Bath Spa University

BA (Hons) in Creative Arts Practice

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen.

Year one (Level 4) modules

• Workshop and Core Skills
• Professional Practice: Explore
• Studio Practice
• How Did We Get Here? Contexts of Art

Year two (Level 5) modules

• Practice and Proficiencies
• We Are Here: Art in the 21st Century
• Practice and Collaboration
• Professional Practice: Experience
• Professional Placement Year

Year three (Level 6) modules

• Practice and Context
• Situating Practice – Final Study
• Practice and Audience
• Professional Practice: Progress

What you'll learn

Overview

Using a range of specialist workshops and technical support, gain a degree that empowers you with strong making skills.

As an aspiring artist-maker, you'll experience a solid grounding in a range of creative disciplines before selecting a focus in your first year. The course encourages and supports you to share ideas and collaborate across subject areas, and you'll gain the skills and confidence to combine practice and theory in radical and innovative ways.

Course structure

Year one

In your first year, the focus will be on upskilling, learning about different materials, and gaining the skills to work both independently and in collaboration.

You’ll investigate materials and methods of making, including ceramics, textiles, wood, metal, plastics, and printing. You’ll spend time in the workshop with tutors and technicians, as well as on your own, to allow you to immerse yourself in the making processes. You’ll also broaden your knowledge of contemporary craft professionals working in the field. You'll begin to critically assess your work, and the work of others, through discussion and written tasks including critical studies essays.

During the year, you’ll choose which discipline you'd like to focus on for the remainder of your studies.

Year two

During your second year, you’ll delve deeper into your chosen area of study, attending classes delivered by a range of tutors who are specialists in their field and current practitioners.

Visiting lecturers will share their knowledge of a range of career paths and experiences. Professional practice is a key component of study this year, where you'll gain industry experience aligned with your area of practice. There will also be opportunities to work collaboratively on live briefs, and across the University.

Year three

In your final year, you’ll hone your making skills to professional standards, and you’ll be actively marketing your work alongside your making.

You’ll set your brief and be working independently, with support from your tutors, to create an ambitious body of work.

You’ll work on a dissertation, and participate in the degree show, which will provide a showcase and networking opportunities. Professional practice is closely aligned with your final exhibition and focuses on supporting your career aspirations after University.

How will I be assessed?

Your progress is evaluated regularly through assessments and feedback, and at the end of each semester through a mix of one-to-one sessions and group tutorials, exhibitions, live projects, verbal/visual presentations, sketchbooks, and context folders.

You’ll graduate with a broad portfolio of expertise to accompany specialist knowledge in your particular field(s).

Our graduates find employment in a range of relevant areas, from establishing their creative practice/studio to working as freelance artists/makers/designers. Many now work in areas such as retail and display management, curation, creative production, galleries, project management, research, arts administration, heritage, education, critical writing, gallery and museum learning and teaching, teaching in Higher Education, and postgraduate research.

Graduates can help progress their careers through our residency programs at creative incubator EMERGE, and our city center innovation hub, The Studio.

You could also choose to go on to further study at any postgraduate level in Art and Design subjects.

How will I be taught?

You’ll learn through lectures, talks, practical sessions, individual and group tutorials, and studio critiques and seminars.

Lectures and seminars with visiting external professionals, designers, and makers will help you determine where your current practice sits.

Technical Demonstrators, who manage our workshop facilities, provide teaching and support across a wide range of subject specialisms.

Course length

Three years full-time, or four years full-time with a professional placement year. Part-time available.