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Fine Art BA (Hons)

Undergraduate

Fine art student painting at an easel with completed works behind her on the wall.

Develop your creative voice by exploring both traditional and innovative approaches to contemporary art, reflecting the ever-evolving creative industries. 

Year of entry

2025-26 2026-27

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

Course code

W100

Start date

September 2026

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Course overview

This studio-based, practice-led course is perfect for creative individuals keen to develop technical skills, critical thinking and entrepreneurial abilities. It is designed to empower you to build a sustainable and successful career in contemporary art and design. 

Develop practical skills exploring digital and traditional art forms in our spacious studios through diverse studio projects and workshops.
Cultivate critical thinking skills to confidently navigate and shape your creative career.
Access specialist workshops, industry-standard software and professional media resources.⁴

A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2026

Why you should study this course

Gain adaptable, creative and professional skills suited to a career in the arts and wider creative industries.
Develop a portfolio that reflects contemporary practice across traditional and contemporary media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, performance, sculpture and digital media.
Learn how to sustain a creative career by combining artistic experimentation with research, collaboration, and project management, equipping you with the skills to thrive in the creative industries.
Benefit from our strong industry links, with opportunities to exhibit work, attend guest lectures and engage with live briefs.²

About the School of Arts and Creative Industries

Our learning and teaching mirror the needs of the creative industries, so our graduates have the opportunity to develop the skills and attributes needed to become industry specialists, leaders and innovators.
Our studio culture seeks to ensure you are socially responsible in our creative community and develop critical thinking in research and making processes.
Our global initiatives aim to give you skills to become a collaborative communicator and make you culturally competent.
Our industry links typically enable us to host an exciting programme of guest speakers covering topics such as art and data ethics, interdisciplinary collaboration across art and science, public sculpture, performance and creative hacking, curatorial practice and traditional disciplines including painting, sculpture and printmaking.²

Past students have worked on projects including:

Imagine Bamboo Summit: a cross-disciplinary event exploring bamboo’s potential to transform urban environments and deliver innovative net zero solutions through exhibitions, installations, and creative collaborations with artists, designers and engineers.
As part of a live project with the Mead Gallery at Warwick Arts Centre, Fine Art students collaborated with curators to create a pop-up exhibition responding to two major shows. This provided students with hands-on experience in curatorial practice and public exhibition-making.

Graduate Showcase 2025

Check out what our School of Arts and Creative Industries students produced for their final projects to showcase at Coventry University's Graduate Festival.

Attended by hundreds of industry professionals, family and friends, across multiple weeks, our students' work was showcased at our very own Phoenix Film Festival, live performances from our theatre and music students and an on-campus exhibition.

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first year courses

Fine Art BA (Hons)
Illustration BA (Hons)
Photography BA (Hons)

Modules

Creative Thinking – 30 credits

Unlock new ways of thinking by exploring the cultural and historical contexts that shape creative practices. Engage in thought-provoking debates, refine your ideas and discover how contemporary issues influence your work. Develop your ability to curate information, refine concepts and engage with emerging trends, all while considering your audience to create impactful, well-informed outcomes. The module introduces the history of the discipline while encouraging you to appreciate contemporary contexts, relate practice to context, debate and articulate your understanding and consider the needs of different audiences.

You should learn to:

Identify how cultural and contextual factors influence project opportunities and outcomes
Select and curate information to support the conceptualisation and refinement of audience-specific creative outcomes in creative practice
Engage with emerging debates, information and observations to inform personal responses and directions.

Compulsory

Processes and Materials – 30 credits

Experiment with a range of approaches to your practice, expanding techniques, problem-solving and finding new materials and platforms to work with. Embrace both traditional and digital materials, taking risks to push boundaries and develop unique outcomes. Tackle real-world challenges, interpret briefs and refine your ideas through hands-on exploration, unlocking new ways of working and thinking that shape your creative journey.

You should learn to:

apply problem-solving capabilities to define, develop and refine creative ideas
recognise and respond creatively to real-world challenges within creative practice
engage with creative thinking techniques and experimental processes to develop personal understanding and practice.

Compulsory

Professional Contexts – 30 credits

Sharpen your ability to articulate your creative intentions and communicate effectively with others. Develop strong interpersonal skills while collaborating and negotiating with stakeholders, ensuring your ideas are clearly understood and refined. Archive and reflect on your project experiences, documenting your journey and personal growth, as you build the skills needed to thrive in professional creative environments.

