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MA artwork by Joe Ainsworth

Fine Art MA

  • Intro
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
  • Entry
    criteria
  • Fees
  • Location and
    student life
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Intro

Our Fine Art MA is for disciplined artists who want to grow their ideas and practice – you will challenge yourself creatively by critically examining your work, your artistic identity, and your motivations and ambitions.

You will engage wholly with what it means to practise as an artist today, with a tailored programme of study and regular personal tutorials. As part of a community of artists on the course you will participate in weekly lectures, seminars and crits, benefitting from working alongside your peers.

The course is taught by a team of experienced artists and curators, with guest lectures, workshops and professional practice seminars aimed to broaden your understanding of contemporary art in context.

As a full-time student you will work in dedicated studios at Dorset Place in central Brighton, and there is an on-site Fine Art MA gallery space where you can exhibit work to the public.

Banner image: artwork by Joe Ainsworth, Fine Art MA graduate

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location Brighton: City campus

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Apply online

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Apply now for your place

Art and design courses at Brighton are ranked joint 8th in the UK and in the top 100 globally by the QS World University Rankings® 2022

The course has been a lot of work but incredibly rewarding. My studio was spacious allowing me to be very productive. I am drawn to working sculpturally however the course has allowed me to experiment with mediums including painting, printmaking, drawing and film. Students on this course develop a range of practical and creative skills, and we were also encouraged to collaborate with in projects or group exhibitions

Cameron Bridgeman, 2022 graduate

Verity Baird and her art work
Barbie Squared and Turn the Tables by Verity Baird, 2020.
Fine art work by Jones G
Domino District by Giselle Jones, 2019, digital photographic imagery and oil paint.
Fine art virtual show
A virtual show designed and featuring work by students Jane Beecham and Clive Parsley in the Fine Art MA space Dorset Place Gallery.
Fine art work by Lucy Finchett-Maddock
With All My Heart (installation view), 2020, by Lucy Finchett-Maddock.
Fine art group show
We have an on-site Fine Art MA gallery space where you can exhibit work to the public - this is a view of our 2019 exhibition installation.
Fine art work by Anthony Griffin
Homo faber02 (2020) by 2020 graduate Anthony Griffin, whose practice "employs the subject of manual labour as a lens through which to search for truths pertaining to the human condition".

Course content

Course structure

The course runs for 12 months full-time and 24 months part-time.

Regular seminars, tutorials and crits take place each Tuesday and Wednesday. Most students are part-time and attend each Tuesday in Year 1 and each Wednesday (plus Tuesday evening) in Year 2. Full-time students attend group activities on both of these days and spend the rest of the week either researching or working in our shared studios.

Part-time students research and make work in their own studios outside the university and use university facilities (such as workshops or libraries) for practical and presentation purposes. All students have access to the Postgraduate Project Space to install and exhibit work.

Follow Fine Art MA on Instagram.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Art display

Areas of study

The course is split into two main sections. Both involve elements of theory and practice – together with portfolio and visual documentation preparation – and culminate in assessed exhibitions.

Section 1

The first section (one year part-time or six months full-time) concentrates on the identification and development of your chosen mode of practice, with a degree of re-evaluation and experimentation being the norm.

You will display and discuss your work within a group to form a social and professional bond with your fellow students. You will also attend lectures and seminars given by the regular staff team and visiting guest speakers.

Section 2

The second section prepares you for the final assessment exhibition. This involves regular crits and group meetings. You will present a seminar linked to your work, develop your professional practice and networking skills, and receive tutorials on the extended essay that you write during the summer vacation.

Modules

  • Reconfiguring Practice
  • Research and Practice Methods: Journal
  • Research and Practice Methods: Presentation
  • Consolidating Practice
  • Critical Review Essay
  • Fine Art: Postgraduate Student Mentoring

Student views

“Tutorials were very good, helpful and to the point.”

“It has been interesting to have a varied response to work from different tutors, advisers and mentors.”

“I attended video editing and woodwork inductions – both of which were clear, thorough and well led. The Media Centre is particularly fantastic.”

“The course has helped me to reconfigure my practice and has enabled me to get to the next level – putting my work into a theoretical framework has been a valuable tool.”

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on Vimeo.

Meet the team

Amy Cunningham

Amy Cunningham is a multidisciplinary artist, lecturer and researcher, who uses the singing voice, video, materials and drawing to explore the texture, patterns and glitches in technologies and environments. Addressing both the obsolete and the futuristic, her artworks have included a fictional computer game in a real eighteenth century garden, opera as a video installation and an Internet broadcast as a song cycle.

Currently she is developing a series of work which explores the relationships between the architecture of leisure, wildlife and industry within coastal environments.

Read more about Amy Cunningham and visit Amy's Vimeo site.

Other teaching staff include Sean Dower, Alex Pollard and Louisa Buck.

 Amy Cunningham

Our latest news

Meet us at our postgraduate events

Meet us at our postgraduate events

There’s no better way to explore your future study opportunities than by meeting lecturers and researchers at a postgraduate event.

Graduates 2022: Valerie Savchits: MA Fine Art

Graduates 2022: Valerie Savchits: MA Fine Art

I enjoyed having conversations with my tutors.

Graduates 2022: Clive Parsley: MA Fine Art

Graduates 2022: Clive Parsley: MA Fine Art

Having been guided by my tutors and mentor to hone my research proposal, within the first couple of months I felt confident enough to steer away from my planned use of medium and experiment in new techniques.

