Location

Canterbury

Start date

Sept 2026, Sept 2027

Duration

3 years full-time

UCAS logo

UCAS codes

Course: W100
Institution: C93

+1

Foundation year

Optional extra year of study

+1

Placement year

Optional extra year of study

Entry requirements

Check qualifications

Fine Art at UCA

Find your voice on BA (Hons) Fine Art at UCA Canterbury and study at a specialist art school – with the space and freedom to think big.

Your studio, your practice

At UCA we provide you with dedicated studio spaces and bookable project rooms, where you can work at scale and in private. As a specialist art school, everyone here – from technicians to librarians to tutors – understands creative practice. You won't spend any of your time justifying what you do, you'll spend it making.

Find your own voice

There’s no house style here and no two UCA artists are anything alike. You could be painting, performing, filming, or fabricating – this Fine Art degree meets you where you are and supports you to become what you want to be. At our degree shows, you'll see the proof: every graduate's work is genuinely their own.

Your work in the real world

In your second year, you hit a turning point – a moment you take your work beyond the studio and test it off-campus with real public audiences. In year three you'll take over much of the campus for the degree show, transforming buildings, galleries, hallways, and outdoor spaces into your very own exhibition.

A unique position to create

Studying in Canterbury puts you within easy reach of Kent’s thriving art scene, London, and even Europe. You’ve got the space to breathe and create, the time to think and experiment, and the connections to find inspiration when you need it.

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Discover the stories of our Art students

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

Thinking Contemporary Art; 30 credits
You are introduced to the ways artists think, research and position your work within contemporary art discourse. Through workshops, lectures and experimental making, you will explore art as a set of forms, concepts and creative methods that engage with personal, ideological, socio-political, environmental and cultural questions. The module connects studio practice to wider historical, theoretical and material contexts, encouraging you to consider the histories, ethics and impact of materials and processes, and the relationship between art and the world around it. You will develop playful, exploratory and critically informed approaches to generating ideas, supported by research-led enquiry and conceptual risk-taking. Through discussion, critique and presentation, you will learn to communicate your ideas clearly while reflecting on your developing practice. This module establishes a shared foundation of critical understanding, research skills and confidence that supports the growth of your individual fine art practice across the course.

Career Catalyst: Skills & Capability; 30 credits
You will be introduced to contemporary art practice methodologies through a strong emphasis on discovery through making. Working with a series of open-ended conceptual briefs, you will explore how ideas are developed through materials, processes and techniques, building confidence in independent and self-directed studio and workshop practice. Through hands-on workshops and discipline-specific learning environments, you will develop creative, technical and digital skills, learning how artists experiment, problem-solve and communicate ideas effectively. The module brings practice and theory together, connecting studio activity with critical and contextual thinking introduced elsewhere in the course, while encouraging you to question what art is and can be. Working collaboratively with peers and technical teams, you will begin to build a supportive community of practice, using feedback and reflection to evaluate your work and identify areas for growth. This module establishes a foundational skills toolkit, supporting ethical, inclusive and sustainable approaches to making, and providing the direct and transferable skills needed for future study and professional development.

Initiating Practice; 30 credits
This module marks a key transition from working with set briefs towards developing your own emerging artistic vision and voice. Through guided studio practice, research and experimentation, you will begin to evaluate the needs of your individual practice, translating concepts into artworks that respond to contemporary fine art debates. You will explore how ideas inform making through expanded practices such as site-specific work, performance, installation and digital media, while developing technical confidence and practical skills through hands-on investigation. The module emphasises collaboration and the building of supportive communities of practice, encouraging you to work with peers to realise outcomes and to test how your work is interpreted by audiences. Through critical reflection, discussion and presentation, you will learn to articulate the evolving characteristics of your artistic language, establishing a strong foundation for more independent and professional modes of practice in later stages of the course.

Practice in Context; 30 credits
In this module you will explore how contemporary art practice is shaped by cultural, historical, environmental and social conditions, encouraging you to question not only what artists make, but why they make it. Through research, discussion and contextual enquiry, you will investigate key themes in contemporary art discourse such as identity, community, power, material histories and our relationship with nature and the environment. The module examines how creative practices both respond to and influence wider social dynamics, supporting you to analyse how art engages audiences and operates within society. You will begin to form a sense of creative lineage by exploring artists, theorists, ideas and practices that resonate with your own emerging interests, learning to situate your developing practice within current debates. Through critical reflection, you will connect contextual research to your own ideas and approaches, strengthening your understanding of how context informs the direction of your creative practice.

