Study a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree with OCA

Materials and making lie at the heart of BA (Hons) Fine Art degree. Respecting and acknowledging historical fine art practice, the art degree online course builds on and respects the traditional as well as exploring contemporary approaches and realisation of work in 2D, 3D and 4D.

Our distance learning BA (Hons) Fine Art degree offers you the opportunity to obtain knowledge and understanding of fine art as a creative, technical and intellectual activity. Integration of theory and practice throughout the online art degree programme promotes critical reflection in accessible ways and widens the cultural, social and political contexts that frame your understanding of fine art and your own work.

Practice, experiment and develop your creative voice through the exploration of different media. The distance learning fine art course offers additional optional opportunities for group work including Music and Fine Art collaborative projects.

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What is a BA (Hons) Fine Art course?

OCA’s BA (Hons) Fine Art degree is a distance learning fine art course that explores both theory and practice in a way that expands students’ knowledge and technical skills. If you’re fascinated by art and want to learn more about the variety of creative methods used by artists, develop your own method, and grow as a creative – then this online fine art degree course would be perfect for you. Our BA (Hons) Fine Art degree is open to anyone who wants to learn and develop, regardless of previous qualifications or experience.

The online fine art degree course is a full undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree ideal for students who either wish to pursue a professional career in art or simply wish to expand their skills and knowledge for personal growth and development. Distance learning fine arts courses are a fantastic way of balancing your studies with the rest of your life – whether its work or childcare – and offer you the flexibility to study an art degree at a pace that suits you best.

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Course

The Fine Art degree is split into nine units; three units at each Stage of study.

As a flexible degree, you can complete the programme in up to 9 years, with a maximum of four years to complete each level of the course.

Course Overview

 

Stage One

At Stage 1, you will establish your visual communication in 2D, 3D and 4D media such as drawing, printmaking or painting, sculpture, video and sonic work alongside the study of visual culture, thereby establishing a practical and contextual understanding that is mutually supportive. You will be introduced to the Fine Art virtual studios where you can access relevant material and connect with your peers. Stage 1 unit assignments support you through a series of investigations that help you to apply your learning and to present your ideas and work.

Stage Two

At Stage 2, you will progress in your chosen discipline, with each Stage 2 unit taking you on a journey towards greater autonomy and a wider awareness of the contemporary practice of fine art. The Stage 2 units encourage you to investigate contemporary fine art practice more widely, going beyond your own studio, or place of production to explore what fine art practice is more globally. Unit/module 2.2 provides an opportunity to extend personal practice into collaboration, working alongside peers in order to take a more experimental approach to work. This unit/module serves as a test bed for the development of creative practice, where students will work together in order to explore and develop and reflect on new ideas and innovative approaches that may incorporate risk taking as a way to learn and try out new approaches. Unit/module 2.2 is underpinned by an exploration of collaborative methods and theories to help inform an academic understanding of collaborative practices.

Stage Three

The final stage(Stage 3)represents the culmination of your creative and academic enquiry. You will be encouraged to analyse the contemporary art world and your position within it and to use this knowledge to present yourself and your work professionally. Unit/module 3.1 Practice and Research is complimented and informed by Unit/module 3.2 External Projects; you will plan and negotiate your research into your own specialist subject area; practice and writing become mutually dependent as creative work is underpinned by growing knowledge and understanding, through analysis of contextual influences and studio methodologies. To frame your understanding of theory and practice, you will be supported to become increasingly critical, and to reflect on the cultural, social and political contexts that frames fine art and your own work. Critical and contextual reflection is developed and evidenced through research and reflective tasks at Stage 1, critical writing at Stage 2 and a body of visual and written research for Stage 3.

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We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available units – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which OCA might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 14 December 2022.

Programme Specification 2023/24 New Curriculum

This Programme Specification is for all units on the new curriculum.

Review Programme Specification here

Programme Specification 2023/24 Running Out Curriculum

This Programme Specification details the units and learning outcomes that are being taught out.

