Fine Art Painting BA(Hons)

Course in brief

Our Painting degree is one of the few courses in the UK that offers specialist study in the subject.

Painting has been taught at Brighton for over 150 years and this course builds on this history by questioning and redefining the role of painting in society.

At Brighton, there is no house style – we encourage you to test boundaries in an environment of discussion and debate. Our philosophy is that painting is a practice; you must actively engage with it to discover where it can take you.

Painting teaches you that meaning will come from making your work, rather than any preconceptions about what art is. It maintains contemporary relevance because it speaks from the heart of its creators.

To develop, you must be unafraid of taking risks and willing to learn through both failure and success. The key to development is in your recognition of the possibilities that present themselves throughout your journey, as an artist and a human being, and how these may be the key to new ideas and ways of understanding.

The practice and research interests of our teaching staff differ widely, but we all share the desire to be surprised, and to delight in difference and possibilities of the new. This breadth of knowledge creates and informs the course.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Grand Parade

UCAS code W120

Full-time 3 years

Apply now with UCAS

Applying for 2017

This course is closed for 2017 applications. Applications for 2018 open in the autumn. In the meantime check out our summer open days for students thinking about studying with us in 2018.

Find out about our open days

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–CCC (120–96 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DDM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range. We are looking for highly motivated and creative students. We will consider you on an individual basis. Your portfolio is the most important and mandatory part of your application. If your predicted or actual grades fall below the range but you can evidence your thinking, ideas and abilities through a high-quality portfolio we will still consider your application.

Art foundation diploma
Pass. A foundation diploma is not a requirement for entry – it is just one of a range of qualifications that is accepted for admission to this course.

International Baccalaureate
30 points.

Access to HE diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Art and design courses preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3, and 30 credits must be at merit or above.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language and maths.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and at least 5.5 in the other elements.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country

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 institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

Why study with us?

Our Fine Art Painting degree is one of the few courses in the UK that offers specialist study in the subject.

Painting has been taught at Brighton for over 150 years. Building on this history of teaching excellence, you’ll find that our inspiring and specialist course questions and redefines painting's role in a changing society.

You will work daily in your own studio space at the university, receiving regular contact with expert staff through individual tutorials, lectures, seminars and workshops.

Your learning emphasises the development of your personal visual language and is underpinned by your growing critical understanding of contemporary fine art practice. We encourage you to explore all aspects of painting, discovering how different media and processes impact on the ideas and content of your work.

Visits to galleries and intern or volunteer work will enhance your understanding of professional practice, as will opportunities to exhibit your work at self-initiated exhibitions at the College and in local spaces.

All studio lecturers are established professional painters, guaranteeing that you receive guidance from tutors with specific, up-to-date knowledge of the medium. Likewise, technical provision, methods, materials and skills acquisition are all focused on painting and its unique requirements.

We have strong links with local arts communities and there are opportunities to be involved with these. We also have international links with the universities of Nagoya, Japan; Nova Scotia, Canada and Kansas, USA, all of which run exchange programmes available by competitive application.
Two Fine Art Painting graduates per year have completed six-week residencies in Chongquing China, organised through the university.

Michaela Yearwood Dan (graduated 2016)

George Lloyd-Jones (graduated 2015)

Year 1

First year tuition develops your ability to produce self-directed work. Studio practice units emphasise experimentation and risk-taking within a critical but supportive environment; workshops cover all technical essentials of painting; the Historical and Critical Studies programme discusses the contexts of art; and seminars introduce you to professional development.

Modules

Fine Art Painting: Studio Practice 1
Fine Art Painting: Studio Practice 2
Methods and Materials
Engaging with Art: 1860–the Present

Year 2

In your second year you continue to produce self-directed work, but there is greater emphasis on its relationship to the worlds of cultural and political debate. The ‘interim show’ teaches you about the key issues of exhibiting publicly. The extension studies programme allows you to explore topics outside your usual learning range, while Historical and Critical Studies lectures are tailored to painting.

You may apply for overseas study placements in Japan and Korea.

