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Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £9,535 per year
International/EU: £17,155 per year (£1,200 for placement year) -
How long will I study?
4/5 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
A011
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Course summary
- Join an interdisciplinary community of practising artists whose work investigates the present and shapes the future
- Grow your confidence to make art in an inclusive environment which encourages diverse perspectives
- Experiment with materials and processes, taking risks, investigating unfamiliar concepts and testing new ideas
- Collaborate in curating exhibitions, events and screenings and grow your networks locally, nationally and internationally
If you don't meet the entry requirements for our BA (Hons) Fine Art, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study, we recommend you join the foundation year – which has been designed to encourage exploration and experimentation.
Studying Fine Art develops the imagination, practical and critical skills needed for an ever-changing world. This course will help you develop your individual art practice and build your networks to open up future professional opportunities.
Creative UK membership
We are members of Creative UK, which means our art and design students are also members until they graduate. With 10,000 members in its network, Creative UK represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries, advocating on the issues that matter the most to creative communities.
View our students' work
View our gallery of student work and learn more about the exciting projects they've been working on this year.
How you learn
This foundation course brings together students across all our art and design courses as one creative community. You’ll work and learn together in a dedicated studio space and have access to our top-class facilities.
Based in our bespoke studios, workshops, and digital spaces, you’ll become part of a dynamic and collaborative learning community. Together, you’ll undertake creative adventures, explore possibilities, and challenge conventions.
Through our teaching, we help you unlock your potential to contribute as a creative thinker and doer and apply your knowledge to art practice, culture and society.
You learn through:
- Studio practice
- Workshops
- Technical demonstrations
- Group and individual tutorials
- Creative reviews
- Lectures
- Guest talks
- External visits and field trips
Key themes
Your foundation year will help you get to grips with University life as you study alongside a creative community of Art and Design students. Expect to be hands-on in the studio, learning through doing as you explore the creative process with collaborative projects, workshops and field trips.
Find out more about your foundation year.
Throughout the course, you’ll develop your making and thinking skills using a diverse range of creative processes, media and software – and you’ll explore ideas and practices through workshops led by skilled tutors and technicians.
Activities include painting, print, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image, performance and interaction, art writing, site-specific and socially-engaged/participatory work, and other forms of contemporary art practice.
You’ll learn different methods for research, understanding how artists work and think, and how research supports the development of contemporary practice. By collaborating with others, you’ll build confidence in communicating ideas and sharing your work with audiences.
At every step, we’ll help you position your practice in relation to real-world opportunities and challenges, so you can create work for particular contexts and participants through exhibitions, screenings and other live projects with external partners.
Course support
We’re a dedicated, qualified, and highly experienced teaching team, with world-leading research and recognised professional creative reputations, who take the time to get to know you.
Throughout your learning journey, you’ll experience a range of dedicated personal, academic and career development support, such as:
- Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones and online resources to help with planning and structuring your assignments
- Access to office and studio space, expert workshops, freelancing opportunities and a vast business network to tap into
- Industry-specific employability activities and careers support for up to five years after you graduate
The course develops strategies of attention, empathy, imagination, courage and resilience in the face of an uncertain future. Our course prioritises care as a critical activity – care for global human contexts and for the more-than-human world.
Course leaders and tutors
Joanne Lee
Senior Lecturer in Graphic DesignI am a photographer, writer, researcher and publisher with a curiosity about everyday things and the ordinary places in which I live and work.
Applied learning
Your course has been designed to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful.
We do this by developing your expertise in collaboration with the professional creative and cultural sectors – with commercial and creative practitioners, commissioners, clients and arts organisations.
Work placements
You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year-long work placement (25 weeks minimum) or multiple placements before your final year. This gives you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.
Previous students have worked in galleries with practising artists and in schools, while others have set up their own artist residency. You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Turing scheme.
Live projects
Take part in live projects in creative and critical arts practice where you work with external partners to respond to real-world challenges, projects and opportunities.
Field trips
We offer opportunities to go on study trips and visits in the UK and abroad – with free travel and accommodation for all mandatory field trips. These might include workshops, conferences or visits to practitioners’ studios, cultural institutions and special collections.
There’s also the option to enhance your studies further with our optional field trips. Recently, the course has visited the Venice Biennale and Berlin. These trips are valuable for the experience of seeing work first-hand and understanding the professional world of contemporary fine art.
Students can also apply for funding through the Turing Scheme to support a study exchange or placement outside of the UK.
Networking opportunities
Many of our academics are professional art practitioners and world-renowned researchers who help you understand and access thriving art networks.