Review Programme Specification here

Fine Art Accessibility Statements

Accessibility statements give an indication of the type and format of content, teaching, and learning activities on the course, and how these are ordinarily delivered.

Review Accessibility Statements here

Foundations

£1025

Per course

Level 1 (HE4)

£4,950

For the level

Level 2 (HE5)

£4,950

For the level

Level 3 (HE6)

£4,950

For the level

Total approximate undergraduate fees

Breakdown of costs...

Foundations

£1,175

Per course

Level 1 (HE4)

£5,670

For the level

Level 2 (HE5)

£5,670

For the level

Level 3 (HE6)

£5,670

For the level

Total approximate undergraduate fees

Breakdown of costs...

More Information

  • With the OCA, you can study a BA (Hons) degree in our flexible online learning model at approximately one third the cost of a degree at a traditional physical university.

    Students study and pay for the course on a unit-by-unit basis, so you only pay for the course as you enrol to each unit.

    This course is eligible for a part-time tuition fee loan from Student Finance England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or you can self-fund the course and break down costs even further through the deposit and instalment option.  Find out more about your funding options here.

  • You will require regular use of a computer or laptop and internet access. Most essential reading materials can be accessed through the digital library services and eBooks.

    Students are responsible for sourcing and, where necessary, purchasing any additional software and resources specified. These can be around £400 at Level 1, £500 at Level 2, and £550 at Level 3. Where possible, open or freeware equivalents will be discussed alongside industry standard options.

    You may be eligible for any student discounts on computer equipment and software by using your student email, and you can find out more information about student discounts here.

  • Fine Art is an open access degree; this means that there are no formal qualifications or experience required to join the course. All you need is a passion for the arts, and willingness to learn.

    All OCA courses require students to be IT literate, have a good internet connection, and have a good standard of English equivalent to CEFR B2. You can review the study requirements here so you’re prepared for online study at higher education.

  • We accept enrolments for our BA (HONS) courses in monthly intakes throughout the year.

    Review the key enrolment deadlines on the link below.



  • Our part-time degree courses are completed on average between 6 and 9 years. The degree is structured into three levels (instead of three years) so you’re able to manage study around other commitments.

    Once enrolled, you’ll have a maximum of 12 years to complete your degree course. There are unit and level timeframes within the overall degree time frame, and you’ll need a minimum of 10 study hours per week to keep on track. To find out more about course duration and managing your time, click here.

  • Your course materials are accessible online through the virtual learning environment, OCA Learn, where you’ll also have access to student forums, a subject space, the student handbook and the online library. You’ll work primarily from a set text of course materials and resources, but can also sign up to webinars, workshops and study groups in addition to your core learning.

    Once you’ve completed the required assignments within a course unit and received tutor feedback, you’ll submit a portfolio of work to an assessment event. This gives you the opportunity to develop your work before you have it formally assessed to achieve credits towards your degree.

  • Upon completing the BA (Hons) Fine Art degree, you’ll be set with skills to help you navigate the workplace. You could use your practice as a professional artist, illustrator or fine artist – the choice is yours. Prospects can help you with a variety of options of where your degree could take you.

    While you’re pursuing your dream of being a professional artist, you can find a range of job opportunities to support your art:

    – Professional practice, exhibiting

    – Gallery and museum education

    • Visual Communications and research
    • Marketing, Advertising, media
    • Transferable skills such as planning and management, presentation skills.

    In May 2022 the Department for Culture, Media, & Sport estimated there were some 2.3 million jobs in the UK creative industries, and post pandemic the Creative Industries are growing faster than the UK economy as a whole.

  • The Academic Regulations for Subsidiary Institutions of The Open University are applicable to all taught courses offered by the Open College of the Arts (OCA).

    You can review the Academic Regulations on our policy page.

To Join

Find your inner artist with OCA today by clicking the Enrol button now!