Fine Art MFA

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

The Master of Fine Art is a two-year full-time studio-based course. Approximately 75% of the course (260 credits) is self-directed creative studio-based art practice. Your dissertation, professional practice training and other modules make up the remaining 25%.

Studio supervisors will support you throughout your MFA, with regular meetings to discuss your work. You can also discuss your work with all fine art staff, benefitting from the full range of expertise available. We deliver the course through:

• one-to-one studio tutorials
• seminars and group crits
• lectures
• workshops

We encourage and support the practice and study of art through:

• lively debate
• exhibiting
• thoughtful and informed investigation
• experimentation
• speculation

You'll work in a practice-led environment, pursuing your art practice and research with a high level of independence.

We aim for you to have an understanding of cultural, social and political contexts, related to the art world and beyond. This is developed through events, exhibiting, seminars and peer group discussions.

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Design or creative project
• Dissertation

The creative project will be in the form of an exhibition

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Our teaching is research led and we have a committed and dynamic team of academic staff. They're all:

• excellent and engaged teachers
• active artists and researchers
• artists of international standing

Many national and international artists, curators and art theorists also work with us through our weekly visiting lecture programme. This is where some of the most interesting and original

• artists
• critics
• curators
• historians
• art professionals

working today present and discuss their projects.

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.