Modules

Studio Practice 3 and 4
Practice in Context
Options

Final year

In your final year you produce a body of work to professional standard, exhibiting it in the acclaimed, annual graduate shows; write a research essay to define and contextualise your practice; and receive professional development lectures on subjects ranging from self-employment to project management, networks and planning strategies.

Assessment for studio units is based on artwork and writings; historical and critical work is assessed through written work and presentations. You’ll receive written feedback on your progress. At these points you complete your own self-assessment matching the form used by your tutors. These encourage you to reflect on your development.

Modules

Fine Art Painting: Studio Practice 5
Fine Art Historical and Critical Studies: Research Project
Studio Practice 6

Facilities

A vital resource in all fine art disciplines at Brighton is the studio.

Each student is given their own workspace.

Many tools and equipment needed are provided and the workshop contains a wide range of power tools for woodworking while essential hand tools can be borrowed.

Cameras and digital equipment can be borrowed from the photography unit and media centre.

You must provide your own painting materials (paints, paper, canvas and wood supports) and basic equipment such as brushes, hammer, staple gun, drawing board, stanley knife, etc. As a student you are entitled to educational discounts on computers and software.

In terms of regular expenditure your costs will depend on the scale and requirements of your work. Staff will advise you on where to get cheap materials and equipment. Some materials are provided at cost price (canvas and some paints) while a certain amount of painting media and glazes / varnishes are provided free.

Expert technicians provide support for students as well as inductions into equipment and technologies.

You are entitled to use any of the university but St Peters Library serves our arts and humanities courses.

The Media Centre offers short-term loan of video and audio equipment for presentation and production, alongside video and audio editing and animation facilities. There is an on-site supplies shop.

The Photographic Services Unit has a well-equipped dark room, a studio and camera loan facilities.

All students are encouraged to use the Media Centre, which provides computer rooms (mainly Apple Mac hardware, but some PCs are also available) and training rooms. The computers have a good range of contemporary software providing you with access to digital image processing and manipulation, graphic layout and typography, animation, film and sound production and editing.

Student views

Charlie Schaffer Fine Art Painting graduate (2014)

Hear what Charlie has to say about the course.

It teaches you self-motivation and self-belief…

Staff profile

Christopher Stevens Course leader

Chris's work spans painting, drawing, photography, animation and video, and has won numerous national awards. Since graduating from Brighton in 1981 his work has been exhibited widely both in the UK and abroad, winning prizes in numerous national art exhibitions. In 1993 he was shortlisted for the post of official war artist in the Bosnian conflict by the Imperial War Museum. Throughout his career as an artist he has remained committed to realist painting as an ongoing and vital artistic practice. His work is represented in London by Mummery+Schnelle.

Find out about the rest of the Fine Art Painting staff: Alex Pollard, Nadine Feinson, Oliver Gosling, Tony Benn, Tom Hammick, Joseph Mark Wright and Robert Hersey.

'Washed Up’ by Chris Stevens, Oil on canvas 137 x 183cm

Careers and employability

Our graduates have had international residencies at The British School in Athens, Foundation Armando Alvares Penteado Sao Paulo, and in China. Our alumni have had gallery representation at Ceri Hand, Ana Cristea, Nettie Horn, Herman Germann, George and Jorgen, Domo Baal, and Saatchi, with work exhibited in New York, Sao Paulo, Basle Switzerland, Los Angeles and London.

Every year, we have graduates who go on to MA study at The Royal College of Art, The Slade, Goldsmiths, Chelsea, The Royal Drawing School and others, and several move on to further research careers. Many go on to establish successful careers as artists, curators, teachers, and other related fields of practice within the art industries.

Graduate successes from 2015 and 2016 include:

Jake Grewal was a Woon Art Prize 2016 finalist, winner of the 2016 Cass Arts Prize and had a sell out show at the Affordable Art Fair 2016
Dave Auborn was a finalist exhibitor in the Riverside National Open
Oriele Steiner exhibited at Bloomberg New Contemporaries
four graduates went on to study at the Royal Drawing School
Lauren Alderslade won first prize in the National Open Art Competition
Alex Crocker, George Little and Grant Foster all had solo shows at Ana Cristea, New York.
Chris Hanlon is represented by Domobaal London
Ed Liddle joined QU Arts Brussels
Aimee Herbert named as a Saatchi Art One to Watch and set up a framing business
Darrell Hawkins had a solo show Immaculate Confection at the Saatchi Gallery
Claudia Dance Wells is now running an independent arts space in Leeds.

