Course summary
The world needs fine art thinkers more than ever before. The ability to see the world through a unique filter, and then express and communicate this to others is vital in this time of change. It can potentially influence our culture, our mental well-being, politics, and even the economy. From day one at HCA, you will be an artist, exploring our world and developing your own voice. You will then get to express this through a wide range of media including paint, print, drawing, ceramics, textiles, photography, video, digital, sound, performance, sculpture, and installation. You set your own artistic course and develop a unique body of work by exploring the subjects that excite you most. Fine Art students at HCA have the creative freedom to explore diverse subjects such as identity, memory, storytelling, place, mark making, or form; or engage with a wide range of social, cultural, or political issues. You’ll also get involved with exciting collaborative events such as exhibitions, residencies, and site-specific responses. The course has been designed to provide students with the support, technical skills, and confidence to develop their work and meet the challenges of being a practicing artist today. Through group activity, you will develop a strong foundation in communication and collaboration that will help you have impact in the wider arts world. On the one-year Fine Art top up degree at HCA you will be encouraged to develop a personal approach to contemporary Fine Art practice, free from the constraints of a ‘house style’. We will support you to experiment across a wide-range of media including: paint, print, drawing, ceramics, textiles, photography, video, sound, performance, sculpture, and installation. HCA students have the creative freedom to explore diverse subjects such as identity, memory, storytelling, place, mark making, or form; you may delve into deeply personal or autobiographical topics, or much broader social, cultural, or political issues. You’ll also get involved with exciting collaborative events such as exhibitions, residencies, and site-specific responses. We offer small group teaching in a thriving studio environment. Studying in our specialist arts college will make it easy for you to transgress boundaries and produce interdisciplinary work. Our smaller group sizes allow us to recognise each student as an individual, developing a unique practice. You will be supported in finding your own creative voice through your art practice. What we provide
- Personalised individual tuition from experienced practicing artists and curators as well as expert technical assistance.
- Lively studio culture with individual space for every student.
- Weekly collaborative student projects and events in the course’s Project Space.
- Lectures and workshops with professional visiting artists.
- Workshops including 3D, video, photography, textiles, ceramics and print.
- Exciting collaborative events, exhibitions, residencies, work placements, and site-specific projects working with our network of external partners.
- Transformative Art Camp
- Collaboration with Sidney Nolan Trust | Meadow Arts | Maylords Orchards | New Arts West Midlands | Canwood Gallery | Queenswood H-Energy | H-Arts | Hereford Cathedral | National Trust
Modules
Year 1 (level 6) - Practice in Context 3 (20 Credits), Practice 5 (30), Practice 6 (60), Professional Practice 2 (10)
How to apply
31Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- W101
- Institution code:
- H18
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
We are unable to offer this course to international applicants (including EU/EEA) who have overseas qualifications.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - Not accepted
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - Not accepted
Access to HE Diploma - Not accepted
Scottish Higher - Not accepted
Successful completion of a Foundation Degree (FdA) or HND in a related subject. Applicants whose first language is not English – proof of an overall IELTS score of 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in all sections (reading, writing, listening & speaking).
Additional entry requirements
Interview
Portfolio
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £9000 | Whole course |
| England | £9000 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £9000 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £9000 | Whole course |
| Wales | £9000 | Whole course |
| Channel Islands | £9000 | Whole course |
Additional fee information
In addition to the degree fees, the nature of creative arts practice means you will need to allow for some additional costs, such as for materials you choose to use in the production of work and activities, and for trips to external events and exhibitions.
The courses at HCA have been designed to minimise the impact of additional costs; all course leaders have an annual budget and some trips and materials will be fully funded by the college or heavily subsidised. However, typically, a student will choose to spend an additional £400 in their final year, depending on scale of work and materials chosen or other related costs. Students spend different amounts depending on the areas in which they specialise and individual choices.
We appreciate that not all students will be able to invest the same money in their work, and staff assessing it will not judge work by the cost of materials or other resources. The college shop includes many specialist materials at good value prices and digital equipment can be borrowed from the media stores at no cost to students.
All students at HCA are offered an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for use outside of college hours. In the 2022-23 academic year this cost was £16.24 per month. Please note Adobe Creative Cloud is provided free to use for any student working within the college.
Students on all courses will also have the chance to take part in optional trips that require payments towards their costs. Again, non-attendance will not incur assessment penalties, though trips are designed to help students develop their practice. There is an optional annual cross-course residential trip abroad. In the 2023-24 academic year, the trip was a four-day visit to Paris at a cost to students of £425. This fee included a shared dorm room and all travel costs from Hereford to Paris including Eurostar tickets.
Support Available From Hereford College of Arts
**Progression Bursary**
A progression bursary of £250 (£125 per year for part-time students) is available to students from our progression partner colleges* who have successfully completed their Level 5 or equivalent course within the last 2 academic years and progress on to a top-up degree programme at Hereford College of Arts.
*Partner colleges include Bath College, Dudley College, NPTC Group, NWRC Derry & Evesham College (Warwickshire College Group).
Provider information
Hereford College of Arts
Folly Lane
Hereford
HR1 1LT