You should learn to:

articulate intentions through a range of creative outcomes in creative practice
record and reflect on project experiences and activities in the development of personal practice
reflect interpersonal skills and capabilities when engaging with stakeholders, project negotiation and development.

Compulsory

Creative Practice – 30 credits

Explore creative making through a hands-on approach, tackling practical challenges with specialist techniques and processes. Develop innovative solutions while reflecting on how your practice aligns with industry standards and professional codes. Let your personal interests refine your ongoing projects and gain valuable insights into potential career paths and how to make your mark in the creative world.

You should learn to:

develop ideas and practical solutions through specialist making techniques and processes in creative practice
respond to practical challenges and reflect on their relative value in the context of your developing professional practice/codes of practice
reflect on and refine ongoing project work to embrace personal interests and recognise potential career aspirations.

Compulsory

Modules

Explore: Currency of Connections – 30 credits

Explore the value of creative practice as a powerful force for connection—fostering community, shaping environments and building meaningful relationships between people, places and ideas. Engage with specialist intellectual debates, examine the global and contextual state of the discipline and develop investigative, research and writing skills. Emphasis will also be placed on working with audiences and applying critical thinking techniques to expand creative and cultural understanding.

Compulsory

Experiment: Taking a Chance – 30 credits

Experiment by harnessing unpredictability as a tool for artistic discovery. Through improvisation and open-ended processes, invest in how randomness and unexpected outcomes can drive innovation. 

This module offers skills sessions in a range of traditional and innovative processes, teaching you techniques in innovation and iterative thinking. Through embracing change and uncertain knowledge, learn to question assumptions, challenge preconceptions and position your ideas within real-world contexts. The focus is on developing adaptive, forward-thinking approaches that support creative exploration and critical engagement. 

Compulsory

Exhibit: Going Global – 30 credits

Position your artistic practice within international contexts and global dialogues. Refine your interpersonal skills while engaging with diverse audiences and stakeholders throughout the development of your project.

This module supports the development of practical decision-making and reflective personal process thinking, with an emphasis on effective teamworking and defined roles within project environments. Engage in discourse, share and present ideas, and practise inclusive communication strategies to foster collaboration and clarity in creative contexts.

Compulsory

Making: Carving Your Path – 30 credits

Through making, focus on establishing and defining your artistic vision by continuously reflecting on and developing your practice. This empowers you to shape your creative trajectory while connecting your projects to exciting career possibilities.

Align techniques with creative intent, practising methods relevant to your discipline while exploring entrepreneurial approaches to your work. With a focus on tackling project briefs, reflect on your career ambitions, investigate industry contexts and identify potential professional pathways, preparing you for future opportunities within and beyond your field.

Compulsory

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement can often be beneficial. Work placements² usually occur between your second and final years of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

Modules

UK Work Placement – 0 credits

This module provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement² undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

International Study/Work Placement – 0 credits

This module provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement² undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

Modules

Explore: Future Dialogues and Discourses – 30 credits

Explore the future of artistic dialogues and discourses by consolidating practice with research, shaping new perspectives and ideas.

This module focuses on responsible research practices, including ethical considerations and sustainability, while encouraging you to define and meaningfully engage with audiences. Through the application of critical thinking in context, develop personal manifestos or principles that articulate your values and intentions, shaping a reflective and informed creative practice.

Compulsory

Experiment: We Need an Intervention – 30 credits

Experiment and challenge your practice by becoming your own disruptor. Innovate through interventions and collaborations in spaces, places and with people, pushing boundaries to challenge norms and create ambitious practices.

Challenge and test your ideas as you position yourself as an innovative and disruptive creator. By advancing process-based thinking within a creative context, critically examine and question disciplinary norms, cultivating a bold and reflective approach.

Compulsory

Exhibit: Launching Your Practice – 30 credits

Exhibit your creative practice through an uninterrupted studio period, producing a fully realised and coherent body of work. Focus on refining your practice, honing your artistic vision and preparing yourself for your future career and aspirations.

Develop collaborative and professional skills through recording and presenting project activity, establishing clear team roles and refining communication strategies. Learn to listen, contribute and lead effectively, while building negotiation skills essential for navigating project development and group decision-making.

Compulsory

Making: Launching Your Practice – 30 credits

Making it happen. Through focused creative practice, produce a fully realised and coherent body of work that consolidates and refines your artistic vision, clearly reflecting your future ambitions.

