BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting Bachelor's degree at the Arts, London
BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting at Arts London. Taught at Camberwell College of Arts, this course focuses on painting as a vehicle for visual and conceptual inquiry.
About this course
BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the Arts, London, based in Camberwell College of Arts. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Art graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £23,000. (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)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 92% (2021-23; 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 1 4 modules
- Unit 1: Introduction to Fine ArtCore
Module details
This unit is an introduction to your course, the university and London as a resource.
- Unit 2: Experiment through makingCore
Module details
You'll begin to develop an independent art practice through self-directed projects. You can take risks to experiment with your painting, supported by discussion with your tutors and student peers, as well as by technical inductions and lectures.
- Unit 3: Articulate about practiceCore
Module details
As you make new and engaging artworks in preparation for an end-of-unit exhibition, you'll continue to extend and innovate your practice by developing your exploration of materials, technical methods, working processes and thematic concerns.
- Unit 4: Horizons beyond the studioCore
Module details
Unit 4 will develop your ability to adapt to a new horizon of working outside the studio by making and presenting an artist's publication, with workshops to guide you.
Year 2 4 modules
- Unit 5: Collaborative and collective practicesCore
Module details
You'll be introduced to different ways in which collaborative working can help you to focus and enhance your own creative strengths. You'll have the chance to work with fellow students and creative communities.
- Unit 6: Statements and opportunitiesCore
Module details
As you continue to progress your art making through experimentation, play and risk taking, this unit also invites and supports you to consider your future professional pathways in the world beyond the university.
- Unit 7: Understanding art contextsCore
Module details
This unit is designed for you to further enhance your learning through experimentation and risk taking in your individual studio practice. You'll be required to produce artworks to show in an exhibition, as well as to produce writing or a presentation that contextualises your artwork.
- Unit 8: Proposal for future studyCore
Module details
Unit 8 is a springboard to launch you into your final year of study. As a non-studio unit, it's designed as an exciting opportunity to reflect on the direction of your practice and imagine your third year and beyond.
Year 3 3 modules
- Unit 9: Professional futuresCore
Module details
This unit aims to address the 3Es: employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship. You'll reflect on your learning and skills across the entirety of your study.
- Unit 10: Research and developmentCore
Module details
Build upon the vision you created in Unit 8, challenging your concepts and ideas to develop a body of practical work for a public audience.
- Unit 11: Refinement for exhibitionCore
Module details
Working sustainably and ethically, you'll refine everything you have learned across the course to create new work and share it with the world through Camberwell's degree show.
Between Years 2 and 3 3 modules
- Diploma in Professional StudiesOptional
Module details
This optional diploma can be taken between years 2 and 3. With support from your tutors, you'll undertake an industry placement for a minimum of 100 days/20 weeks.
- Diploma in Creative ComputingOptional
Module details
Between years 2 and 3, you can undertake the year-long Diploma in Creative Computing. This will develop your skills in creative computing alongside your degree.
- Diploma in Apple DevelopmentOptional
Module details
This optional diploma can be taken between years 2 and 3. You'll have the opportunity to become an accredited Apple developer, undertaking a learning programme designed by Apple for UAL.
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
You'll study painting within a broader art and design context, building visual skills and critical thinking throughout the course. Year 1 establishes foundations: colour, composition and form across media; workshop experience with materials and processes; and contextual studies in art and design history. Year 2 deepens your practice through sustained studio projects, exploration of digital and emerging media, and live briefs with real deadlines. Year 3 narrows to specialist focus, where you develop a distinctive voice in your chosen area, painting, alongside opportunities in graphic design, illustration, fashion and textiles, and UX and digital practice. You'll also engage with professional practice and portfolio development, culminating in a self-directed major project publicly exhibited in a degree show.
Who it's for
You're drawn to painting as a way of thinking and expressing ideas. You're comfortable with open-ended creative problems, reflective practice and regular studio work. You're interested in the intellectual side of art, reading theory, discussing context, understanding how painting sits within contemporary discourse, as much as making. You'll thrive if you're self-directed, enjoy feedback from peers and tutors, and want to build a portfolio and professional networks alongside technical growth.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 87% of Art & Design graduates are in work or further study 15 months after finishing their degree. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. Starting salaries for Art & Design graduates sit between £22,000 and £27,000 at 15 months post-graduation; after five years, this ranges from £20,825 to £29,400. Many painting graduates enter studio practice, teaching, arts administration, or related creative fields; others pursue postgraduate study. Your degree is nationally recognised, giving you formal qualification across the creative industries and beyond.
University & format
This BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting is delivered full-time over 3 years at Camberwell College of Arts, part of University of the Arts, London. Teaching is in English. The University of the Arts, London is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree is nationally recognised. The course is based at Camberwell College of Arts, located in London.
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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
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 | 85% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
| a Baccalaureate | 2% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
| an Access course | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
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 (code W122). 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
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Arts London →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 | £23,000 | £19,500 – £26,500 | 935 |
| 3 years after | £18,500 | £12,500 – £25,000 | 335 |
| 5 years after | £24,000 | £18,000 – £30,500 | 335 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 935. Cohort 2021-22.
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.
continued or completed
continued into the next year or completed their qualification
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 935. Cohort 2021-22. 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.
Is BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The model remains below break even after 30 years. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
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
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £23,000. 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 8.6 out of 10: NSS 78.9% · continued 92%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of the Arts, London
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 Camberwell College of Arts
4,316 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 Arts London from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £30,890 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
This course lists IELTS level 6.0 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writ. 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 Arts London’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 Arts London and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Arts London
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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