Skip navigation

Fine Art

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 15 September 2025
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Main Site
Awarded by:
Solent University

Course summary

This progressive and unique student-centred fine art course enables you to develop, define and perfect your skills as a professional artist at one of the top creative universities in the UK.

The course embraces all possible forms of artistic mediums and while you will be given opportunities to familiarise yourself with contemporary and historical art and their theories, you are also encouraged to find your own unique voice in art.

You will work in an environment in which we will support you to nurture and cultivate your artistic potential, and grow into confident makers and thinkers who will be able to navigate through contemporary art and its related fields such as art curation, art education, and art criticism.

Our dedicated studios in the Department of Art and Music are equipped to enable you to accomplish your talent through craft. You will be allocated personal studio space and have full access to a range of dedicated workshops including a sculpture workshop with metalwork, welding, woodworking and casting equipment; a print-making workshop with intaglio, dry point, etching, silkscreen, woodcut and letterpress facilities; a digital print workshop with high-quality large-scale print facilities, high-end scanners and the latest software; and photography darkrooms and studios.

You’ll also have the opportunity to use our media academy facilities, which boasts Mac suites with the latest design software, as well as a media store containing high-definition cameras, video cameras and sound equipment.

The course’s strong industry and community links has allowed previous students to engage in an ambitious programme of professional development alongside their own individual artistic practice by developing an online portfolio and designing and running a group exhibition at a professional gallery within the city.

Students study under the guidance of a team of highly skilled industry professionals who have recent and extensive experience in exhibition and commission based work and are supported by excellent teaching and studio facilities.

What does this course lead to?
The course is designed to nurture your unique approach and help you grow into a professional artist, film-maker, photographer or performance artist, but also provides support in developing a wide range of exciting career paths: art critic, art journalist, writer or poet, theorist, lecturer, school teacher or art therapist.

Who is this course for?
The fine art programme at Solent is ideally suited to students who are interested in refining their artistic skills and familiarising themselves with theoretical frameworks in art. Applicants should demonstrate a basic level of skill set in art, and some level of contextual understanding of art practice.

Modules

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Introduction to Contemporary Art
Expanded Drawing
Spatial Experiments
Unlearning and Unknowing
Exploring Mediums
Inscription and Traces

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
Discursive Spaces
Navigation
Professional Futures
Production
Engagement
Collaboration

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Practice and Research
Practice and Exhibition
Professional Practice
Thinking Through Writing
Making a Statement

Assessment method

The majority of modules in the course are assessed by your practical work, and work in exhibitions. In parallel to your development in art practice, your progression in contextual knowledge will be assessed by essays.

How to apply

Apply by
29 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:
FA01
Institution code:
S30
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

Direct entry to years 2 (Level 5) or 3 (Level 6)

We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses.

International applicants

For information about applying to Solent as an International applicant, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/help-for-international-students

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
104 - 120 points

A level

104-120 from a minimum of 2 A Levels

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

DMM (112 UCAS Tariff Points)

Access to HE Diploma

Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit, or 102-118 UCAS Tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit or Pass Grades

Scottish Higher

104-120 UCAS Tariff Points from a minimum of 4 Scottish Highers

AS

In combination with other qualifications

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
D*D

D*D (104 UCAS Tariff Points)

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

This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)

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

This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
DMM

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
D*D*

Or can be used in combination with other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)

This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)

Pearson BTEC Certificate (QCF)

In combination with other qualifications

Scottish Advanced Higher

104-120 UCAS Tariff Points from a minimum of 2 Scottish Advanced Highers

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
28 - 31 points

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)

This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)

Extended Project

This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)

HNC (BTEC)
P

HND (BTEC)
P

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
DMM

DMM (112 UCAS Tariff Points)

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
D*D

D*D (104 UCAS Tariff Points)

OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma

In combination with other qualifications

OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma

This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate

In combination with other qualifications

T Level
M

Merit (120 UCAS Tariff Points)

• Direct entry to years 2 (Level 5) or 3 (Level 6)

We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses.

• Level 5 (year 2) entry

To directly enter the second year of this course you will need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 120 undergraduate credits at Level 4 or a CertHE in a related subject area.

• Level 6 (year 3) entry

To directly enter the third year of this course you need to show appropriate knowledge and experience. For example, you are an ideal candidate if you have 240 undergraduate credits (at Levels 4 and 5), a DipHE, Foundation Degree or HND in a related subject area.

Additional entry requirements

Interview
E-Portfolio viewing required

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6with 5.5 in each individual component.
TOEFL (iBT)80with a minimum of 20 in each individual compoenent.
Solent University can also accept the following English Language Test: Duolingo English Language Test 115 overall with a minimum of 95 in each component. All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office. We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at this PDF document which outlines both Solent University and Home Office requirements for a number of language tests.

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

We understand that each student is unique. At Solent we encourage individuality and have adopted a balanced approach to Admissions, by considering exam results alongside portfolios / interviews or auditions.

Our contextual offer scheme allows offers below our standard academic entry criteria to those who have faced challenges which has impacted their performance and predicted higher grades, by taking into account additional selection criteria such as a strong portfolio, interview or audition.

Learn more on the Southampton, Solent University website

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

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

Sponsorship information

Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries

Like this page