COURSE CURRICULUM

The MA Fine Art program at Bath Spa University is a one-year, three-trimester course designed to develop advanced creative, technical, and professional skills in contemporary art practice. 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 playful exploration and the development of foundational studio skills, allowing students to interrogate their creative processes and generate innovative work. In the second trimester, students maintain an experimental approach while beginning to focus their practice. Guidance from academic staff helps refine strategies, evaluate initial studio developments, and consider how works function together and within exhibition spaces, fostering critical and professional awareness. 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 and practice throughout the program. Graduates leave with a strong creative identity, advanced studio skills, and the professional expertise and confidence required to succeed in the contemporary art world, exhibition contexts, and related creative industries.