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Fine Art BFA

London, Bloomsbury

This is the programme information for 2025 entry

If you require details of the previous year's programme, Fine Art BFA (2024), click here

UK students International students

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

3 academic years

UK tuition fees (2025/26)

£9,250

Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)

£39,800

Programme starts

September 2025

Application deadline

29 Jan 2025

UCAS course code

W101

Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

Grades: ABB
Subjects: No specific subjects, but a portfolio of work is required. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs: English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Grades: CCC more about contextual offers
Subjects: No specific subjects, but a portfolio of work is required. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
GCSEs: English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Points: 34
Subjects: A total of 16 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5, plus a portfolio.

Contextual offer

Points: 30 more about contextual offers
Subjects: A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5, plus a portfolio.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction, 12 credits at Merit and 3 credits at Pass, all from Level 3 units. Plus a portfolio of work required.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction. Plus a portfolio of work required.

D3,M1,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects. A portfolio of work is required.

ABB at Advanced Highers (or AB at Advanced Higher and BBB at Higher). A portfolio of work is required.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art & Design with the final overall mark of Distinction or UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice (Art, Design and Communication) with the final overall mark of Distinction. Plus portfolio of work required.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades ABB. A portfolio of work is required.

International applications

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

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.

Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview

The programme comprises three practice areas: Painting, Fine Art Media and Sculpture. The programme is practice-based and you are expected to develop your own work with tutorial and technical assistance from a specialist team of academic and technical staff. Cross-area seminars and tutorial groups ensure that the three areas have a forum for the exchange of ideas. You will also benefit from a programme of visiting artists, gallery visits and other events that aim to develop exciting and rigorous debate. Areas/year groups are mixed together in the studio spaces, providing a lively cross-fertilisation of ideas and practice.

The BFA includes a critical studies component in each year of study, designed to provide you with the ability to reference your work within a broad cultural context and enable you to develop verbal and written skills to articulate the development of your work within a critical context.

Please refer to our website for further information.

What this course will give you

Each student is allocated studio space each year. First year students explore each area on rotation during the first term, attending crits (critical feedback) in each area.

All undergraduates may apply for international exchanges. The Slade has exchange agreements with art schools in Europe and the USA, which are offered on a competitive basis and are subject to travel/visa permissions.

The Slade's location, close to many of London's galleries, museums, libraries and theatres, allows you to access a range of learning resources and research opportunities.

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

Teaching and learning

The BFA Fine Art is a non-modular, integrated course.

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BFA (Hons) in Fine Art.

Modules

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. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

The Fine Art BFA is a non-modular programme. The practice-based element is themed around three areas: Fine Art Media, Painting and Sculpture. At the end of Term 1, you will select one area. You will initiate and develop your own programme of work with tutorial guidance and technical support.

Workshops and seminars will develop your skills and technical abilities, supplemented by visiting artists, contemporary art lectures and, when possible, gallery visits.

You will complete the Critical Studies course in each year, aligned with your practice and art research. In addition, regular crits (critical feedback) throughout the programme provide a forum for students to present their work to students and tutors. The aim is to relate the work to a broad context beyond the year groups and subject disciplines in which it is produced. The crit also aims to develop students' understanding of how to locate, place and present their work for exhibition, performance or public setting.

You may apply for a period of study abroad as part of the Slade’s exchange programme. Places are available on a competitive basis.

Your learning

The BFA is practice-based, with an emphasis on a self-initiated programme of work. This is supported by one-to-one and group tutorials, and cross-school events, crits (critical feedback), contemporary art lectures and the Critical Studies programme. Technical inductions, workshops and one-to-one technical instruction are provided according to each student's academic needs.

The BFA programme is full time (40 hours per week during term time) and made up of formal learning and teaching events, such as lectures, crits (critical feedback), seminars and tutorials, as well as self-directed independent study.

You will have regular contact with your personal tutor and can request any number of tutorials with any member of staff across the Slade, subject to availability.

Assessment

You will be assessed through tutorial reports, annual assessment of your practice-based artwork, and critical studies component. Your final assessment will be based on a final exam when you present your work.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

27 November 2024

Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK - Open day

Slade School of Fine Art: Talk and Tour

14:00 — 16:00

This in person event, aimed at prospective applicants, will begin with a short presentation about the BA and BFA in Fine Art, followed by a short tour of the Slade at the Main Campus, Gower Street. We recommend you read the information about the BA and BFA in Fine Art on our website before attending the event. Places for this event are limited. If you have any questions or require specific arrangements for your visit, please contact us at slade.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk.

Online - Open day

Art and Technology BA Information Session

Watch this video to find out more about UCL's Art and Technology BA programme, entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

The foundation of your career

Students leave UCL with a range of skills to branch out into a variety of careers in the creative professions and beyond. You will have built up practical, transferable and academic skills and these, alongside any experience you may have gained during your studies, will widen your career options.

As well as many becoming practicing artists, the majority of Fine Art BFA graduates have become employed in careers in the performance and creative arts sectors (64.7%) in roles that include photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators, design occupations, and managers and directors. They have also become employed in related fields, such as teaching and arts education (5.9%), manufacturing (5.9%) and other professional, scientific and technical activities (5.9%).*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-2021 cohorts.

Employability

The programme aims to enhance our students' employability by:

developing the individual visual intelligence you bring with you to the School;
developing your critical awareness and understanding of fine art and its contexts;
providing the intellectual and practical resources to enable you to realise your creative potential as a professional artist.

91% of Fine Art BFA graduates were in work, further study or due to start work or study, 15 months after graduation.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students

Fee description	Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£9,250
Tuition fees (2025/26)	£39,800

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

The Slade strives to keep additional costs low, and 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 and any other site visits within central London and/or beyond.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

The Slade School of Fine Art has a number of scholarships, prizes, awards and bursaries, which are awarded annually by nomination. All applicants will be considered for any awards for which they are eligible during the admissions process.

Our donors set up specific criteria for their awards. These criteria could be one or a combination of conditions, such as specific year group, specific area of study, merit-based or financial need-based. We usually nominate the most suitable candidates for these awards based on the information collated via application forms and portfolio inspections or encourage students to nominate themselves for specific awards. Where necessary, we may invite applicants for our awards and scholarships to provide us with further information.

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

We seek to select candidates who, in addition to academic achievement, have the potential and passion to develop a critical awareness and an understanding of Fine Art and its contexts. We look for candidates who are self-motivated to take initiatives and keen to experiment within our studio-centred learning environment.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

Along with your UCAS application, you will also submit your portfolio. Portfolios should comprise a selection of current and recent work including self-initiated work. Applicants should submit up to twenty images with each image no larger than 5MB. Titles should be included for each image including the date the work was made, size and materials. Applicants with time-based or performance elements to their work may include a showreel with a maximum duration time of five minutes. The overall portfolio size should be no larger than 450MB. We also encourage applicants to upload a short video featuring pages from sketchbooks.

You will receive precise instructions regarding your portfolio submission from UCL's student administration system, Portico. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview in late February or March.