Fine Art

BA (Hons)

UCAS code: W100

Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026

Full time: 3 years, or 4 years with a work placement

Part time: 6 years, maximum 8 years

Location: Headington

School(s): School of Arts

Find a course

Overview

Art can divide opinion, tt can inspire generations and it can take many forms. Whatever your style, develop it and expand your creative abilities here at Oxford Brookes. Plus, you can see for yourself what working in the arts is really like.

Our hands-on approach gives you a broad introduction to multiple media practices. We’ll show you how to unpick the theory behind them, and we’ll give you the freedom to explore your own creativity while we support you through your practice.

Whatever your career aspirations, we’ll help you build your professional skills and the confidence to start on your chosen career. Making the most of our relationships with contemporary galleries and arts organisations, you can start building connections within the world of arts.

You’ll be taught by practising artists, curators, researchers and technical specialists. In our dedicated facilities based a short walk from the city centre, you’ll use your own individual studio space to produce distinctive, challenging and imaginative artworks.

Take a closer look at the Fine Art course on Instagram

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Why Oxford Brookes University?

Top 10 in the UK

Fine Art is ranked 6th in the Guardian Fine Art subject league ranking 2025.
Collaborative mindset

We get to know you and your talents really well. This course is structured to create many opportunities for working together across artistic disciplines.
Space to create

You’ll receive a dedicated individual studio space scaled to meet your creative needs, accessible 24 hours a day during term time.
Highly professional

Experience the professional world of the arts while you study, through lectures, volunteer opportunities, guest speakers and specialist modules.

Well-equipped

We’ve invested in the latest tech: laser cutters, 3D printers, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) .
Learn a language

Our university-wide language programme is available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Study abroad

You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.

Course details

Discover, test and experiment with contemporary fine art as you forge your own independent creative practice. Link traditional skills and approaches with alternative media such as sound, video and installation. Use our excellent facilities to produce distinctive, challenging and imaginative artworks.

Year 1 develops your skills and explores broad artistic practice and theory across media. This time is essential grounding before you select your Year 2 pathways driven by your interests.

Year 3 is given to developing a major individual work that will be showcased at your final Degree Show, a public exhibition of your work and accomplishments.

There’s no house style here, no templates to follow. Teaching adapts to your creativity. Enjoy high tutor contact time throughout, with organised 1:1 and group tutorials.

To enrich your professional experience, you’ll build your own Real Art World (RAW) assessed portfolio. It’s a complete record of all real-world endeavours during your time on the course.

Student drawing on painting

Teaching sessions include individual and group tutorials, workshops, lectures and seminars.

Through workshops you’ll be introduced to develop knowledge of and confidence in a variety of practical methods and techniques. Lecturers, seminars and tutorials offer you a platform to learn about and critically discuss historical, theoretical and contextual concepts and approaches. This will broaden your knowledge of contemporary art and help to inform your work as an artist.

You will have 24-hour access to studio space, enabling you to work independently on your artistic practice.

The Real Art World modules throughout the course offer you the opportunity to build your knowledge and experience of working within the creative industries.

Our teaching staff have a wide range of practice, research interests and expertise. They make work for galleries all over the world.

Practice modules are assessed by the presentation of completed artworks, including the submission of your research and development work, sketchbooks, and a written self-evaluation of the project. Slide presentations of your work also help you to gain confidence in speaking publicly about your practice.

Theory modules are assessed by written assignments or essays and Professional Practice modules are assessed by written assignments or oral presentations.

Field trips are undertaken to a variety of national and local galleries and exhibitions throughout the 3 year course, any compulsory trips are paid for by the University. In addition an optional foreign field trip takes place on an annual basis. Previous destinations include Venice for the Biennale, Barcelona, Berlin and Lisbon. Costs for travel and accommodation, which is booked by the University, are kept as low as possible and in the past have amounted to approximately £350 per student.

Study modules

Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around 8 hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.

Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Practice 1: Experimental Projects (45 credits)
Practice 2: The Gallery and Beyond (30 credits)
Critical Theory 1: Introduction to Analysis in Contemporary Art (15 credits)

This module serves as an orientation on contemporary art and society while examining how artists respond to environmental and technological developments in the field. You will cover a number of topics relevant to the art world, including how artists respond to urgent environmental challenges, the influence of an increasingly digital environment, and the idea of the ‘canon’. Additionally, it aims to develop your critical writing abilities and introduce them to different forms of research, including contextual and topic research.

