About Fine Art MA in University of Northampton

The MA in Fine Art enables you to evaluate and develop your creative practice to the highest standards. It develops theoretical awareness, critical thinking and independent arts practice to a professional level.

The course facilitates critical debate between artists working within and across media areas including painting, photography, digital imaging, printmaking, sculpture, installation and site-specific art. Alongside your studio-based enquiry, you will undertake related research into the broader context of contemporary art practices and theoretical debates.

Course Details

When you start this course, you will begin with the module ‘Extended Fine Art Practice and Research Methodologies’ to give you a grounding in different research-based methods in Fine Art.

You will have access to comprehensive specialist resources with technical instruction and support. Our research-active staff provide continual mentoring to help you position your practice within professional cultural environments, arts-related employment or higher-level academic research.

You can study this course full-time or part-time, and you will benefit from spacious and well-equipped facilities and links with galleries, including the Milton Keynes Gallery, NN Contemporary (Northampton), Corby Cube Gallery and Rugby Museum and Art Gallery. The course often offers international study trips, typically one European option and one long-haul destination. Recent visits have included France, Italy, Spain, India, Vietnam and the USA.

As well as the existing connections between this course and regional galleries and art organisations, we encourage you to engage with external activities and events, nationally and internationally. A group of MA Fine Art students also attended a printmaking residency at the world-renowned Frans Masereel Centrum in Belgium.

Specialist Teaching Staff

Our teaching staff have a broad range of research interests reflecting the disciplines available on the course, and all staff are practicing artists who publish and exhibit nationally and internationally. Visiting speakers have included renowned artists such as Richard Long, Marcus Harvey, Simon Callery, Ian Davenport, Mark Francis, Lisa Milroy, David Batchelor, Richard Deacon, Svetlana Fialova, Richard Patterson, Ian McKeever, Dan Hays and Richard Wilson along with innovative arts organisations such as Artangel.

Methods of Learning

We take a range of approaches to teach this course, to help you learn in the best way for you. A combination of tutorials, group critiques, research supervision, lectures and seminars will give you theoretical and practical experience.

Schedule

During the first and second trimester specific modules are usually delivered on Mondays 9:30am to 4pm.

Assessments

The course is assessed in both theory and practice by assignment, examination, portfolio submission and exhibition. You will produce work throughout the course for informal feedback, which does not contribute to your final grade but will give you the chance to improve your work. The MA Fine Art has three formal assessment periods in February, May and September, and these will contribute to your final grade.

Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally have an honours degree with a first or upper second classification in Fine Art. Under exceptional circumstances, other candidates will be considered. Applicants whose first language is not English may be required to demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English.

Prospective students should present a portfolio of work together with supporting evidence that is representative of their current creative practice.

For more more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.

If you are an International student and would like information on making an application, please see our How to Apply page.

English Language Requirements

All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

• Minimum standard – IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent)
  for study at postgraduate level.

For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

University of Northampton Highlights

University of Northampton Average Tuition Fees And Other Expenses

For all the prospective candidates for the institute, an estimated cost of living in the UK is as cpmipield below.

University of Northampton Tuition Fee

The tuition fee varies from one course to another. Following are some of the popular courses along with the tuition cost:

University of Northampton Undergraduate Courses 

University of Northampton Graduate Courses 

University of Northampton Cost of Attendance

Basic list of expenses apart from tuition fee are as follows:

University of Northampton Application Process

Basic Admission Requirements

1. Certified transcripts of high school/college/university
2. One reference required
3. Statement of Purpose depicting the interest of the applicant in the chosen course
4. MBA applicants must also have a proof of work experience
5. Arts and design applicant must also submit their portfolio 

The outcomes of the English proficiency tests taken by all of the international applicants. IELTS, TOEFL iBT, and Pearson PTE are acceptable tests. The minimal IELTS scores needed to get admitted are as follows:

Additional Requirements

1. An overseas student who has been accepted must pay the GBP 5,000 deposit fee before the university would issue them a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies).
2. Other documents for the visa application process are:

• Passport
• UK visa history form
• Proof of financial support