Francesca Seal (graduated 2015)

Laurie Crean (graduated 2016)

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 13,920 GBP

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2017–18. Tuition fees are payable for each year that you study with us.

Where UK/EU students are subject to regulated fees, the annual fee increase cannot exceed the UK government’s maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant year. For all other students, ie those not subject to regulated fees, tuition fees are subject to a maximum annual increase of the higher of 5% or RPI.

You can find out more about our fees in the 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- 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.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. 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. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Brighton has been called the happiest place in the UK, and it’s easy to see why. With five miles of pebble beach, more than 300 pubs and a packed festival calendar, Brighton is the ideal place to spend your student years.

Arts and culture: The Royal Pavilion is the most famous landmark in Brighton, opening its doors to around 400,000 tourists every year. Right next door is the Brighton Dome, the south coast’s premier multi-arts venue, and the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, which holds a diverse collection of decorative arts, textiles and archaeological artefacts.

Festivals: The Brighton Festival is now the largest arts festival in England and a major milestone in the international cultural calendar. Meanwhile, The Great Escape has been established as the UK’s leading event for new music, with over 300 bands playing 30 venues across the city over three days.

Nightlife: Aside from the many nightclubs that line the city’s seafront, student favourites include The Haunt, Concorde 2 and Patterns, which attract leading bands and DJs from around the world. If you don’t feel like dancing, you can take your pick from the many hundreds of pubs and bars that dot the city centre.

Shopping: The quirky North Laine district houses Brighton’s finest collection of boutique shops and independent cafes, while the narrow, winding streets of the South Lanes house collections of jewellery and antiques. Churchill Square is the city’s main shopping centre and serves all of your high street needs.

Sports: Brighton’s seaside location offers the perfect opportunity to try paddle boarding, kayaking and windsurfing. Further into the city, The Level has a skate park for skateboarders and BMX riders to practise their skills.

Campus where this course is taught

Grand Parade campus

Our Grand Parade campus is in the heart of Brighton, across the road from the Royal Pavilion and a five-minute walk from the beach. After your lectures you’ll be right in the city centre, close to all the best pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes that Brighton has to offer.

The campus is home to a creative community of arts and humanities students, specialising in everything from fashion and textiles to politics and philosophy. It is also the location of the University of Brighton Gallery and Sallis Benney Theatre, which host events throughout the festival season and beyond.

The world-renowned University of Brighton Design Archives are in the basement of Grand Parade and offer extensive resources for the study of British design in the twentieth century. St Peters House, the campus library, is also nearby and houses a specialist collection of arts books and journals.

Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Our Grand Parade campus is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance. We have around 300 rooms available in Phoenix Brewery, which are all ensuite and self-catered.

Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus. All accommodation in Moulsecoomb Place is catered, offering breakfast and an evening meal during term time. There are more than 150 rooms available here, with six to eight rooms per flat.

Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence. The site is four miles from Brighton centre but within walking distance of Falmer train station.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field. Great Wilkins offers 150+ self-catered single rooms and one-bed couples flats, while Paddock Field offers 450+ catered and self-catered single rooms only. All rooms in Falmer are en-suite.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. The rent covers all utilities and includes £5,000 of contents insurance for your personal belongings.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our Brighton accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Grand Parade campus map

Unistats

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats is an organisation that collects specific data about university courses in the UK which enables you to compare information that is important in your decision-making when choosing a university. All universities publish Unistats data on their online course pages.

Wherever we can we have provided extra information here to help put the data into context so that it is as useful as possible when you are making decisions.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the official university document for each course. They are updated each year, and give a very detailed breakdown of what your course might look like.

Programme specification