By the end of the module, you should be able to demonstrate knowledge of relevant artists and practices, understand critical theory related to your chosen subject, clearly articulate your point of view to the reader, and present your work in accordance with scholarly conventions. Overall, you will build a strong foundation for a future in fine art.
Critical Theory 2: Expanded Self and Beyond (15 credits)

This module is an orientation into global art practice and the impact that various environments can have on an artist. You will critically analyse changes in contemporary art practice across various contexts and cultures, using the process to begin developing an acute awareness of your own artistic identity. Furthermore, you will examine how art and artists engage with ideas and issues from around the world, such as gender politics, race and decolonisation and technology and the social world among many other current global issues.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of a broad range of art practices and critical debates prevalent in the field. Overall, this module will introduce you to contemporary concepts that will be crucial in a future career in the art world.
Real Art World 1: Introduction to Creative Careers (15 credits)

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Practice 3: Extending Practice (45 credits)
Practice 4: Consolidating Practice (30 credits)
Critical Theory 3: Accessibility and Interdisciplinary Practice (15 credits)

In this intermediate module, you will embark on an in-depth exploration of contemporary art practice from an interdisciplinary perspective. By examining the intersections of critical theory, art, and various fields such as science, technology, psychotherapy, law, and architecture, you will gain insight into the expanded possibilities and innovative potential of interdisciplinary artistic collaborations. Through the study of critical theory relevant to your subject, you will enhance your understanding of core theoretical frameworks.

On successful completion of this module, the interdisciplinary approach will enable you to bridge the gaps between various fields and contribute to the advancement of accessibility in the arts. Overall, by delving into the connections between diverse disciplines, you will broaden your artistic perspective, enhance your critical thinking, and contribute to the pursuit of accessibility and inclusivity within the arts.
Real Art World 2: Expanded Creative Projects (15 credits)

Optional modules

Critical Theory 4: Art and Critical Environments (15 credits)

Embark on a theoretical exploration of various artistic practices, uncovering the inherent connections between theory and practice. This module offers an in-depth analysis of contemporary art and culture, focusing on the central issues prevalent in today's art world. By delving into diverse critical environments, this module provides a broader understanding of how your own artistic work can be contextualised within the realms of art, society, and culture.

By the end of this module, you will gain an enriched understanding of contemporary art, its cultural significance, and its interplay with critical contexts. By honing your research and critical analysis skills, you will equip yourself for academic pursuits and professional endeavours in the art world. This module will expand your artistic horizons, enabling you to situate your own work within the broader art, society, and cultural landscape.

Placement in the Creative and Cultural Industries (15 credits)

This module can be taken as an alternative to Real Art World 2: Expanded Creative Projects.

The optional placement module in the second year may involve travel costs depending on location. You are encouraged to identify opportunities for this experience, but are given full support to ensure a sound and effective placement. In past years, students have worked in casting foundries, with arts management organisations and with public galleries. In most cases, these placements occur in and around Oxford. For this reason, travel costs usually amount to no more than approximately £50. If you opt to go further afield, costs may be higher and may be closer to £100. In all cases, these costs will be discussed and agreed with you in advance.

Independent studies (15 credits)

Year 3 (placement year)

Optional modules

Career Development Placement

The aim of this module is to develop the professional profile and professional confidence of a student through experiential learning opportunities and engagement with external organisations by undergoing work placements, internships and industry experiences. It aims to enable students to manage their own learning and self-direction through identifying opportunities that align to their disciplinary ambitions, situating their practice in a professional context. It offers a range of options including an Enterprise Residency where students can operate as freelancers and develop ideas for a start-up business with the full support of Brookes Enterprise Support.

Year 4 (or year 3 if no placement)

Compulsory modules

Practice 5: Research and Development (30 credits)
Practice 6: Major Project (45 credits)
Real Art World 3: Independent Professional Projects (15 credits)
Critical Theory 5: Independent Research (30 credits)

In this module, you will take charge of your learning and explore a topic of your choice within contemporary art practice or cultural theory. This module empowers you to conduct thorough research, critically analyse works of art and cultural practices, and develop an extended critical essay that articulates your unique scholarly viewpoint. By engaging independently and critically with research materials, you will cultivate a sophisticated understanding of your chosen topic.

Through the process of conducting thorough research and critically analysing diverse theoretical resources, you will develop essential research skills that are transferable to future academic pursuits and professional endeavours. Furthermore, Critical Theory 5 enhances your communication and presentation skills, enabling you to articulate complex ideas, structure persuasive arguments, and present your work in a scholarly manner.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Careers

The broad scope of this course, and its professional experience modules, open up various career paths for graduates.

Many establish themselves as self-employed artists or go on to a range of careers within the creative industries. That extends to TV set design, art institution management or art consultancy.

The personal skills you’ll build during your studies are attractive to many employers. You’ll gain confidence in delivering ideas, achieving concept buy-in and turning abstracts into finished forms.

Helped by tutors or through building your own contacts, you’ll feel encouraged to boost professional development by joining the artist’s network. Guest speakers to the course form an active part of this.

Professional roles could include:

artist
university lecturer
teacher
curator
gallery manager
arts therapist
arts journalist
TV set design
arts consultancy
advertising
marketing
cultural facilitator.

Anthony Joshua artwork

Student profiles

Keren Hannah Golea

"During our first year, we had a field trip to Venice, so we went there to experience the arts and we really enjoyed looking at art in a much wider perspective on a global scale"

Madi Greaves

"This course opens up an incredible range of career possibilities, both during and after university."

Keren Hannah Golea

"During our first year, we had a field trip to Venice, so we went there to experience the arts and we really enjoyed looking at art in a much wider perspective on a global scale"

Our Staff

Dr Alexandra Trott

Alexandra teaches topics on art theory and practice, covering Modern, Postmodern, and Contemporary art.

