The aim of this Fine Art BA course is for you to acquire the skills, knowledge, and above, all confidence to hold your own as an artist among fellow professionals and the public.

At The Cass, you’ll be studying in a famous art school in the busiest contemporary art scene in Europe: London. This is the best place to study art – here, among hundreds of art galleries and museums, art events, art organisations and businesses.

On this exciting and challenging undergraduate degree, you’ll be taught in cutting-edge studios by practising London artists who are passionate about art and teaching. Our staff include artists with an impressive track record of international shows such as Bob and Roberta Smith, Pil and Galia Kollectiv and Mel Brimfield. There’s also an extensive programme of lectures from guest artists.

You’ll have access to brilliant facilities. There are spacious art studios, the latest 3D printing and laser-cutting facilities, a high street art gallery and even a roof garden. You’ll also have access to state-of-the-art digital media, print, painting, photography, ceramics and sculpture workshops.

During your studies you’ll learn art among a diverse mix of ambitious and prolific fellow art students and will brush shoulders with architects, designers, musicians and film directors.

Professional art training and practice is a key foundation of the course, with your work going on display to engage with the public and outside world. Two massive all-student art exhibitions take place each Christmas and Easter, as well as a major degree show every summer.

To ensure you get the most out of your studies there will also be artists in residence, art awards, access to private viewings, regular field trips to the Venice Biennale and other European art events, plus invaluable advice from artists who’ll guide you into your art career.

Assessment

Assessment is through practical and written coursework. Practical coursework is developed in workshops and studios, while some written project development coursework is developed online. Fine Art BA coursework is marked in percentages according to a standard band of passing grades by a group of art examiners using clear, published assessment criteria.

You will also be involved in formative assessment during the year. This includes tutorials in which you will be given valuable verbal and written feedback on your art project proposals, works in progress and draft submissions, helping you to build on your individual strengths.

There are no examinations.

What our students say

„This is an enjoyable and rewarding course which provides exciting engagement with current art practice. It allowed me to develop my own approach to the discipline of painting, equipping me with both discipline-specific skills, and a range of transferable ones, too. It provided me with the experience and confidence to go on to my MA.”

Elizabeth Vicary

“I am really grateful for all of the support and encouragement provided during my three years at The Cass and to have had such an enriching education. Having tutors like Patrick Ward, Mel, Jonathan, Galia and Ben Cain was amazing and the critical direction they provided and professional relationships we had were unlike any of the ones my friends at other London art schools have had. I think working in studios was one of the best aspects of studying at The Cass and I really benefited from learning in this environment.”

Grace Radford, Winner of 2017 David Skingle Award for Printmaking practice in Fine Art

After the course

Many organisations value a Fine Art BA graduate’s creativity very highly, and you’ll be joining The Cass’s proud list of students, which includes famous artists such as Tracey Emin, Sam Taylor-Wood, John Cecil Stephenson and Professor Gerard Hemsworth.

There are a wide range of job opportunities as artists, curators, art critics and art journalists, as previous graduates will testify. Others have gone on to become artists’ assistants, art technicians, gallery administrators, art event organisers, marketers, auctioneers, print technicians, photographers, video producers and studio managers.

Alternative career paths include arts officers for local government, art teachers, art tutors and lecturers. Some graduates have even pursued rewarding roles as art therapists, working in hospitals, day care, rehabilitation, prisons and the probation service.

There’s also the chance that your work may one day be displayed alongside our past students. Organisations that host work by our graduates include the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Venice Biennale, ICA, Henry Moore Foundation, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, Art Basel, Frieze, Parkett, Artforum, The English Arts Council and the Pompidou Centre.