Fine Art BA (Hons)

What is special about this course?

The BA (Hons) Fine Art course at UHI offers a distinctive and supportive creative environment where you can develop your art practice around your individual interests and ambitions.

You will explore and experiment with a wide range of fine art media, including painting, photography, drawing, spatial studies and printmaking, while also developing a strong contextual understanding of contemporary fine art. Alongside practical work, you will be supported by academic staff to write critically about your own practice and the work of other artists, while building awareness of professional practice within the arts sector.

You will study within small, close-knit peer groups and benefit from regular contact with a team of highly experienced practising artists and researchers, ensuring personalised support as you work towards reaching your full creative potential.

The course is delivered across four campuses in Moray, Shetland, Orkney and at Taigh Chearsabhagh in Uist, providing flexible and accessible study options to suit a variety of learner needs. At Orkney, Shetland and Moray School of Art campuses, you will study in a studio-based model, where practical subjects are taught in-person, on campus.  Uist campus offers a more flexible, blended delivery where all subjects are taught online, supported with an onsite, in-person residential each term at Taigh Chearsabhagh.

Regardless of your chosen campus, you will engage with the wider UHI Fine Art network through study trips, online tutorials and seminars, and have access to guest lecturers and visiting artists, all within a supportive yet challenging learning environment that places your individual development at its core.

Special features

• You will study at: Moray School of Art (UHI Moray); UHI Orkney; UHI Shetland; or Taigh Chearsabhagh (UHI North, West and Hebrides), in North Uist in the Western Isles
• Each site has its own distinctive appeal, with rich and varied natural and cultural landscapes, from the diverse island sites of North Uist, Shetland, and Orkney, to Moray, the first art school in the North of Scotland
• Your experience will be enriched with frequent cultural and environmental trips
• You will have your own individual studio space from level two onwards
• Small student numbers mean there is a close working relationship between staff and students, working across the network over four locations
• We have strong links with the cultural sector including galleries, museums and arts organisations and you will benefit from visiting artists and professionals
• There are opportunities throughout the course to present your work publicly in exhibitions, open studio events as well as in the final year Degree Show presentation
• You can study full-time or part-time to suit your personal circumstances
• We have a growing number of postgraduate course options within the creative industries

Accommodation

We offer modern student accommodation at a number of our locations.

Entry requirements

• 3 Scottish Highers at grade C or above including English OR
• 2 A levels at grade C or above including English OR
• UAL Art and Design Diploma Level 3 at Merit or above OR
• A recognised Art Access course with evidence of ability in written coursework, for example, a unit in contextual study or art history
• You will be required to submit a portfolio of visual work, which clearly demonstrates your capacity to cope with the demands of the course, and attend an interview as part of the selection process

Advanced entry to year two:

• may be possible with the HNC Contemporary Art Practice or HNC Photography (15 credits) with a B or above in the Graded Unit; alternatively, a CertHE in a relevant subject will also be considered

Advanced entry to year three:

• may be possible with the HND Contemporary Art Practice or HND Photography with a B or above in the Graded Unit; alternatively, a DipHE in a relevant subject will also be considered

Access routes

SWAP Access courses
If you are eligible to undertake Scottish Wider Access Programmes (SWAP), please visit our SWAP access list for further information on grade profiles and available subjects.

Alternatively, there are portfolio access courses available at:

• UHI Inverness
• UHI Moray
• UHI Orkney
• UHI North, West and Hebrides
• UHI Perth
• UHI Shetland

Year 1 - CertHE

You will study the following core modules:

• Critical and contextual studies 1 (SC)
• Drawing (SC)
• Lens based media (S1)
• Painting (S1)
• Printed image (S2)
• Spatial studies (S2)

Year 2 - DipHE

You will study the following core modules:

• Creative practice 1 (S1)
• Creative practice 2 (S2)
• Workshop (SC)
• Critical and contextual studies 2 (SC)
• Professional practice 1 (SC)

You will also choose one optional module which may include the following:

• Art and social practice
• Art and archaeology

Year 3 - BA

You will study the following core modules:

• Creative practice 3 (S1)
• Theory and practice (S1)
• Professional practice 2 S1)
• Creative practice 4 (Double credit) (S2)
• Research project (S2)

Year 4 - BA (Hons)

You will study the following core modules:

• Degree show (SC)
• Dissertation (S1)

Fees

For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

This includes

• EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
• EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
• EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

Rest of UK students

For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland, including Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and with a term time address in Scotland studying this course full time, the following fees apply:

4th year free only for students studying full-time, on continuous study, who have paid for the previous three years at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Part-time (per 20 credit module) - £1,542.

Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.

There are a number of funding options available to UK students to help you pay for your studies and your cost of living while studying.

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the Scottish Government confirmed that EU/EEA and Swiss nationals, who do not have settled or pre-settled status, will be considered as international for fee purposes. Students will get an automatic scholarship of £3,000 per annum and the 4^th year of study will be free for those studying full-time, on continuous study, who have paid for the previous three years at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

International students

For students who do not normally reside in the UK or European Union and with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

Part-time study is not open to international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK.

Further information on international course fees.

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international undergraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

Funding

The university has a £1000 award available to one Fine Art student annually, to assist with the purchase of items and/or materials necessary to do their course - Barns-Graham Assistance Award.

In addition, the Barns-Graham Travel Scholarship is an annual scholarship worth £1,500, awarded to a BA (Hons) Fine Art student or graduate (within one year of graduation), for project research requiring travel abroad.

UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.

Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.

Additional costs

• You will be asked to pay module fees for taught modules in Year 1 to cover the cost of materials such as paint, paper, inks, and use of specialist equipment. These fees vary at each site
• Additional costs for optional study trips will vary depending on the location and duration of the trip. You are encouraged to fundraise toward the costs of study trips