Graduates 2022: Jane Beecham: MA Fine Art

Graduates 2022: Jane Beecham: MA Fine Art

The course at Brighton has been amazing.

Read more from our blog

Careers

As well as going on to become practising fine artists, our graduates take up jobs in galleries including Fabrica Gallery, Chrysalides House Art School and Gallery, and Pallant House Gallery.

Many go on to lecturer and research positions at universities including University of the Arts London, University College Falmouth, Northbrook Metropolitan College, the University of Brighton and the Malta College of Fine Art and Technology.

People looking at students work at the Graduate show

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Degree and experience
Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant area. Other candidates with relevant experience and demonstrable ability are also considered.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International students whose language skills do not match the IELTS scores set out here should consider applying for this course through our Extended Masters programme.

Deadline
We do not have a set deadline to receive applications, but recommend submitting before the end of May.

Research statement
When submitting your online application, we ask that it include a research statement. This should detail your interests as an artist and outline the scope and method of your intended study. It should also include a short bibliography. It does not need to be any longer than one side of an A4 sheet and you should add any back-up sketches or photographs you feel you need on a separate sheet. As a brief guide, we suggest you write your statement under the following headings:

  • title and any sub-title of the work proposed
  • aims and objectives of the work
  • a description of what the work will involve
  • how you would start your research for the work
  • possible technical requirements
  • any other information you think is relevant.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Portfolio

In your portfolio you should present 15–20 still images (or other formats if working in sound and media arts) online. Please provide a URL for your portfolio in your application.

We strongly advise you to upload your images to an image-sharing website where tags can be used as specific search criteria to help us locate your images quickly. If you wish to host your images on your own website, the URL must be clearly marked on your application.

Each image should be clearly marked with the following information.

  • Description: Please include the title of the work and the date it was completed (time‐based work can be presented as screenshots/stills)
  • Optional information: A brief description of your work related to each still image (max 20 words per image)

Image specification and format
All images must be in JPEG format: flattened, optimised for web/screen viewing and 72ppi (pixels per inch), with maximum dimensions of 500 pixels on the longest side. Adobe Photoshop is the ideal programme to use for this.

Find out more about how to create and submit your portfolio.

Student art

Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time)8,100 GBP

International (full-time) 15,800 GBP

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Art and Media in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

  • Typically, practice-based courses incur more costs than text-based subjects. For many courses you will need to budget for the cost of specialist materials, equipment and printing and are likely to spend between £50–£300 per year.
  • For some courses you may also need to budget up to £100 for specialist personal protective clothing which, with care, will last for the whole of your course and beyond.
  • For most courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits, for example to galleries, exhibitions and studios both in the UK and overseas. These are optional and are not required to pass your course. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken, and typically range between £100 and £700 across the duration of your course.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software at City campus and Moulsecoomb campus and at other locations across the university. Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning. Students may choose to buy their own specialist equipment, these may include cameras, or computers and software, university/student discounts are available for some equipment and software. Budgets can range from £50–£2,000. Buying specialist equipment is best undertaken in consultation with our academic and technical staff. This expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £200 for printing and publishing. Photography courses may incur higher costs (£500–£2,000) when printing and framing images of professional standard for public presentation.
  • Course books, magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies, but if you wish to, you should budget up to £200 over your course to buy them.
  • For courses in which there is an optional placement year, you will need to budget for living costs (rent, food, travel etc) in that city/country, as if you were on site at the university.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £150 for stationery.
  • Final-year graduation shows are opportunities to present your final, independent project work to the public. Practice-based courses will typically incur higher costs. Depending on the specific nature of your final project you will need to budget between £20–£2,500.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

City campus

City campus is located at the heart of central Brighton.

The facilities for making and designing, the theatre, galleries, workshops, studios, archives and the independent arts organisations based on site provide a unique and inspiring environment where creativity thrives.

St Peter’s House library and Phoenix halls of residence are close to the exhibition and learning facilities in the Grand Parade main building where you will also find the student centre with careers, counselling, student advice service and disability and dyslexia support. Edward Street provides extensive teaching and gallery space for media, photography and film.

Also on site are Screen Archive South East and University of Brighton Design Archives.

Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the iconic pier and beach are a very short walk away. The independent shops and businesses of the North Laine and Kemptown, and Brighton main line station, with frequent express services to London, are 10 minutes walk.

Grand Parade exhibition space

Accommodation

Brighton: City campus

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer. All rooms are self-catered.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • City campus is linked to Phoenix halls, Mithras halls and Moulsecoomb Place.
    • Phoenix halls are a short walk from City campus in the centre of Brighton.
    • Mithras hall and Moulsecoomb Place are located on the Moulsecoomb campus, around two miles from City campus. Public transport in the city is excellent.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Phoenix Brewery Halls Accommodation

Accommodation for City campus is in the nearby Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city’s reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year. Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements, live briefs and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

We provide support and venues for key events in the city’s arts calendar including the Brighton Festival, the Festival Fringe, the Great Escape, the Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Photo Biennial and the CineCity Brighton Film Festival. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate Show transforms our campus into the largest exhibition space in the South East as we celebrate the outstanding talent and creativity of our students.

As a student you’ll get lots of opportunities to experience these events at first hand and to develop your skills through the volunteering and other opportunities they offer.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

City campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Students talking in a social area

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Find out about postgraduate events

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

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