Fine Art

Entry requirements

Lower second-class degree or above, or an equivalent standard in other qualifications approved by the University.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MA Fine Art encompasses the diversity of contemporary art and values all types of practice. Working in purpose-built studios with superb facilities, you will have the freedom to realise your own ideas through a single medium or across multiple art forms, from painting, drawing and sculpture through to photography, video, site-specific work, digital media or performance art. We will also encourage you to explore your work intellectually, grounding your practice in the key ideas and issues that inform contemporary art today.

Our staff are successful artists as well as experienced teachers, and are well placed to advise and guide you in the conceptual, technical and professional aspects of contemporary art practice. In addition, you will gain insights into life as a working artist through weekly guest lectures by leading practitioners, studio visits, opportunities to exhibit, and through a module devoted to specific arts-related professional skills. You will be part of a small, friendly and supportive community based on a dedicated art school campus within easy reach of London’s art scene – a unique environment in which we will nurture your creativity and help you to develop a career as an arts practitioner.

On the MA Fine Art we facilitate art and ideas across the full range of media, reflecting the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of contemporary arts practice. Intellectual engagement runs through every aspect of the course, and we aim to produce graduates with advanced critical capabilities. You will learn to reflect on and appraise your work in the context of personal influences and current concepts and debates in the wider world of contemporary art.

Our students benefit from being part of the University of Southampton, a world-leading Russell Group institution with an excellent reputation, while studying on a campus devoted to arts disciplines. The School of Art has an on-campus gallery, The Winchester Gallery, and there is a thriving art scene in the city of Southampton, including important regional galleries such as Southampton City Art Gallery and John Hansard Gallery, based at the new arts hub, Studio 144.

Information for international students

International and EU students applying for the MA Fine Art Pathway are required to have a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each component or equivalent, prior to starting the programme.

Fees and funding

A variety of scholarships, grants and bursaries may be available to help you fund your master’s study, both from the University and from other organisations. Please check the website for more information.