Ceramics

BA (Hons) Ceramics is a new, contemporary course at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), designed for students who want to explore clay as a creative material and establish themselves as innovative, entrepreneurial ceramicists. This programme offers a material-led, hands-on education that combines historical knowledge, sustainability, and design thinking with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and creative independence.

This course is for students who are curious about ceramics as both a traditional and contemporary art form—those who want to experiment with making, explore sculptural and functional design, and develop the confidence to launch their own creative practices or contribute meaningfully to the wider creative industries. In addition, AUB is based in Poole, Dorset so has a rich heritage through its location to Poole Pottery.

The curriculum is focussed on making, with a shift towards more versatile and expressive processes such as hand-building, mould-making, wheel throwing and casting. Students will explore surface decoration, glazing techniques, and kiln firing, while also engaging with entrepreneurship, sustainability, and digital visualisation, including the responsible use of AI-assisted tools to support design development. The course also situates ceramics within broader cultural, historical, and international contexts, allowing students to develop informed perspectives on their practice and the industry.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply entrepreneurial and marketing strategies to build a sustainable creative business

• Demonstrate confident material handling and advanced ceramic techniques

• Research and contextualise their work within contemporary and historical ceramics

• Work collaboratively across disciplines and contribute to live projects, exhibitions, or industry briefs

• Develop a personal voice and direction through sustained studio practice, with opportunities to produce both art-led and design-led work.

Students will benefit from specialist ceramics studios equipped with kilns, potter’s wheels, plaster workshops, mould-making facilities, and glazing areas, as well as access to digital tools such as 3D scanning and digital motif generation. The course makes full use of AUB’s dynamic campus, fostering collaboration with other disciplines such as Fine Art, Illustration, and Fashion, and supporting a vibrant community of makers.

Whether pursuing a career as a studio ceramicist, working with design brands, or exploring further study, graduates of BA (Hons) Ceramics will leave with the technical skills, critical understanding, and professional confidence to shape the future of ceramics in the UK and beyond.

Coursework and practical work