Fine Art (5-year programme) MA (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Art

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

W150

Award

MA (Hons)

Duration of study

5 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Lauriston campus

Start date

September 2026

School

Edinburgh College of Art

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Placement

Available

Open days and events

About the degree programme

If you love both making art and studying the history and theory of art, then the Fine Art (MA) degree is for you. 

The Fine Art MA (Hons) has been running since 1948. It is a unique, five-year programme that combines the studio practice of fine art with the academic study of the history of art. It provides an equal split between art practice and art history. 

Through this course, you will gain a professional understanding of artistic practice and an extensive knowledge of art history and its study methods.

Discover what it's like to study MA Fine Art from our staff and students.

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme takes five years to complete.

This unique five-year programme allows students to combine the studio practice of fine art with the academic study of art history.

A key benefit to studying a five-year degree programme is that you can study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme in Year 1 and Year 2.

Programme benefits

  • You will study fine art at a renowned art college within a research-intensive, world-leading university.
  • You will have full access to the range of technical facilities and workshops offered at Edinburgh College of Art, as well as full access to the libraries and study spaces at the University of Edinburgh 
  • You will benefit from working with staff that include practising artists, theorists, writers and curators with in-depth specialist knowledge and experience.
  • You will benefit from regular research seminars and artist talks during term time, when visiting experts and artists come to speak to staff and students about their latest research and work. 
  • History of Art at the University of Edinburgh is one of the largest departments of its kind in the UK, offering a wide range of specialist subjects. In the first two years of your degree, you can choose ‘electives’ or outside courses to study including language courses.
  • You will be part of an active and engaged student community, including the History of Art Society, the Contemporary Art Society, the Edinburgh Gallery Society, Art Soc and the Photography Society. 

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for MA (Hons) Fine Art

View the tuition fees for one academic year of MA (Hons) Fine Art.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

The costs of your materials will vary depending on your programme of study. 

Some programmes offer fieldwork. For these, you will usually need to cover:

  • accommodation
  • subsistence
  • travel costs

Your actual contribution will depend on your programme and the courses you select.

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend a maximum of £920 to £2,257 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

You will study both the history of art and studio-based disciplines throughout this five-year programme. 

This will include: 

  • painting 
  • sculpture 
  • intermedia art 
  • printmaking

You can expect a mix of lectures, seminars, and tutorials in both art and history of art, as well as self-guided study and studio time. You will also engage with critiques in the studio, in which you will have the opportunity to hear feedback on your work from both tutors and peers.

In Year 1 your study is equally weighted between art practice and the history of art. 

Art practice 

For this side of your studies, you will work in studios and learn alongside students from other School of Art BA (Hons) subjects.

You will take:

  • Art in Practice 1

You will follow studio and research courses. These will involve projects introducing different methods, materials and approaches to art practice. 

Teaching methods in the School of Art include: 

  • tutorials
  • seminars
  • critiques
History of art 

For history of art, you will take: 

  • History of Art 1
  • one more semester-long course of your choice 

These courses cover the period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the end of the Counter-Reformation.

You will also choose 40 credits of option courses from across the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. These are normally made up of two 20-credit courses.

Find Year 1 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

In Year 2 your study is also equally weighted between art practice and the history of art. 

Art practice

You will take:

  • Art in Practice 2

In the studio, you will begin to study with a more focused range of materiality and practices. 

Through seminars, you will learn the links between art history and studio methodologies. 

History of art 

For history of art, you will take History of Art 2 and choose another art history course.

Option courses

You will also choose 40 credits of courses from across the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Find Year 2 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

In Year 3 the emphasis shifts from projects to deadlines. 

You will:

  • follow the studio and research courses alongside BA (Hons) students in the School of Art
  • have the opportunity to engage in external projects and events, combining these with extended periods of supported, independent study
  • be able to apply for an international exchange 
History of art 

For history of art, you will choose two 20-credit optional courses from a range of topics. In the past, these have included: 

  • ancient, medieval, renaissance and modern art in Europe
  • Islamic and Asian art
  • contemporary art history and theory courses covering 21st-century practices in an international context

In Year 3 you will also develop your research skills by writing an independent history of art project. You will be supported with regular supervision from a member of staff.