Developing Practice; 30 credits
Marking the beginning of your second year and challenges you to critically evaluate and advance your fine art practice through new creative and conceptual approaches. Using the studio as a site for speculative exploration and enquiry, you will deepen your understanding of processes, materials and methods, refining your practical skills through imaginative experimentation. The module encourages you to broaden the ambition and range of your work while engaging critically with contemporary contexts, ethical considerations and sustainability issues that shape artistic decision-making. Through workshops, studio-based making and contextual and theoretical research, you will develop a coherent body of work that reflects your evolving artistic voice. You will also build greater independence by evaluating your approach to self-directed research and experimentation, critically reflecting on your progress and identifying areas for further development as your practice matures.

Career Catalyst: Communities & Influence; 30 credits
You focus on situating your fine art practice within real-world social, professional and cultural contexts. Through community-based initiatives you will apply the creative skills, materials and critical thinking developed earlier in the course to hands-on projects with external communities, organisations or groups. You will identify and collaborate with a chosen community such as an artist studio, gallery, community organisation, school or cultural initiative, developing relationships and lines of enquiry that support meaningful engagement and collaboration. The module encourages you to explore roles such as artist assistant, facilitator, curator or collaborator, and to contribute to projects including workshops, exhibitions, publications or events. Alongside practical activity, you will critically reflect on your professional goals, ethical responsibilities and emerging career direction, documenting your experiences to evaluate your networks, mobility and professional practice skills. Through cross-disciplinary lectures, discussion and reflective practice, the module supports you in understanding the role of the artist within society and in developing ethical, inclusive and sustainable approaches to working collaboratively in diverse creative, professional and community contexts.

Expanding Practice; 30 credits
This module challenges you to critically re-evaluate and extend your fine art practice by building on the skills, experience and knowledge developed earlier in the course. Adopting a research-driven and interdisciplinary approach, you will experiment with expanded creative methodologies, exploring new processes, materials and ways of working while refining the integration of theory and practice. The module encourages you to think beyond the studio by testing how your work operates in public contexts and by critically considering how, where and why it engages audiences. Through contextual, theoretical and material research, you will produce an individual body of work that demonstrates the evolution of your practice and its engagement with contemporary cultural and social concerns. Working as both researcher and practitioner, you will critically evaluate how form, content and research processes contribute to contemporary fine art discourse, strengthening your ability to position your practice within wider societal, cultural and professional contexts.

Making Public; 30 credits
You explore the diverse ways artists can present and share their work with audiences beyond the studio. Through individual and collaborative projects, you will create and present public-facing work, experimenting with strategies such as exhibition-making, publication, performance, live briefs and community engagement. A key focus of the module is testing ideas in real-world contexts and critically examining the relationship between creative practice, methods of dissemination and audience experience. Working collaboratively, you will plan, curate and realise a public-facing project such as a group exhibition gaining hands-on experience of grassroots and artist-led approaches to making work public. Throughout the module, you will consider the social, ethical and practical dimensions of public presentation, developing the organisational, professional and collaborative skills required to communicate ideas effectively and to prepare for future opportunities in presenting work to diverse audiences.

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.

Creative Research; 30 credits
You focus on independent, research-led enquiry as a driver for advanced creative practice. In this module, you will design and realise a self- directed research project that critically connects theory, context and practice, using appropriate creative and critical research methodologies to investigate a clearly defined question or theme. You may develop a practice-led or practice- informed project in a range of forms, including artworks, films, audio works, community-based projects or hybrid approaches that integrate traditional and emerging technologies such as digital tools or AI. Alongside your creative work, you will produce a research essay that contextualises and frames your enquiry, demonstrating your ability to synthesise material, conceptual and contextual research. Throughout the module, you will critically engage with contemporary social, political, environmental and ethical concerns such as sustainability, inclusion and community-focused practice, positioning your work within current discourse and preparing you to contribute thoughtfully and responsibly to the future of contemporary art and culture.