With a diverse set of guest lectures, you’ll hear first-hand advice from leading artists, curators and thinkers. Previous guests have included:
- Uthra Rajgopal, winner of the prestigious Art Fund New Collecting Award
- ArtsCatalyst, a Sheffield-based visual arts organisation
- Harun Morrison, artist, writer, and former trustee of the Black Cultural Archive
- Shepherd Manyika, an artist-educator working with leading UK Art Galleries
- Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad, a social designer whose work fosters collaborative culture
Exhibitions
You’ll exhibit your work in prestigious public galleries and exhibitions, such as The Post Hall Gallery, the Millenium Galleries, Bloc Gallery and S1 Art Space.
At the end of your final year, you’ll have the opportunity to exhibit your work in our annual Future Now Festival of Creativity – to which we invite VIP guests, employers, businesses, influencers, friends and family and the general public. The festival is widely attended and is hosted in the city centre. You’ll also be able to curate and exhibit your work on our online Gallery.
Future careers
This course prepares you for careers and future study in:
- Art practice
- Research
- Curation
- Museums and galleries
- Creative and critical writing
- Publishing
- Film direction
- Production and editing
- Set design
- Prop-making
- Art direction
- Animation
- Music and media industries
- Teaching
- Art therapy
Our graduates exhibit in diverse galleries and festivals, have been nominated for the Turner Prize, Jarman Award, Oscars and BAFTAs, written and starred in TV series, released critically-acclaimed music and published significant works of fiction.
Our graduates also lead major art galleries, teach and research at UK and international higher education institutions.
Previous graduates who have become successful in their field include:
- Martin Clark, director of Camden Arts Centre
- Kid Acne, internationally renowned artist and illustrator
- George Shaw, Turner Prize nominee 2011
- Rosalind Nashashibi, Turner Prize nominee 2017
- Nick Park, Oscar-winning creator of Wallace and Gromit
- Hannah Duraid, The Great Escape Game entrepreneur
- Dawn Shadforth, British music video and documentary director
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreLearn more about your department
Art and Design facilities tour - shared workshops
Take a look around the shared workshops in the Department of Art & Design at Sheffield Hallam University.
Equipment and facilities
We strive for an inclusive and equitable studio environment where divergent ideas, histories, and practices are encouraged to thrive.
Our fully equipped and purpose-designed studios, workshops and facilities include state-of-the-art equipment, such as:
- Painting and sculpture spaces
- Project space
- Dedicated TV and film studios
- Photography studios
- Industry-relevant hardware and software
- Performance spaces
- Creative media centre
- Professional gallery
- Printmaking
- Wood, metal and mixed media workshops
- Ceramics workshops
- Casting and metalwork facilities
- 3D printing
You'll also have access to a wide variety of facilities across the university campuses – including a 24-hour learning centre, Students’ Union, cafés and eateries, lecture theatres, exhibition spaces and more.
Media Gallery
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 80
This must include at least 32 points from at least one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications (to include a relevant subject, such as Art, Design and Technology, Textiles or Graphics). For example:
• CDD at A Level with a grade C in a relevant subject.
• MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma in a relevant subject.
• Pass overall from a T level qualification with C from core
• A combination of qualifications which must include an A level grade C or BTEC grade M in a relevant subject and may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies
• Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
• English Language or Literature at grade C or 4
We may also accept you, if you have limited qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying Art and Design.
We treat the foundation year as part of the Art and Design degree programme. Offers made to students will be for four years of study (or five years of study including a placement). This is made up of the foundation year plus one of our Art and Design degrees.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider the Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Portfolio review
If your application is successful, you will receive an email inviting you to submit a link to your portfolio.
The portfolio helps us understand whether we are able to offer you a place on the course you’ve applied for. Your UCAS statement and portfolio provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your creative experience, potential ability and enthusiasm for the course you’ve applied for. Visit our portfolio review guidance.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Foundation Projects — Developing Creative Practice
Foundation Skills & Methods
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Developing Fine Art: Progressing Ideas And Expanding Practice
Introducing Fine Art: Ideas, Materials And Processes
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Contexts For Fine Art: Working With Sites, Communities, Audiences And Participants
Experiments In Fine Art: Curiosity, Testing, Positioning
Future Now: Collaboration In Action
Elective modules
Study Abroad - Creative Industries
Year 4
Optional modules
Placement Year
Final year
Compulsory modules
Challenging Fine Art: Deepening Creative And Critical Investigation
Presenting Fine Art: Resolving Ideas And Making Public
Elective modules
Ordinary Fine Art Studio
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years. We are currently reviewing our tuition fees for the foundation year stage of this course following the Government announcement of fee changes for some foundation year courses and will confirm fees as soon as possible.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Creative Industries Institute (PDF, 268.6KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
