MFA in Fine Art

MFA Fine Art

Our MFA (Master of Fine Art) is a two-year full-time studio-based programme in contemporary Fine Art practice. It is designed to enable students to develop careers as professional artists. It is designed for graduates in Fine Art and for those with other backgrounds who wish to establish or extend their position as leading practitioners in the contemporary art world.

The programme also offers a grounding for those hoping to progress to PhD practice-led degree study. 

The course is based in studios in the heart of Newcastle's city centre campus. Less than 3 hours by train from London, the city has a thriving art scene with numerous artists studios and galleries. The Fine Art department is at the centre of this and provides a supportive, challenging and inspiring environment in which to study Fine Art. 

You will be taught by a wide range of distinguished and internationally celebrated practicing artists and you will be working in an exciting, well-equipped and expanding practice-led research environment. Whether your practice involves painting, sculpture, digital media, drawing, performance, photography, printmaking, installation or video art, the course at Newcastle enables the student/artist to pursue professionalism and excellence in their practice. We encourage and support the practice and study of art through thoughtful and informed investigation, experimentation and speculation.‌

The programme is led by Jane Millican and she can be contacted for advice and further information about the course and your application.

We admit a maximum of 12 students per year on to our MFA course.  We very much welcome International applications.

We want to enable students to become articulate, curious and generous, willing to step out of their comfort zone, but also to stand by their intentions and own their practice. Students will develop their understanding of the cultural, social or political contexts of their practice, related to the art world and beyond. This is encouraged through exhibiting, seminars and peer group discussions.

You are expected to pursue your practice and research with a high level of independence but will be supported by a supervisor who regularly meets with you to discuss your work. You will also attend cross-disciplinary seminars, group studio discussions and lectures by distinguished visiting artists. Our weekly Visiting Speakers Programme enables some of the most interesting and original artists, critics, curators, historians and art professionals working today to present and discuss their projects.

The course is based in excellent purpose-built studio space. Approximately 80% of your time will be devoted to your self-directed creative studio work, and your dissertation and professional practice sessions make up the remaining 20%. The course also encourages you to exhibit in the city, make connections in the region, and set up contacts for use beyond the degree. Each year culminates in a Degree Show held throughout the Fine Art Building and the Hatton Gallery.

You will have 24-hour access to your studio throughout the year, and towards the end of June, when the undergraduate students are no longer working in the building, the MFA students then have access and the use of all the studios in the building in which to work and to subsequently exhibit. 

We also very much encourage participation in the research culture of the department through workshops and research seminars, including:

• Chairing seminars with eminent visiting artists and researchers
• Involvement in exhibitions
• Professional networking
• Collaborative activities

In addition, the Newcastle University's Institute for Creative Arts Practice aggregates the critical mass of creative practitioners and researchers within the University and will encourage you to collaborate and create work that has a global significance.

To find out more about the course and living in Newcastle, click here.

How to apply and additional course information.

Available funding

The NewBridge Project and Newcastle University are pleased to offer two bursaries for students taking the Master of Fine Arts course, starting in September 2024.

These bursaries offer an exciting and significant opportunity to prospective students who might otherwise be unable to undertake postgraduate study due to financial barriers.

The bursaries cover full tuition fees for the two-year MA, as well as a stipend toward living costs of £8000 per year.

This initiative is part of a 3-year programme of development activity led by The NewBridge Project, in partnership with Newcastle University, and supported by the North of Tyne Combined Authority Skills for Growth Programme.

Aimed towards prospective students living in the North of Tyne area (Newcastle, the Borough of North Tyneside, and Northumberland), these bursaries aim to help those who have faced barriers to accessing higher or postgraduate education.

They are intended to create pathways into study for people who have experienced financial hardship or other barriers, and/or have not previously participated in higher education but have a creative practice.

The application deadline for this opportunity is Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

For further information and to submit your application, please visit - https://thenewbridgeproject.com/news/apply-for-a-newcastle-university-mfa-bursary/