Postgraduate
MA Fine Art
Student work
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Ant Hamlyn - MA Fine Art -
Radu Nastasia - MA Fine Art -
Anqi Zhao - MA Fine Art -
Ryohei Oba - MA Fine Art -
Alex Urie - MA Fine Art -
Karen Piddington - MA Fine Art -
Kyungryul Park - MA Fine Art -
Emmely Elgersma - MA Fine Art
Course overview
MA Fine Art at Chelsea is designed to help enhance the making, criticality and articulation of your practice. It aims to expand your work’s audiences and contextual reach. Experimental studio practice and individual inquiry are activated in professional contexts. These challenge what art is or could be, how art is communicated, and how artists can develop their practices in forward-thinking and culturally progressive ways.
What to expect
- To contextualise your work in relation to contemporary cultural practices and ideas
- To independently produce critically aware work
- To build your professional experience and portfolio through regular participation in public exhibitions, events and publications
- Regular practice consultancies, discussions, group activities and workshops
- To become an active member of an international arts community
- To participate in discursive and collaborative practices with colleagues
- To get involved in our partnerships network, through which we organise workshops, lectures, discussions, studio visits, field trips and exhibitions. These currently include Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the UAL Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN)
Mode of study
MA Fine Art is offered in full-time mode and runs for 45 weeks over 15 months, with a break over the summer. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, including teaching hours and independent study.
Course units
A short description of each unit and what you can expect.
Unit 1 - Establishing a community
This unit is an introduction to your course, the college and the university.
- Inductions to learning resources at Chelsea
- To use the studios as a flexible space to produce work, foster dialogue and collaborate
- To be introduced to the concept of ‘communities of practice’. This means that every practitioner is a participant within the arts community - at Chelsea, in London and globally
- Off-site activities including professional practice workshops and introductions to London’s emerging art scene
- To develop your own practice and ideas through participating in dialogue and knowledge sharing with your peers
- To work collaboratively on exhibitions and events with your peers
- To continually make work in a professional context for a public audience
- To take part in a group show that is open to the public. This will take place at the end of unit 1 in the studios at Chelsea
- To be assessed on your participation in the unit 1 exhibition and your contribution to the online course publication
Unit 2 - Making your work public
This unit is structured to foster an intensive period of practice development. It is designed to help you refine your ideas and how to articulate them to different audiences.
- A lecture and seminar series to help you situate your ideas within contemporary dialogues and debates
- Writing workshops to help you approach writing as an integral part of your practice
- To create an online professional portfolio that will include your completed work, CV, artist’s statement and other relevant information
- A series of professional development workshops will help you in thinking about exhibition strategies and project management
- To take part in and organise an off-site live project with your peers
- To present work in the college postgraduate show
- To submit a formal proposal for your unit 3 self-directed live project
Unit 3 - Locating and sustaining your practice
This unit is about progressing your career ambitions and will take place entirely off campus.
- To develop a proposal that outlines how you plan to progress your professional practice during the unit
- To be assigned and supported by an advisor, who is an arts professional
- To explore how you might activate your practice within an external context that you have chosen and identified as appropriate to your development. This may include setting up a studio collective with other students from the course, or operating within a professional context within London, the United Kingdom or abroad
- To be assessed on contributions to the online course publication, your online portfolio and end of unit presentation
Note: 120 Credits must be passed before the final unit is undertaken.
Learning and teaching methods
- Exhibition making and publishing
- Field trips
- In-studio consultancies
- Live projects
- Professional practice workshops
- Technical support
- Theory lectures and discussion forums
Assessment methods
- Examination of work in exhibition and live contexts
- Online journal contributions
- Practice analysis
- Peer feedback
- Professional portfolio
- Self-evaluation
Staff
- Martin Newth - Fine Art Programme Director
- Patricia Ellis - Course Leader
- Professor Paul Goodwin - UAL Chair of Contemporary Art and Urbanism, Director of TrAIN
- Diann Bauer - Associate Lecturer
- Dave Beech - Reader in Art and Marxism
- Marsha Bradfield - Associate Lecturer
- Sacha Craddock - Associate Lecturer
- Jeff Dennis - Senior Lecturer
- Doug Fishborne - Associate Lecturer
- Candice Jacobs - Associate Lecturer
- Rupert Norfolk - Associate Lecturer
- Janette Parris - Associate Lecturer
- Neal Tait - Associate Lecturer
How to apply
Opportunities for all
We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and to supporting all of our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.
We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on disability@arts.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.
Entry requirements
The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:
- BA (Hons) degree or equivalent academic qualifications
- Alternative qualifications and experience will also be taken into consideration
- Personal statement
- Portfolio of work
Entry to this course will also be determined by the quality of your application, looking primarily at your portfolio of work and personal statement.
APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning
Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
- Related academic or work experience
- The quality of the personal statement
- A strong academic or other professional reference
- A combination of these factors
Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
English language requirements
All classes are taught in English. If English isn't your first language you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:
- IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our English language requirements)
Selection criteria
We look for:
- The potential to devise and develop a self-directed programme of fine art practice and related research
- Evidence of an ability to carry out a sustained independent enquiry through making work
- The ability to analyse and evaluate in both visual and oral terms
- The ability to develop and contextualise work in written form
- An eagerness to engage in the critical debate surrounding contemporary fine art practice and to develop a critical framework for their practice
Making your application
Portfolio advice
The portfolio should show the following:
- Work that demonstrates how you develop your ideas through a process of ongoing critical reflection
- Recent work that shows evidence of a sustained, independent enquiry
- Clear documentation of work that is too big to bring to interview
- The portfolio should be concise, show critical awareness and the ability to select work that best represents your strengths
Personal statement
This should be about 500 words long and include:
- Your reasons for choosing the course
- Your current creative practice and how this will help with your future plans
- If you do not have any formal academic qualifications please describe your relevant education and experience
Apply
What happens next
Communicating with you
After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.
Please add ccw.ukeu@arts.ac.uk to your contacts to ensure that you do not miss any important updates about your application to UAL.
Initial application check and selection
We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to submit a digital portfolio through UAL’s online portfolio review system. These will be reviewed by the academic team.
Following the review of the digital portfolio we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process. These applicants will be invited to book an online interview selection event.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
You will receive the final outcome of your application through the UAL portal.
Applicants for this course may be given an alternative offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.
Feedback requests:
This course receives a high number of applications. Unfortunately, we can’t provide feedback to everyone who is unsuccessful. We can only provide feedback after you’ve had an interview. We are only able to provide feedback to you directly, or to someone you have told us in writing can receive it on your behalf. If you would like to request feedback please email ccw.ukeu@arts.ac.uk.
Deferring your place
This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.
Transfers
If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current PG course and wish to continue your studies at Chelsea College of Arts, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible. Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.
Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.
Application deadline
6 January 2021
We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.
When you’ll hear from us
Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. We’ll be in touch shortly after you apply with information about next steps. Find out more about what happens after you apply.
Apply
There are 2 ways international students can apply to a postgraduate course:
- Through one of our official representatives in your country
- By direct application
Read our immigration and visa information to find out if you need a visa to study at UAL.
What happens next
Communicating with you
After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.
Please add ccw.international@arts.ac.uk to your contacts to ensure that you do not miss any important updates about your application to UAL.
Initial application check and selection
We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to submit a digital portfolio through UAL’s online portfolio review system. These will be reviewed by the academic team.
Following the review of the digital portfolio we select a small number of applicants to move on to the next stage of the process. These applicants will be invited to book an online interview selection event.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
You will receive the final outcome of your application through the UAL portal.
Applicants for this course may be given an alternative offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.
Feedback requests:
This course receives a high number of applications. Unfortunately, we can’t provide feedback to everyone who is unsuccessful. We can only provide feedback after you’ve had an interview. We are only able to provide feedback to you directly, or to someone you have told us in writing can receive it on your behalf. If you would like to request feedback please email ccw.international@arts.ac.uk.
Deferring your place
This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.
Transfers
If you are currently studying at another institution and if you have successfully completed 60 credits in the equivalent units/modules on your current PG course and wish to continue your studies at Chelsea College of Arts, you can apply to transfer. The Admissions Tutor will consider applications on a case by case basis, subject to places being available. You must apply directly to the course via the course webpage as early as possible. Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and transcripts.
Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English if necessary) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.
Application deadline
15 March 2021
We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.
When you’ll hear from us
Once you’ve sent in your application, this will be sent through to our course teams for review. We’ll be in touch shortly after you apply with information about next steps. Find out more about what happens after you apply.
Fees and funding
Home fee
£12,280
This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 entry. Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.
Home fees are currently charged to UK resident nationals. However, the rules are complex and you can find out more on our tuition fees pages.
From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information webpage
International fee
£25,880
This fee is correct for 2021/22 entry and is subject to change for 2022/23 entry. Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.
International fees are currently charged to students from countries outside of the UK. However, the rules are complex and more information can be found on our tuition fees pages.
From 2021/22 entry, most EU students will be charged the International tuition fee rate, although this may depend on your individual circumstances. If you started your course in October 2020 or earlier, you’ll continue to pay Home (UK) fees for the duration of your course. Read more advice for EU students on our Brexit information webpage
Careers and alumni
The course develops students’ potential to operate as professional practitioners within an international art community, or to progress to further academic research at PhD level.
Many students go on to set up their own studio practice, developing strong professional links with galleries, critics, and curators. Many Chelsea MA Fine Art alumni are practicing artists working at national and international level.
Due to the course’s interdisciplinary practical approach, many graduates have expanded or multi-platform careers in related fields such as curating, arts management, art dealing, arts advisory services, theatre, film, broadcasting, music, fashion, education, events management, online media, writing and publishing.
Alumni
Graduates from Chelsea's MA Fine Art course include Turner Prize winning artists and nominees Helen Chadwick, Peter Doig, Anish Kapoor, Mike Nelson, Mariella Neudecker, Andreas Oelhert, Stephen Pippin, Kimio Tsuchiya, Mark Wallinger and Rebecca Warren.
Other alumni, who are now established practitioners, include Keith Coventry, Nicky Hoberman, Morag Keil, Julie Lomax, Haroon Mirza and Saskia Olde Wolbers.
Find out how careers and employability helps our students and graduates start their careers.