Keren Hannah Golea

During our first year, we had a field trip to Venice, so we went there to experience the arts and we really enjoyed looking at art in a much wider perspective on a global scale

Madi Greaves

This course opens up an incredible range of career possibilities, both during and after university.

Dr Alexandra Trott

Alexandra teaches topics on art theory and practice, covering Modern, Postmodern, and Contemporary art.

Keren Hannah Golea

During our first year, we had a field trip to Venice, so we went there to experience the arts and we really enjoyed looking at art in a much wider perspective on a global scale

Dr Alexandra Trott

Alexandra teaches topics on art theory and practice, covering Modern, Postmodern, and Contemporary art.

Related courses

Entry requirements

Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.

Standard offer

UCAS Tariff Points: 112

A Level: BBC

IB Points: 30

BTEC: DMM

Contextual offer

What is a contextual offer?

UCAS Tariff Points: 88

A Level: CCD

IB Points: 27

BTEC: MMM

Further offer details

We welcome applications from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.

Specific entry requirements

Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

Selection process

Applicants are offered places through:

submission of a digital portfolio of an appropriate standard; and
an interview with a member of staff and a current student from the programme.

Most interviews take place between late January and the middle of March. Applicants who submit their application early may be invited for interview in December.

Portfolio guidance:

What are we looking for?

We want to find out what excites you as an emerging artist. Through your portfolio we will be looking to see your artistic ability and creative thought processes. Your portfolio should demonstrate a range of work, techniques and processes; this will help us to gauge your experience and abilities. We encourage you to include both finished and in-progress work that you're proud of. Don't be afraid to include unfinished work, it is all part of your process as an artist and will help us to understand the approach you take to your work.

Your portfolio can contain a variety of different types of work:

Free-hand / observational drawing

Sketchbooks and workbooks (both project based and those containing sketches from trips you may have taken / contextual studies etc.)

Life drawing (pencil, charcoal etc.)

Collages / montages / mixed media

Maquettes and models

Evidence of experimentation

Photography

Video and film

Website design

Large works including paintings, sculptures, installations, time based media should be included through photographic documentation which makes the scale of the work clear. When photographing your work, also consider whether you could enrich our experience of the piece by including details.

Compiling and sharing your portfolio

You can present your portfolio as a PDF file or you can use an online service to put your portfolio together. When putting your portfolio together, ensure that it is well organised and that your work is clearly labelled. It's your work so give it the best possible chance of making a good impression. Feel free to include text labels and indicators so we know what materials and creative methods were involved.

English language requirements

Please see the University's standard English language requirements.

English requirements for visas

If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.

Credit transfer

Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.

Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process

Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCAS

Part time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the University

International applicants
Apply direct to the University

Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note

Home (UK) full time

£9,250

Home (UK) part time

£1,155 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)

£1,600

International full time

£15,950

International sandwich (placement)

£1,600

Home (UK) full time

£9,535

Home (UK) part time

£1,190 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)

£1,700

International full time

£16,750

International sandwich (placement)

£1,700

Home (UK) full time

£9,250

Home (UK) part time

£1,155 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)

£1,600

International full time

£15,950

International sandwich (placement)

£1,600

Home (UK) full time

£9,535

Home (UK) part time

£1,190 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)

£1,700

International full time

£16,750

International sandwich (placement)

£1,700

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25

Home (UK) full time

£9,250

Home (UK) part time

£1,155 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)

£1,600

International full time

£15,950

International sandwich (placement)

£1,600

2025 / 26

Home (UK) full time

£9,535

Home (UK) part time

£1,190 per single module

Home (UK) sandwich (placement)

£1,700

International full time

£16,750

International sandwich (placement)

£1,700

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

For further information please see our 2025-26 tuition fees FAQs.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Compulsory costs

Additional costs
Additional costs	Amount (£)
Art materials	From £100
End of year show (final year)	£200-600
Exhibition costs for two professionally displayed exhibitions for public view	From £350

Optional costs

Additional costs
Additional costs	Amount (£)
European or international field trip	£350-600
Field trips to London and other local venues.	£30
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online.	From £30
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand.	£20-60 per book
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills)	£94-265 per week
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs)	£122-180 per week
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41.	Typically £0-200
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey.	From £10

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

Oxford Brookes Bursary for home students Undergraduate maintenance loans for part-time UK students Undergraduate maintenance loans for full-time UK students Undergraduate tuition fee loans for UK students Oxford Brookes Bursary Scheme

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.

Fine Art

Find a course

Overview

Why Oxford Brookes University?

Course details

Course structure

Study modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Careers

Student profiles

Our Staff

Dr Alexandra Trott

Related courses

Entry requirements

Standard offer

Contextual offer

Further offer details

Specific entry requirements

Selection process

English language requirements

English requirements for visas

Credit transfer

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process

Tuition fees

Questions about fees?

Tuition fees

Questions about fees?

How and when to pay

Additional costs

Compulsory costs

Optional costs

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

All financial support and scholarships

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study