Find Year 3 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

In Year 4 you will spend two-thirds of your time studying the history of art courses and a third on art practice. 

History of art 

You will choose three 20-credit optional courses from the history of art portfolio. Your choices can cover the pre- or post-1800 period. 

You will also complete another independent history of art project.

Art practice 

You will consider the relationship between your studio practice and your background research. 

Our courses support you in defining your area of research. They also encourage you to be experimental and ambitious. 

Individual tutorials and group critiques will help you critically analyse your work. This includes analysing your work and methods of investigation with current fine art practice.

Find Year 4 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Dissertation 

In your final year, you will write a history of art dissertation. This is on a topic of your choice and will be submitted early in Semester 2. 

The emphasis then shifts to the consolidation of your studio practice. 

Studio work 

You will spend most of the year (around two-thirds of your time) on research and producing work in the studios. 

You will present a self-directed body of work to show your ability. This should demonstrate a high level of: 

  • critical analysis 
  • personal vision 
  • awareness of its context in current art practice

This work culminates in the display of your artwork at public Degree Show exhibitions.

Typically, at the end of Year 5 you will have the opportunity to take part in our Graduate Show. This is a chance to exhibit your work. You can see work submitted by previous graduates on our 2024 Graduate Show page.

MA Fine Art Graduate Show 2024

Find Year 5 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Study abroad

We offer exchange opportunities with partner institutions across the world. Exchanges usually take place during Year 3. 

Studying abroad allows you to:

  • become immersed in a new culture
  • make new friends
  • expand your working knowledge of another language
  • build a sense of independence, which future employers will regard as an asset

What are my options for going abroad?

Placements

We work with several industry leaders, including galleries and museums to provide opportunities for Year 3 students to undertake internships in curation, gallery management, exhibition production and archiving. These include:

  • National Library of Scotland
  • Alasdair Gray Archive
  • Talbot Rice
  • Art in Translation
  • City Art Centre
  • Pollock House

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Teaching in History of Art

In Years 1 and 2 learning and teaching involves:  

  • lectures 
  • tutorials  
  • independent study, with a focus on reading in preparation for lectures and tutorials  
Lectures  

Lectures are delivered by experts in the field and provide an overview of key themes, concepts and questions relating to the week's topic.  

Tutorials  

In tutorials, the emphasis is on student discussion in small groups. Some courses also incorporate small student study groups, which help you learn from each other in preparation for tutorials.  

Years 3 and 4 involve more seminars (similar to tutorials, but with more emphasis on discussion and debate) and independent study. You will have one-to-one supervision meetings to support your independent learning and individual research projects.    

In Year 5, you will work on your dissertation with guidance from a supervisor, a 10,000-word independent research project on a topic of your choice. 

Teaching in art

Art education takes a diverse range of approaches to developing you as a student and artist.  You are not being trained towards a single goal or skill. You will be educated to develop your visual, conceptual, critical and intellectual abilities.

For your future professional life, you will also need to be able to express yourself in both written and oral forms while also developing your technical competencies relevant to our discipline.  To achieve these aims you will be taught through:  

  • group and individual tutorials  
  • critiques of individual and group work  
  • technical instruction through access and induction to ECA’s workshop provision and technical support team  
  • lectures  
  • seminars  
  • workshops  
  • field trips  
  • visiting artist talks  

Some of these will be similar to what you have encountered in your prior education. Others are specific to art education and may be new to you.  These are likely to be:  

Tutorials  

We use tutorials to focus conversation with you regarding your work, and the work of peers who share your interests. Specialist academic staff will provide you with insights from their own experience and knowledge of the subject of art. This will aid you in developing your learning and work, and, how to manage this process and expectations connected to it. This is an essential form of learning where you will receive formative feedback and guidance that will help you progress towards assessment.  

Project space critiques  

A critique (or ‘crit’) is an opportunity to see how your work is viewed and understood by others.

Sometimes critiques will take place in spaces within ECA, and at other times if appropriate online or off-site. Part of your learning journey is critically engaging with this form of learning and experimenting with what is useful to you and others in this process.  

