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Introduction

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Location

Headington

Course Length


Course length: Full time: 12 months;

Why choose this course?

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Overview

Our Master of Fine Art in Fine Art (MFA) equips you to succeed in a career in the fine arts. It is ideal for independent artists who want to extend their practice with support from practicing tutors. As well as artists looking to extend their career path into:

 curatorial practice in the contemporary arts
 collaborative projects with arts organisations
 arts in socially engaged practices and/or further research.

The course provides:

 postgraduate studio-based arts practice
 critical theory in fine arts
 development of your professional skills and knowledge.

Our School of Arts’ workshops are run by highly skilled, creative Technical Specialists. And offer supported working environments in a range of specialist areas including:

 sculpture
 photography
 video
 sound
 printmaking
 book-works.

You will finish the course with the creative, interpretive, critical and analytical skills to develop an advanced understanding of contemporary art and its social, cultural and historical contexts.

Modules

Compulsory modules

Professional Experience (30 credits)

This professional experience module delivers preparation for a future career in the creative industries in a number of ways. The teaching, learning and assessment strategy is designed to build upon previous professional experience and expertise by providing opportunities in bridging the gap between practice and academia, or working in the creative industries through a placement, or exploring and implementing different modes of collaborative, social or participatory practices within a project, or increasing exhibition management and curatorial skills. Essentially, the module provides a platform of experiences that will support your understanding of development as an arts academic, creative industries employee or independent professional artist.

Fine Art Practice I: Outcomes of Research in Practice (40 credits)

In this module you pursue rigorous and sustained research, exploring and investigating your own concerns out of which resolved outcomes emerge. The module provides a supportive context within which you initiate and establish a self-directed project. This process will enable you to re-evaluate, extend and challenge the strategies, techniques and motivations that underpin your existing practice, professional experience and prior learning. The emphasis is placed upon the generation of independent/collaborative/participatory practice-based work with materials, processes and contexts as well as engagement with theoretical ideas and concerns. This module gives you an opportunity to evolve a confident and intellectually stimulating working process as an artist and demands intensive, creative engagement coupled with sustained reflection. You will work with a nominated supervisor. Developed work in progress will be shown publicly at the end of this module.

Fine Art Theory I: Topics in Contemporary Fine Art Culture (20 credits)

This module develops your theoretical understanding of fine art and encourages you to critically engage with key topics from modern and contemporary art and culture. It provides you with opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of fine art, as well as an ability to analyse the range of critical discourses that frame and inform contemporary practice. In this module, you will attend seminars, with sessions dedicated to the introduction of selected topics in modern and contemporary art and culture. Emphasis will be placed on your close reading and analysis of texts and will examine a range of critical forms of engagement, and critical positions taken on these. You will work independently and in groups, contributing to discussion and making presentations where required.

Fine Art Theory II: Extended Critical Essay (30 credits)

In this module, research and carry out independent critical investigation of a topic of your choice. This topic may relate directly or indirectly to your own practice. The module provides the opportunity to develop a sustained and critical theoretical position on any aspect of modern and contemporary art or visual culture, which may act to inform your subsequent practice-based work. The module spans the process of proposing an appropriate topic, researching it, developing and defending a position or argument in relation to the chosen subject and producing a critical essay. It is focused on your own learning throughout and is taught through seminars and individual tutorials.

Final Project

Compulsory modules

Fine Art Practice II: Major Project (60 credits)

This module represents the culmination of your learning throughout the course. You will work with a nominated supervisor to produce a work or body of work that is presented during the Fine Art Postgraduate Exhibition (MFA Show). The module extends the independent process of your development begun earlier in the programme and provides the opportunity to further develop and realise intellectually challenging and imaginative work through fine art practice to an advanced academic and professional standard. The module represents the culmination of your contemporary fine art practice at taught postgraduate level and provides a platform from which further career pathways can develop.

Learning and teaching

Teaching methods and approaches include:

 formal lectures
 seminars
 tutorials
 workshops.

There are three main parts to the course. The largest of these develops your individual practice as a contemporary artist. The second develops your understanding of historical and theoretical frameworks and contexts. The third enables your development as a functioning and contributing member of broader local, national and international arts communities.

You will develop as a reflective, practising artist. And you will have a robust and critical understanding of your own work. You will apply current theoretical frameworks of contemporary art practice.

You’ll be informed by the diverse and often challenging practices of nationally and internationally recognised artists, collectives and movements. And pursue specific interests to a greater depth through a process of independent learning.

There is an optional field trip as part of the programme.

Entry Criteria

ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.

IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Entry requirements

Specific entry requirements

The general entry requirements are:

 a good honours degree, ie an upper second or first, in any subject
 an internationally recognised qualification equivalent to a good British honours degree.

