Program Overview

A Pathway in Art and design is designed to develop strong foundations in design, critical thinking, and research.

In the First Year Pathway students complete the ARU first year of the degree, undertaking the same modules, in the same classes as students entering the University directly. Alongside the ARU modules, students entering through the First Year Pathway will have additional support and tuition from ARU College.

First Year

A First Year pathway is available for students who:

• Don’t meet the entry requirements to enter university level study directly (but hold equivalent to AS/A level studies)
• Feel that additional support at the start of university studies will help them stand a better chance of success
• Have been away from studies for a period of time
• Come from a different academic environment to that of the UK

If you fall into any of the above categories, choosing an undergraduate pathway at ARU College is the right decision. Depending on your academic needs here at ARU College we have two pathway entry points available, foundation and first year pathway.

Progressing from First Year

At ARU College we offer a first year or stage 2 level study. Either students will enter this pathway following completion of the foundation, or for students that have completed equivalent of A level study we also have an entry point at first year of a bachelor’s degree.

Upon completion of the first year, or Stage 2, you will seamlessly progress to the second year of your chosen degree with the University, and no longer be registered with ARU College.

BA (Hons) Fine Art

Do you have a passion for graphic design, photography, oil painting, fashion? Whatever your outlet, a foundation in Art and Design will help you to develop a knowledgeable approach to sharing your point of view.
Our Pathway of Art and Design targets the skills you will need in University to critically assess information, develop your design portfolio, and express yourself through visual language. Students will be introduced to practical art and design skills including developing skills of visual storytelling, image-making both in traditional and digital media, visual language and communication, formulating an independent creative response to a broad range of subject matter. For a hands-on degree, many of your classes are going to utilise project and portfolio based strategies to help you begin developing your portfolio and find your areas of passion.
Our staff are actively engaged in their own creative pursuits, and they’ll support you all the way. Plus, there’s the opportunity to go to extracurricular seminars and workshops, which feature guest presentations from specialist academics and researchers. Think and create with limitless possibilities, your journey starts here.

Develop your individual practice, explore and experiment with new processes and media, and engage with contemporary practice and theory by studying for our BA (Hons) Fine Art degree at Cambridge School of Art.At ARU, studying Fine Art allows you to experiment with your creativity, explore materials and processes, and discover which media best communicate your ideas.
We encourage creative risk-taking, and you’ll have to the chance to explore many new practices and artistic platforms, including photography, printmaking, performance art, film and video, digital media, installation and site-specific approaches.
Our tutors, who are all professional artists, and expert technicians will be on hand to support you. It’s one of the reasons our course is ranked 7th in the UK for 'Satisfaction with Teaching' (The Guardian University Guide 2020).    
Here at Cambridge School of Art you’ll be hands-on in your own studio space from the very start of your course. Our studios are based around our digital and traditional exhibition space, the Ruskin Gallery, and you’ll work closely with fine artists in other years and with students from across our creative community. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll get time, guidance and support from our team of practicing artists, dedicated to your creative development. We’ll support you to experiment with materials and across a range of different media, processes and techniques as you develop confidence and build a substantial portfolio of work.
We learn outside the studio too, with visits to local exhibitions, galleries in London and international trips to centres of contemporary art such as Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam and the Venice Bienniale.
Throughout the course there are opportunities to collaborate and exhibit your work and it’s a great way to develop professional skills in curating, event management, marketing and promotion.
Our students have recently held exhibitions at Cambridge ArtSpace and created site-specific installations at the Institute of Astronomy, the Botanic Gardens and the Museum of Technology. You’ll also showcase your work in our graduating degree show and, as a (Hons) Fine Art student, you’ll also be considered for our annual Supanee Gazeley Prize, a £3,000 award for the best Degree Show exhibition.
All our students are invited to attend the lecture series run by our Fine Art Research Unit, exposing you to contemporary debates in fine art practice. You’ll also study the history and theory of fine art, giving you a solid grounding for careers in the creative and cultural sector, such as curation, arts administration, or arts publishing and journalism – as well as teaching and education.