BA (Hons) Fine Art Bachelor's degree at the University of Salford
BA (Hons) Fine Art at University of Salford. You'll move between conceptual exploration and practical making, building the creative thinking and technical grounding that contemporary artistic practice demands.
About this course
This fine art course prepares the next generation of contemporary artists and creative thinkers for their professional practice. This ideas-led, practical course will enable you to explore your ideas through a range of media including painting, sculpture, fine and digital print, installation, performance, fibre/textile From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Fine Art is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Salford. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Art graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 6 modules
- Introduction to Studio Culture 1
Module details
During this module you will begin to develop your own visual language within an emerging studio practice, through a greater understanding of the nature of fine art studio practice. It offers the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of your practice and extend your knowledge base of the expanded field of fine art.
- Introduction to Art and Ideas 1
Module details
This module introduces you to key intellectual movements (such as Classical Culture, Christianity, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Post-Colonialism) and scholarly personalities (such as Plato, Aquinas, Darwin, Freud and Marx) that have shaped the cultural history we have inherited and which have created the context for the making, understanding and appreciation of art.
- Models of Scholarship
Module details
This module will introduce you to academic life and study at Salford. You will develop key transferable skills in research, writing and citation as well as digital IT.
- Introduction to Studio Culture 2
Module details
During this module you will further develop and build your own studio practice and be offered the opportunity to exhibit work in a professional public setting.
- Introduction to Art and Ideas 2
Module details
This module builds on work from Intro to Art and Ideas 1, which introduces you to key intellectual movements (such as Classical Culture, Christianity, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Post-Colonialism) and scholarly personalities (such as Plato, Aquinas, Darwin, Freud and Marx) that have shaped the cultural history we have inherited and which have created the context for the making, understanding and appreciation of art.
- Models of Practice
Module details
This module will introduce you to a variety of models of art practice and develop your skills in self-representation as an artist.
Year two 4 modules
- Studio Practice 1: Artist and Audience
Module details
The purpose of this module is to develop a self-directed studio practice of individual relevance. You will address and explore how to inscribe meaning in your work and how to communicate with an audience.
- Studio Practice 2: Development
Module details
This module will further develop a focused self-directed studio practice of individual relevance resulting in the production of a body of studio work through appropriate media and discipline areas, underpinned by an ongoing visual research project.
- Visual Analysis
Module details
The module aims to introduce some key methods of visual analysis including semiotics, iconography/iconology, gender, Marxism and non-European aesthetic systems. This module also offers an introduction to key interpretive tools to examine art works and cultural products, and contextualise them within broader fields of enquiry.
- Art in Context
Module details
This module will provide you with the opportunity to research and prepare a live brief in a 'real world' situation that offers a professional development opportunity, whilst critically examining the ways in which visual arts practice is affected by notions of professionalism and allied contextual frameworks.
Year three 3 modules
- Dissertation
Module details
This module offers a programme of research, reflection, structured learning and writing that helps you develop and understand the critical and contextual framework that underpins your practice, and articulate more effectively the relationship between theory and practice.
- Professional Studio Practice
Module details
This module offers you the opportunity to pursue an extended programme of individual study enabling you to synthesise your previous learning and to continue to explore and experiment to forge a new body of work that displays a growing maturity.
- Professional Futures
Module details
This module prepares students for life after art school and supports the development of a professional development plan, a hard copy portfolio, a digital portfolio, CV, interview skills and the ability to successfully present work professionally.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This ideas-led, practical course prepares you to explore your ideas through a range of media including painting, sculpture, fine and digital print, installation, performance, and fibre/textile. You'll build from visual foundations in Year 1, covering colour, composition, form and materials across workshops in print, textiles and digital making, alongside contextual studies that ground contemporary practice in art and design history. In Year 2, you'll develop sustained studio practice, exploring digital and emerging media, and undertake live briefs with real deadlines. By Year 3, you'll pursue specialist pathways in areas such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion and textiles, or UX and digital, culminating in a self-directed final major project exhibited at a degree show. Professional practice and portfolio development prepare you for practice beyond the course.
Who it's for
You're drawn to visual thinking and making; you want space to experiment across materials and processes without being confined to a single specialism. You respond to ideas, reading, discussing, reflecting, but you need to work with your hands to develop them fully. You're comfortable with ambiguity and iteration; you can take feedback and push your own work further. Studying fine art means sustained studio engagement, critique from peers and tutors, and the discipline to finish work to exhibition standard. If you thrive on this mix of intellectual enquiry and material practice, this course suits you.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of finishing their degree. Just over half are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Starting salaries (15 months after graduation) range from £22,000 to £27,000 nationally; after five years, £20,825 to £29,400. Your path may lead to independent studio practice, curatorial roles, arts education, cultural organisations, or applied creative work beyond fine art itself.
University & format
The BA (Hons) Fine Art is taught full-time over 3 years at The University of Salford, a public university located in Salford. Instruction is in English. The degree is awarded by a recognised UK degree-awarding body and is nationally recognised. The university holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 91% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 4% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at University of Salford →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £25,000 | £19,000 – £30,000 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £16,500 | £11,500 – £20,000 | 30 |
| 5 years after | £18,500 | £14,500 – £23,500 | 40 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 50; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Fine Art TechnicianFirst Choice StaffPharmacy Technician – Brand New State-of-the-Art HospitalCompass AssociatesArtificial Intelligence Engineering ManagerMBN SolutionsArtificial Intelligence EngineerExperis UKDelivery Driver (Part Time 24 hours) - AndoverOcado LogisticsCompliance Business PartnerNashrock Insurance RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.2 out of 10: NSS 76.7% · in work or study 90% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Salford
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Salford University
10 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Art & Design right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Salford from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Salford; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Salford’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Salford and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Salford
Common questions
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