Career Catalyst: Futures & Direction; 30 credits
This module supports you in defining and articulating your creative identity while preparing for professional life beyond art school. Building on the skills, knowledge and experience developed throughout the course, the module invites you to reflect critically on your work and its place within contemporary, global and professional contexts. Alongside continuing studio practice, you will explore possible future pathways as an artist, engaging with career planning, professional studies and emerging trends within the contemporary art world. The module emphasises independent project management, strategic thinking and professional communication, supporting you to articulate your practice confidently to diverse audiences and industry contexts. Through reflective and industry-facing activity, you will develop materials and plans that inform your final major project and degree show, equipping you with the skills, insight and adaptability needed to navigate creative futures after graduation.

Major Project; 60 credits
This is the culminating module of the course, bringing together research, practice and professional development into an ambitious, self-directed body of work. You will synthesise the knowledge, skills and creative approaches developed throughout your studies to conceive, develop and realise a significant project to a professional standard. Through independent research, experimentation and critical engagement with contemporary contexts, you will manage the full creative process from initial concept through to resolution and public presentation or exhibition. The module supports you in articulating a confident creative identity, integrating theoretical and contextual perspectives, and demonstrating advanced technical, analytical and practical skills. Emphasis is placed on autonomy, reflective practice and ethical, sustainable and inclusive approaches to making and presenting work, preparing you for professional opportunities, future creative challenges and the next stage of your artistic career.

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 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.

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

Integrated foundation year

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year one

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year two

  • Independent study: 74%
  • Scheduled teaching: 26%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year three

  • Independent study: 76%
  • Scheduled teaching: 24%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Professional placement or International year (if undertaken)

  • Independent study: 98%
  • Scheduled teaching: 2%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 100%

Please note: these details are for 2026 entry and could be subject to change for other years of entry.

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.

Upcoming webinars

We offer a range of webinars throughout the year that you may be interested in.

You can also view recordings of all previous sessions through the UCA webinar archive.


Fees & financial support

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790
  • BA course: £9,790

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. 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.

Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790 (see fee discount information)
  • BA course: £9,970 (see fee discount information)

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. 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.

Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £18,000
  • BA course: £18,000

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2026 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,490. 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.

The fees listed here 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.

Find out what's included in your tuition fees.

Fine Art 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
Susan Jessop, MA Fine Art, UCA Canterbury

What careers can you do with a Fine Art degree?

Your guide to creative and cultural careers.

'When I Sleep' © Tracey Emin | White Cube | Frieze London 2019

What degree did these famous artists do at university?

If you’re considering studying Fine Art it’s only natural to wonder where your degree might take you.

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


“Nighttime at Hollybush Garage” by © Nathaniel Fowles

What our Fine Art students say

“Being encouraged to think, question, and reflect are some of the most fundamental skills I was able to take away from the university. We also had some great tutors, visiting lecturers and technicians. The support and encouragement we had from individual staff members was invaluable."

Read Nathaniel's story Chat to UCA students

Fine Art entry requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the Integrated Foundation Year we will need to see your portfolio, please see the portfolio requirements section for more details.

 

 

Select your country to find the equivalent requirements

Portfolio requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the course with the Integrated Foundation Year we will need to see a portfolio.

  • 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. 

We’re looking for enthusiastic and motivated students with a desire to learn. In your portfolio we’d like to see 12 to 20 examples of your current work that showcase your level and range of achievements, organised in a way that clearly represents your artistic development to date. 
Your portfolio should contain work that demonstrates the ability to experiment, analyse, reflect, and develop ideas and skills, along with evidence of resolved works.

Please see our fine art portfolio advice and read our advice on creating a strong art portfolio.

UCAS applicants should also check our UCAS personal statement guide for fine art applicants.

Full portfolio requirements and advice

Apply to BA (Hons) Fine Art

Please use the following fields to help select the right application link for you:

UCAS codes

  • UCA institution code: C93
  • Three year degree: W100
  • Plus professional practice year: W103
  • Plus integrated foundation year: W10F
  • Plus integrated foundation year and professional practice year: W10G

BA (Hons) Fine Art key statistics

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