Fine Art with Foundation Year

Fine art is one of the oldest and most enduring of human practices. It encompasses painting, sculpture, printmaking, installation, performance, video, photography, and the full range of media through which artists explore ideas, express experiences, and engage with the world. Studying fine art at degree level means developing your own artistic practice with rigour and intentionality, understanding the histories and contexts that have shaped contemporary art, and building the critical and conceptual vocabulary to work and think as a professional artist.

At the University of Derby, this four-year full-time programme begins with a foundation year that gives students the exploratory space to experiment with different media, materials, and ideas before committing to a direction. You will work with leading artists and educators in modern studios, developing your individual practice across a wide range of artistic disciplines, including both traditional and digital media. Derby's tutors are internationally recognised as artists and researchers, and the programme is designed to build the professional skills and ambition needed to pursue a career as a practising artist or to work across the many fields where artistic skills and creative thinking are valued.

The degree includes a sandwich year, a year abroad option, and work placements. The typical entry tariff is 104 UCAS points.

Graduates of fine art programmes pursue careers as practising artists, illustrators, art educators, community artists, art therapists, curators, arts administrators, and critics. Many build portfolio careers that combine making with teaching, writing, or arts organisation. The creative, analytical, and technical skills the degree develops are also valued in design, advertising, publishing, digital media, and the cultural sector more broadly.

Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in fine art, arts education, or curatorial practice, continuing to develop their practice and professional standing.