Applicants without a first degree, but with extensive experience in the arts or other disciplines relevant to our programmes may also be considered. Please contact the Admissions Office to discuss this.

Applicants will be asked to provide an online portfolio for consideration before we make any offer (see guidance below in selection process).


Our standard entry requirement is three A-levels or equivalent qualifications. In some cases, courses have specific required subjects and additional GCSE requirements. In addition to A-levels, we accept a wide range of other qualifications including:

 the Welsh Baccalaureate
 the Access to Higher Education Diploma
 a BTEC National Certificate, Diploma or Extended Diploma at a good standard and in a relevant subject
 the International Baccalaureate Diploma
 the European Baccalaureate Diploma
 Scottish qualifications – five subjects in SCE with two at Higher level or one at Advanced Higher level, or three subjects in Scottish Highers or two at Advanced Higher level
 a recognised foundation course
 T-levels*.
 * T-levels are a relatively new qualification but are already included in the UCAS tariff. We welcome prospective students who are taking this qualification to apply. For some programmes with specific required subjects, particular subject areas or occupational specialisms may be required.

Selection process

Your portfolio should be 12-15 pages in total and give us an idea of your practice. We place great importance on your portfolio so you should take care to include work that best represents you as an artist.

It should include examples of any undergraduate coursework, particularly from your final year. You may also wish to include work and projects you have undertaken outside your formal studies, or since your graduation.

Please edit your portfolio carefully to present your ideas in a clear and logical way, showing the development of your projects as well as the final work.

Once we have received your application we will contact you to set up an interview, in person, or by Skype if you are not near Oxford.

At this point we will discuss further why you want to do this programme and will request to see previous practice.
If you are not an arts practitioner we will need to hear about other work and experience, and understand how it equips you for this programme.


English language requirements

If your first language is not English, or if you have not studied a higher education degree in English, then an English language level of IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each component is required

There is a fair amount of discussion on the programme - both in the feedback sessions and in the weekly seminar-meetings. It is therefore very important to be able to understand and speak English well enough to participate in a group conversation.

If English is not your first language then you will need to show that your English language skills are at a high enough level to succeed in your studies.

The entry requirement for your course will be expressed as an IELTS level and refers to the IELTS Academic version of this test. We are now also accepting the IELTS Indicator test, you can find out more about the test on the IELTS Indication site. The University however does accept a wide range of additional English language qualifications, which can be found below.

The university’s English language requirements in IELTS levels are as follows:

Course IELTS level
All other undergraduate courses 6.0 overall with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking
Law, Architecture, Interior Architecture, English Literature (including combined honours), English Literature and Creative Writing 6.5 overall with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking
Health and Social Care courses 6.5 or 7.0 overall with 6.5 or 7.0 in all components (see individual entries for course details)
Nutrition BSc (Hons) 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
Built Environment Foundation,
Computing Foundation,
Engineering Foundation 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking
International Foundation Business and Technology,
International Foundation Arts, Humanities and Law 5.5 overall with 5.5 in all skills
International Foundation Diploma 5.0 overall with 5.0 in all skills
If you need a student visa you must take an IELTS for UKVI test.
International Foundation Diploma (Extended pathway) 4.5 overall with 4.5 in all skills
If you need a student visa you must take an IELTS for UKVI test.


Assessment

ASSESSMENT METHODS

1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Learning and assessment

All modules are compulsory, although there is considerable choice of topic for assessments in the theory modules. The practice modules are set out to extend your own work.
Assessment methods used on this course

In the practice based modules, you will be assessed on:

 conception
 research
 development production
 and public dissemination of your work.

In Semester 1 you will take part in an interim exhibition. In Semester 3 you will present a major piece or body of work in a professional context through the MFA show.

Practical work is assessed alongside research and development materials. Theory modules are assessed with written work. Teaching includes some sessions on research and writing skills. You will develop the ability to rationalise theory within contemporary arts practices. You'll take part in a reflective process of articulation to produce a written evaluation. This replicates the expectations placed on professional artists when working with external agencies and stakeholders.

The professional module will support and formalize your career aspirations. You will practice identifying, ordering, prioritising and assessing personal goals within a dynamic work environment.

Research

The teaching staff for the Fine Arts programme contribute to the FAR (Fine Art Research) unit which forms a focus for their research. In addition, other active arts research occurs in the Sonic Art Research Unit.

Career Opportunities

Graduates from this programme will be well equipped to pursue their practice as independent artists who have a well-developed understanding of the theoretical and professional contexts of the current and contemporary landscape of the arts and creative industries.

This programme is delivered within the School of Arts, which offers a vibrant environment for the creative industries including film, photography, music and publishing. Through the modules, which address practice, theory and professional experience, students are provided with links to engage with employment and further study opportunities, either as independent practitioners, facilitators or participants within a range of group and collaborative practices and contexts.

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