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Fine Art MA

London, Bloomsbury

UK students International students

Study mode

Full-time

UK tuition fees (2022/23)

£12,900

Overseas tuition fees (2022/23)

£29,400

Duration

2 calendar years

Programme starts

September 2022

Applications accepted

All applicants: 18 Oct 2021 – 05 Jan 2022

Applications closed

Entry requirements

MA applicants are required to hold a first degree in Fine Art at second-class Bachelor's level or above, or its overseas equivalent, and are required to satisfy the school that they have an appropriate level of academic achievement. Exceptionally, an applicant with a first degree in a related subject (such as Art History) will be considered, but evidence of a high level of achievement in the chosen studio discipline will also be required.

English language requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Advanced

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The MA programme provides an intellectual and creative environment in which talented fine art graduates develop their individual potential as professional artists and pursue independent research. The History and Theory of Art component enables students to develop in depth the relationship between theory and practice in their own work.

Who this course is for

Having received a good grounding in art or a related field at undergraduate level, the emphasis for graduate students is on advanced personal research as a thorough preparation for professional practice and/or further doctoral study in the field.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The Slade School of Fine Art at UCL is one of the UK's leading* university departments for research in Fine Art, approaching the study and practice of art in an enquiring, investigative, creative and experimental way. All academic staff are practising artists or writers, actively involved in research as well as teaching, and have a diverse range of interests and expertise. The UCL Slade School's London location enables easy access to a wide range of learning resources including major galleries, museums, libraries, cultural institutions and theatres. *UCL was ranked #2 for Art in the 2021 Guardian League Table (https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2020/sep/05/the-best-uk-universities-2021-league-table)

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Distinguished former students include Jenkin van Zyl, Marianna Simnett, Zeinab Saleh, Imran Perretta, Sofia Mitsola, Emma Hart, Jadé Fadojutimi, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley and Phoebe Boswell.

The Slade provides graduate students with opportunities to enhance existing skills and to learn new techniques, in the context of developing their individual creativity, in preparation for careers as practising artists and within related fields.

Outside of UCL the Slade has established partnerships and networks, working with organisations and professionals in the field of art.

Employability

The programme aims to develop students' individual potential in the field of fine art. It also provides an excellent foundation for further doctoral research. Recent graduates have established international careers as professional artists, receiving important commissions, gaining gallery representation, winning major prizes and residencies, as well as developing new artist-led initiatives. Others have roles in related careers, for instance, curation, museum and gallery management and education, worldwide.

News and achievements of alumni including recent graduates are detailed on the news section of the Slade School website.

Teaching and learning

A practice-based programme, students develop their work with tutorial and technical assistance according to need. The taught component is delivered through lectures, seminars, critiques, tutorials and workshops, but primarily demands individual investigation. Year two prioritises supervised individual research. Assessment is by review of final practice-based work and history and theory coursework including a report.

Crits are scheduled in most weeks in the autumn and spring terms, and these are supplemented by one-to-one tutorials, group tutorials and across-school events, such as Contemporary Art Lectures.

Modules

Full-time: The Fine Art MA is an integrated degree programme and does not have a modular structure. In the first year, you will follow the practice-based programme, which includes weekly critiques and seminars. You will take two History and Theory of Art courses, one in the autumn term and one in the spring term. During the summer, you will work on the long Research Essay independently. The programme is supplemented by weekly staff talks and Contemporary Art Lectures. In the second year, you will continue to follow the studio programme and undertake independent research, supported by tutorials, in order to write your MA Report.

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change.

The Fine Art MA (240 Credits) is an integrated degree programme and does not have a modular structure. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Fine Art.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Slade School of Fine Art Graduate Admissions Presentation

Introduction to Slade School of Fine Art MA and MFA graduate programmes by Karin Ruggaber, Professor and Head of Graduate Studies, Slade School of Fine Art.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Applying for Graduate Study at UCL

The Applying to UCL for graduate study session took place in December 2021. The session, covered by our Graduate Admissions and Student Recruitment teams, provides helpful information about the process of applying for graduate study, as well as offering an insight into what we consider to be a competitive application.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time
Tuition fees (2022/23)	£12,900
Tuition fees (2022/23)	£29,400

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

The Slade has a media store where media equipment can be borrowed. You will need to supply your own materials, including for the final exam. You will also need to pay for entry to any galleries or shows. The cost of materials will vary depending on each student’s individual practice.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

The UCL Slade School has numerous departmental prizes, travel awards and scholarships available to graduate students. These include partial fee waivers for Home/EU and International (non-EU) students amongst others.

As part of the interview process, candidates will be selected to apply for the Slade awards.

For further information please visit: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/degrees/ma-mfa#scholarships-bursaries-prizes.php.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Please note that due to the competition for places, applications will not be accepted after the deadline. You must also submit a portfolio. Details for portfolio submission will be sent to you once you have submitted your UCL application. Applicants will be considered for Slade scholarships as part of the admissions process.

There is an application processing fee for Slade School of Fine Art programmes of £35 for online applications and £60 for paper applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

why you want to study Fine Art at graduate level
why you want to study Fine Art at the UCL Slade School of Fine Art
how you will use the programme, staff and resources to develop your practice
how your academic and/or professional background has prepared you for the demands of this challenging programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with your portfolio and essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to demonstrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Late applications will not be considered under any circumstances. All candidates are required to submit a portfolio for inspection with shortlisted candidates being invited for interview by the Slade.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes in any application cycle.

This programme only requires one reference in support of your application. Your reference should be academic unless you have been out of university education for more than four years. Further information regarding references can be found on this Selecting your references page.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.

This page was last updated 28 Sep 2021