COURSE CURRICULUM

The MA Fine Art (Ceramics) program at Bath Spa University is a one-year, three-trimester course designed to develop advanced creative, technical, and professional skills in ceramic arts. In the first trimester, students are encouraged to take creative risks, challenge their existing knowledge, and experiment freely in specialist facilities, open studio spaces, and technical workshops, supported by expert staff. This stage emphasizes playfulness and exploration, allowing students to interrogate their creative processes and build foundational skills. In the second trimester, students maintain an experimental approach while beginning to focus their practice. Academic guidance helps refine working strategies, evaluate initial studio developments, and consider the presentation and relational context of finished works within exhibition spaces. The final trimester is dedicated to the Master’s Project, where students work independently to produce a cohesive body of work that reflects their professional practice and artistic inquiry, culminating in the final Degree Show. Core modules including Research Methods, Theory and Professional Context, Practice 1 and 2, Research Practice, and Theory and Professional Practices support the integration of theory with practical work. Graduates leave with a clearly defined artistic voice, advanced ceramic skills, and the professional confidence and expertise necessary to succeed in the contemporary art world, exhibition contexts, and the wider creative industries.