Initiating Practice
You will be guided to begin to evaluate and set the course for the needs of your own individual practice. This module emphasises the translation of concepts into art and on building communities as artists with unique practices both within the cohort and the larger campus. 

Art in Context
You will explore how art practice is shaped by cultural, historical, environmental, and social contexts – questioning not just what we make but why we make. You will investigate the interconnections between art and the larger social dynamics that shape our culture, such as ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, being human and our relationship to nature and the environment. 

 

 

Developing Practice
At the beginning of your second year, this module challenges you to evaluate and develop your practice through new creative and conceptual approaches. You will deepen your understanding of processes, materials, and methods, using the studio as a site for speculative exploration and critical inquiry. The module emphasises the refinement of practical skills through imaginative experimentation, allowing you to broaden your range of practical outcomes. 

Making Communities
In the second year of the course, you will engage directly with situating your ideas and practice within the communities in which you reside and beyond. This module encourages you to apply the material, skills, and discussions you have developed in theoretical terms to hands-on, community-focused projects. 

Expanding Practices
This module focuses on the expansion and diversification of your practice, encouraging you to adopt a research-driven, interdisciplinary, and innovative approach. You will experiment with expanded creative methodologies, refining how you integrate theory and practice while exploring the potential of your work in public contexts. This includes thinking critically about the public-facing opportunities for your work—how, where, and why it engages with audiences.

Making Public
This module explores the different ways you, as an artist, can make your work public. You will create and present work for public audiences, considering activities such as exhibition-making and community engagement. The module emphasises testing ideas in real-world contexts and encourages you to think critically about the relationship between your practice and its audience.

 

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment

Practice as Research
This module focuses on independent research informing creative practice. You will explore advanced research methodologies and critically connect theory to practice; applying research to inform and innovate your creative practice, fostering connections between historical, theoretical, and contemporary contexts. 

Contemporary Platforms
This module explores the multiple paths that those with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art might take, inviting you to design your own forward-looking life curriculum. A central focus of the module is on professional studies and practice in preparation for your final module (e.g., Degree Show, public facing exhibitions, publications, workshops etc). 

Consolidating Practice
You will create a significant body of work, culminating in a public presentation or exhibition that demonstrates your artistic vision and professional readiness. You will be required to demonstrate a high level of analytical, critical, practical, and technical skills, ensuring your work is appropriate to the production and reception of contemporary artworks. As the culmination of your studies, this module encourages you to consolidate all aspects of your practice, preparing you for professional opportunities, future creative challenges, and the next phase of your artistic career.

 

This course is designed to offer you (if eligible) the opportunity to study part of your degree aboard at a UCA partner university, while still earning credits towards your UCA degree.

For more information please visit the Study Abroad section

Across the entire duration of this course you will be required to maintain and evolve a Progression Portfolio. Through this you will learn how to curate and build a document of all of your research and developmental/experimental work across each unit of the course. This portfolio will allow you to reflect, review, update and present all of your unit outcomes in one place to demonstrate your knowledge/understanding, technical and professional skills as a Visual Communication practitioner. This is your first step in placing your own practice in an industry context. This will also form an important component for each assessed element of the course.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Tuition fees - 2025/26

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,535
  • BA course: £9,535

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2025 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,900. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Tuition fees - 2025/26

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,535 (see fee discount information)
  • BA course: £9,535 (see fee discount information)

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2025 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,900. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Tuition fees - 2025/26

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £16,950
  • BA course: £17,500

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2025 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,390. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Please note: The fees listed on this webpage are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules.

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Document for more details of the costs you may incur.

Career opportunities

As a long-established course, we have a developed Kent wide network which gives our students access to some of the most respected names in the creative industries, including:

  • Turner Contemporary Margate
  • Folkestone Triennial
  • Dover Arts Development
  • Stour Valley Creative Partnership
  • Crate
  • Whitstable Biennale
  • Canterbury Cathedral

While many of our alumni have developed careers as established artists, others have chosen to apply their talents to other fields, becoming:

  • Artist practitioners
  • Filmmakers
  • Project managers
  • Animators
  • Curators
  • Writers photographers
  • Arts administrators
  • Publishers
  • Educators
  • Technical instructors
  • Designers
  • Producers
  • Picture/archive researchers

You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.

Ronan Alice Porter

"My art practice has really developed; I’ve learnt so much about modern art history and practicing artists that I couldn’t have attained elsewhere. I’m a lot more confident in myself as an artist."

Ronan Alice Porter

Entry & portfolio requirements

We’ll need to see your portfolio for this course:

  • UK applicants: We will invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person.
  • International applicants: We will ask you to submit an online portfolio. 

View Fine Art portfolio advice

Select your country to find the equivalent requirements

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