Present and articulate your creative practice with clarity and confidence. Emphasis is placed on honing your work in relation to a specialist focus, while developing an awareness of how your practice fits within contemporary industry contexts and responds to emerging and shifting trends.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Teaching and learning methods may include:

lectures
seminars
tutorials
presentations
group projects
workshops
practical studio sessions
practical workshop sessions.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. You will normally study one 30-credit module at a time. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary depending on your year of study and selected modules. During your first year, you can expect 12-15 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend additional sessions, including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course is assessed using methods that vary by module. These approaches are intended to prepare you for the complex and evolving contexts of professional practice.

Assessment methods may include:

artefacts
practical coursework
digital coursework
individual work
group work
presentations
projects
individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement	What we're looking for
UCAS points	112
A level	BBC
GCSE	GCSE English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards.
BTEC	DMM
IB Diploma	29 points
Access to HE	The Access to HE Diploma. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 / C or above.

Portfolio

You may be required to attend a portfolio showcase, activity session or audition or submit a portfolio via email (as is appropriate to your course), either virtually or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites for these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

South East Asia

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Portfolio

You will be required to submit a portfolio via email or alternatively attend a showcase activity session or audition (as is appropriate for your course) which can be virtual or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites to send in your portfolio or attend these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 overall (with at least 5.5 in each component area)

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	2026/27 fees TBC 2025/26 fees: £9,535 per year	Not available
EU	2026/27 fees TBC 2025/26 fees: £9,535 per year with EU Support Bursary 2026/27 fees TBC 2025/26 fees: £19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	2026/27 fees TBC 2025/26 fees: £19,850 per year	Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement² or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee³ to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2027/28 will pay £1,500 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,800 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

The Delia Derbyshire building lies at the heart of our Coventry city campus. This multi-million pound investment in the arts is home to the Schools of Art and Design, Media and Performing Arts, Humanities, and Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences. First opened to students in 2023, the spaces enable you to mix with like-minded students, getting hands-on with cross-disciplinary projects or immersing yourself in the studios with cutting-edge virtual reality and mixed-reality technologies. Our aim is to bring you sector-leading facilities helping you explore your way to your future career.

Ceramics, Glass and Casting Workshops - allow you to produce a range of forms from a variety of materials including resin, glass, ceramics, plaster and cement.
Printmaking Workshops - allow you to explore a range of printing processes from screen printing to etching; cyanotypes to lino cutting.
Sublimation and Vacuum Forming Studios - allow you to print onto a multitude of surfaces and then form them into the sculptural shapes

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Careers and opportunities

Benefit from direct access to industry through embedded live briefs, visiting professionals and exhibition opportunities.

Recent graduates of this course have:

secured artist residencies with Coventry Biennial
won the Batsford Prize for Fine Art
been accepted onto competitive curatorial programmes including the Engine: Curatorial Development Programme by Sam Williams Studio, which offers hands-on experience in public art curation and commissioning, mentorship from industry leaders and paid roles
been selected for curator traineeships at Eastside Projects, further enhancing their professional development in contemporary art curation.

The graduate destinations listed above illustrate potential career paths. You may need to gain additional qualifications or practical experience, pass professional examinations, complete training, cover associated costs and meet specific visa or immigration requirements to secure employment in these fields.

Further study

Some of our past graduates have progressed to postgraduate study here on our suite of MA courses, doing Design Management, Fine Art Painting, Animation, and Illustration. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

Others have gone on to undertake further study at both international universities and British institutions including the Royal College of Art, Chelsea College of Arts, University of Edinburgh, Central Saint Martins, University of Warwick and the Slade School of Fine Art.

Two students sat at a desk working on a laptop

Discover Phoenix+

Phoenix+ brings you together with other students to learn, experience and develop essential knowledge and skills. Whatever destination you choose, it's about preparing you for life after university.

Learn more about Phoenix+

How to apply

Institution code

View our courses on UCAS

UK students

Full-time students will be able to apply for this course through UCAS from September 2025. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

International students

International codes:
AHU093

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

ioadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations, partnerships and membershipsons

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply. See the relevant body website for more details). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships are subject to successful renewal in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery. If the accreditation, recognition or membership of this course changes, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2025/2026 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2026/2027 contract will apply for the 2026/2027 intake. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

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