Skip navigation
Fine Art [with Foundation Year] at Anglia Ruskin University - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
Apply

Anglia Ruskin University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

18Jan
Anglia Ruskin University - Undergraduate Open Day - Chelmsford
Undergraduate
18Jan
ARU Peterborough - Undergraduate Open Day
Undergraduate
18Jan
Anglia Ruskin University - Undergraduate Open Day - Cambridge
Undergraduate

Course summary

Develop your individual practice, explore and experiment with new processes and media, and engage with contemporary practice and theory by studying for our BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at Cambridge School of Art.

  • Study on a course whose third-year students won the Freeland Painting Prize in 2023 and 2024.
  • Get hands-on in your own studio space from the very start of your course.
  • Join a school that recognises and invests in up-and-coming talent – we award an annual prize of £3,000 to the student with the best graduate work to support their ongoing practice.
  • Attend our Fine Art Research Unit's lecture series to discover contemporary debates in fine art practice.
At ARU, studying Fine Art allows you to experiment with your creativity, explore materials and processes, and discover which media best communicate your ideas. We encourage creative risk-taking, and you’ll have to the chance to explore many new practices and artistic platforms, including photography, printmaking, performance art, film and video, digital media, installation and site-specific approaches. Take a look at some of our students' work. Our tutors, who are all professional artists, and expert technicians will be on hand to support you. Here at Cambridge School of Art you’ll be hands-on in your own studio space from the very start of your course. Our studios are based around our digital and traditional exhibition space, the Ruskin Gallery, and you’ll work closely with fine artists in other years and with students from across our creative community. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll get time, guidance and support from our team of practicing artists, dedicated to your creative development. We’ll support you to experiment with materials and across a range of different media, processes and techniques as you develop confidence and build a substantial portfolio of work. We learn outside the studio too, with visits to local exhibitions, galleries in London and international trips to centres of contemporary art such as Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam and the Venice Bienniale. Throughout the course there are opportunities to collaborate and exhibit your work and it’s a great way to develop professional skills in curating, event management, marketing and promotion. Our students have recently held exhibitions at Cambridge ArtSpace and created site-specific installations at the Institute of Astronomy, the Botanic Gardens and the Museum of Technology. You’ll also showcase your work in our graduating degree show and, as a (Hons) Fine Art student, you’ll also be considered for our annual Supanee Gazeley Prize, a £3,000 award for the best Degree Show exhibition. All our students are invited to attend the lecture series run by our Fine Art Research Unit, exposing you to contemporary debates in fine art practice. You’ll also study the history and theory of fine art, giving you a solid grounding for careers in the creative and cultural sector, such as curation, arts administration, or arts publishing and journalism – as well as teaching and education. With an eye on your future career, you’ll receive ongoing support to find placements and work experience. Our students recently took part in a live brief with Cambridge Grafton Centre, using their available unit space to develop and curate an artist-led exhibition. Our course options also allow you to take an optional placement year. As well as our dedicated fine art studio with your own workspace, you’ll have use of facilities including: Ruskin Gallery, a professional digital art gallery Life drawing studio Dedicated Mac and PC suites with the latest software including Adobe Creative suite Specialist printmaking workshop including etching, screen-printing, and lithography 3D workshops for physical media including wood, plastic, metal, and clay Photography and media facilities including darkrooms; studios; film processing; digital printing suite; video editing; and professional equipment loans

Modules

Year 1 core modules: Foundation in Art and Design. Year 2 core modules: Approaches to Drawing; Experimental Practice; Critical Contexts - Fine Art; Fine Art Practice 1. Year 3 core modules: Fine Art Practice 2; Media, Process, Situation; Critical Issues and Debates; Ruskin Module. Year 4 core module: Fine Art Major Project. Year 4 optional modules: Research Project; Working in the Creative Industries. Modules are subject to change and availability.

Assessment method

You’ll show your progress in a number of ways. On critical and contextual modules you’ll produce essays or shorter written assignments, while on studio modules you’ll either submit portfolios of artwork, or install exhibitions.You won’t have to take any exams on our BA (Hons) Fine Art course.

How to apply

29Jan

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:
W106
Institution code:
A60
Campus name:
Cambridge Campus
Campus code:
C

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

5 GCSEs at grade D, or grade 3, or above and evidence of two years post-GCSE study at Level 3. If you have achieved at least grade E in one A level, or equivalent, you are exempt from the two years post-GCSE study requirement, but you still must meet the GCSE requirements. Applicants who do not meet the two years post GCSE study at level 3 may be considered based on their satisfactory employment history, which must be a minimum of two years full time employment supported by employer evidence and deemed appropriate by the University for meeting the course of study applied for.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)5.5With minimum 5.5 in each component

Equivalent English Language qualifications, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University, are also accepted.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
75%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

https://www.aru.ac.uk/student-life/preparing-for-university/help-with-finances
Fine Art [with Foundation Year] at Anglia Ruskin University - UCAS