Fine Art: Overview and Entrance Requirements

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Overview:

The Fine Art course is a three-year studio-based BFA programme that focuses on the creation and study of visual art. The curriculum is centred around nurturing individual students’ potential as well as imagination. Students also collaborate in organised studios, thus benefiting from the unique position of being part of a collegiate university. This, in turn, provides interaction with peers from various disciplines.

The course’s primary goals are to foster strong independent perspectives. It also develops a mature understanding of critical discussions surrounding contemporary art and its global histories. The programme is therefore well-suited for motivated and resourceful students who can effectively manage their time within Oxford’s short terms. 

The school’s close-knit environment integrates art history, theory, and criticism into the studio work. Moreover, the Ruskin School of Art maintains a productive relationship with Modern Art Oxford, an influential contemporary art space. Students also enjoy unrestricted access to esteemed University libraries and museums. These include the Ashmolean and the Bodleian Art, Archaeology, and Ancient World Library.

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UCAS CodeW100
Minimum Entrance Requirements A-levels – AAA (or AAB for candidates who have undertaken or completed a post-18 Art Foundation course*)
Advanced Highers – AA/AAB
IB –    38 (including core points) with 666 at HL

Applied General Qualifications: BTEC and Cambridge Technical Extended Diplomas: DDD
UAL Applied General Extended Diploma (2018-): HM (High Merit)
Admission Test for Fine Art at OxfordNone
Subject Requirements for Fine Art at OxfordArt – highly recommended
Extras things admission tutors look forWritten Work: Digital portfolio (but no written work required)
Portfolios (consisting of videos, photographs, audio files, and PDFs) must be submitted digitally via an online platform called SlideRoom. The link will then be emailed to students shortly after they have completed the UCAS application.
Submission deadline: 6 pm, Thursday 2 November 2023
Duration3 years (BFA)
Admissions StatisticsInterviewed: 26%
Successful: 12%
What is Fine Art at Oxford?Fine Art at Oxford emphasises individual potential, collaborative studio work, as well as engagement with contemporary art discourse. 
Students also interact with peers across disciplines due to Oxford’s collegiate structure. 
The curriculum aims to develop independent perspectives as well as a mature grasp of contemporary art’s critical debates. 
Furthermore, the programme’s intimate environment integrates art history and theory, and students benefit from partnerships with Modern Art Oxford and University libraries and museums.
What Colleges Offer Fine Art at Oxford?Brasenose College, Christ Church, Exeter College, Lady Margaret Hall, Magdalen College, New College, The Queen’s College,St Anne’s College, St Catherine’s College, St Edmund Hall, St John’s College, Worcester College
Structure of the Fine Art Course at OxfordYear 1 
Practical studio-based work, including human anatomy.
Tutors also require three submitted essays in the history and theory of visual culture.
Year 2 & 3
Assessment (Year 2)
Submission of three history and theory essays.
Assessment (Year 3)
An extended essay; a portfolio of work made during the second and third years and an accompanying exhibition
General 
A one-to-one studio-based tutorial focusing on the individual student’s artwork
A group critique of student artwork
A skills-based workshop
A history and theory lecture and seminar
A talk by a visiting speaker.
Usually, students will spend much of their time working in their studio spaces, where specialists in the art-making techniques available at the Ruskin will support them.
Common Careers after Fine Art at OxfordGraduates of Fine Art at Oxford secure opportunities in:
The Arts sector as practicing artists
Teachers
Curators
Art Writers
Fabricators And Technicians
Public And Private Museums & Galleries
Community Arts Organisations
Culture & Heritage Councils And Institutions
Many also pursue careers in academia, architecture, and the film and digital media industries.
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