Regardless of what form they take, the purpose of studio critiques is to create a space to participate in discussion.

Workshops  

Workshops come in a range of different forms on our programme. In general, they are either:

  • technical workshops where you receive support from technical staff to work on your acquisition of skills and techniques of making in specific media
  • artistic or research workshops where you are introduced to a specific way of thinking about and/or making work through hands-on experience of the work of an artist, researcher or specialist instructor

What both types of workshops share is the process of working alongside peers to practically explore something and learn from and with one another.  

Lectures and seminars  

Lectures and seminars provide key moments in which you will engage with information, ideas and knowledge about the subject. You will hear from a range of specialists and take time to better understand these matters through discussion with your peers and tutors.

These types of learning are intended to help you understand how art works beyond higher education and will prepare you for professional experiences in the subject of art after you graduate. 

Assessment

Assessment across the Fine Art MA (Hons) programme will include both formative and summative assessment methods.  

Formative assessment

Formative activities are designed to provide you with experience in modelling what future submissions for summative assessment could look like or include.

Feedback on formative work aids your progress and development but does not contribute to your final grade.

Formative activities also aid the teaching team in understanding and helping you develop your knowledge and skills and are intended to promote further improvement in your level of attainment.   

Summative assessment

Summative assessment is the process of evaluating your work at a point in time. You will receive a grade for each learning outcome on every course you take.

Grades are confirmed at the Examination Board. This happens at the end of each semester, and they are then combined to produce a single, numerical mark for each of your courses.

Assessment in history of art

Our courses use a variety of assessment methods, including: 

  • exams 
  • essays 
  • primary source analyses 
  • oral presentations 
  • podcasts 
  • online discussion forums 
  • participation in tutorials and seminars 
Assessment in art

Across art, you will be assessed across a range of different forms of coursework. These include, but are not limited to:  

  • research documents and sketchbooks  
  • portfolios of artworks  
  • reflective accounts of your work  
  • individual and group presentation of work  
  • written and/or audio essays  
  • artist statements and project designs  
  • career plans  
  • documentation of projects  
  • a dissertation  

Assessment and grading of this coursework are directly aligned to learning outcomes for each course you study so you can identify what you have achieved.

Each course you study has its specific learning outcomes and forms of assessment.

We have a shared responsibility to ensure you understand how you are being assessed and how you should engage with these processes.  

Monday
  • 10am to 5pm: Art in Practice 1
Tuesday
  • 10am to 11am: History of Art 1 lecture
Wednesday
  • Morning: Art in Practice 1 workshops with technical team 
Thursday
  • 10am to 11am: History of Art 1 lecture
  • 2pm to 3pm: History of Art 1 tutorial
Friday
  • 10am to 11am: History of Art 1 lecture

Your selected option courses will occur in time slots that do not clash with your core teaching.

You will be expected to undertake self-directed study in the remaining time. This will involve:

  • completing formative tasks and assignments related to your courses
  • undertaking independent research
  • making use of our technical facilities

Support for your studies

ECA’s Student and Academic Support Service (SASS) supports students throughout their studies in all degree programmes at ECA.

You will have a dedicated Student Adviser, based within SASS, who is specially trained to support you during your studies. Your Student Adviser will be your first point of contact for any support, including questions about your studies or your well-being. Your Student Adviser can support you with:

  • personal or wellbeing issues that you are facing, including how to access specialist support
  • queries related to your programme, such as course enrolments, programme transfers and academic progression
  • applying for extensions and special circumstances
  • advice about how to take a break from your studies
  • registering with the Disability and Learning Support Service

If you’re unsure who to ask, you can contact your Student Adviser as a first point of contact.

Support for your studies

Our academic staff

You will join a community of practising artists, writers, critics and curators working across visual, and material culture. We think, make and critically reflect.

The majority of our faculty members in the subject area teach in the programme.

You will meet, and work with most of them during your studies. You can explore the ECA People Directory to discover more of the staff you will learn from.

ECA People Directory

Where you will study

Study location

The majority of your teaching, including lecturers and seminars, will take place at ECA's Lauriston Campus in the Central Area. Each year, you will be assigned a studio in our main building.

You will also get to experience lectures and classes across the wider University of Edinburgh campus.

Academic facilities

Throughout your studies, you will have access to a wide range of spaces, facilities and equipment to aid you in experimenting with artistic processes and making work.

Our purpose-built Main Building includes painting studios and studios for sculptural work.

Specialist workshops

In addition to the studios, you will be taught across a range of specialist workshop environments, which are predominantly located in the ECA Main Building, Hunter Building and our Evolution House building.

You'll have access to:

  • foundry and casting rooms
  • hot and cold glasswork facilities
  • metal workshops
  • wood workshops
  • specialist analogue and digital photography suits
  • printmaking suite
  • digital fabrication facilities

In addition to these facilities, we also have the ECA Store on-campus where you can purchase materials for your artistic projects, along with our Free-Use Hub where you can access free recycled materials.

You will also have access to Bookit, where you can access and loan a wide range of digital and technical equipment for free as part of being a student.

Bookit - Equipment loans and studio booking

You can find out more on the ECA website.

Facilities and resources at ECA

Investing in our learning environment

Edinburgh College of Art is excited to be undertaking a capital redevelopment of ECA’s Lauriston Campus over the next three years, from April 2024 to April 2027. ​

The project aims to maximise the use of existing space, improve accessibility, and create a vibrant campus that fosters collaboration and innovation.​

The project involves refurbishing and repurposing various spaces across the Lauriston campus, including technical facilities, student and teaching spaces, and the relocation of the Reid School of Music from Alison House to the Lauriston Campus. New social spaces, seminar rooms, and studios are being created to accommodate our growing community.

You can find more about the project at the below link:

Building work starts at ECA’s Lauriston Campus - Edinburgh College of Art

Virtual tour

You can take a closer look at the Edinburgh College of Art and explore our facilities and campus with our virtual tour.

Take a virtual tour of Edinburgh College of Art

Career paths

Studying towards a degree in fine art is a highly transferable qualification, providing you with a significant foundation upon which to build a dynamic and fulfilling career.

Our students go on to become:

  • curators
  • artists
  • archivists
  • teachers
  • gallerists

Many have had successful careers as artists, exhibiting commercially and in institutions internationally. Previous graduates have gone on to be directors of institutions or started their own galleries.

Students have also gone in less traditional directions and have found careers in:

  • marketing
  • copyediting and copywriting
  • poetry and other creative writing
  • journalism
  • teachers or art and art history

We have also had students use the transferable skills they have learned through their degrees to work with charitable organisations and project management.

You can find out more on our alumni website.

ECA alumni website 

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

  • a masters degree
  • a postgraduate diploma or certificate
  • a PhD
  • a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study 

Postgraduate degrees you might be interested in could include:

Graduate profiles

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

Portfolio

You need to submit a digital portfolio to show your artistic skill and potential. 

The portfolio guidance for 2026 entry will be released in August 2025.

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

What our students say

What is it really like to study here? Our students share their experiences on our social media.

You can find out what a day in the life is like for an Edinburgh College of Art Student, from late nights in the library to their favourite walks around the city!

Instagram: Edinburgh College of Art

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

There are a number of subject-specific societies that might be of interest to you throughout your studies. These include:

  • History of Art Society
  • Contemporary Art Society
  • Arts and Heritage Society

Societies aren't only subject-specific. You can find a society for almost any interest, cause or hobby at the University of Edinburgh.

Societies

Sports clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Our vibrant capital is a blend of culture, history, nature and modern city life. A fantastic place to live, it is also the perfect location to study fine art.

Edinburgh’s dynamic cultural scene boasts the largest collection of historic buildings, museums, art galleries and theatres of any city in Scotland.

The University of Edinburgh’s museums and galleries include:

  • the Talbot Rice Gallery
  • Centre for Research Collections
  • St. Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room and Music Museum

Edinburgh is home to several major annual festivals, each bringing talent from around the world to our streets and stages, making the celebration of diversity an intrinsic part of the city’s culture. These include the:

  • Festival Fringe
  • Film Festival
  • Art Festival
  • Book Festival
  • Jazz & Blues Festival

Some of our students even participate in our annual festivals.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

Related degree programmes

Other degrees in Art

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It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

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