Fine Art

The Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) program at the University of Oxford offers a comprehensive and rigorous education in the visual arts, designed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and technical skills. This distinguished program provides students with the opportunity to explore a wide range of artistic practices, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and new media, within the historic and inspiring settings of Oxford’s colleges and departments. Students benefit from personalized tutorials, seminars, and workshops led by leading artists, curators, and academics, encouraging an in-depth investigation of artistic concepts, history, and contemporary issues. The curriculum emphasizes the development of a strong individual voice through both practical experimentation and theoretical inquiry. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to engage critically with their own work and with broader cultural and societal themes, fostering an understanding of art’s role in society. The program also emphasizes the importance of professional development, offering opportunities for exhibitions, collaborations, and public engagement. With access to Oxford’s extensive collections and research resources, students can draw inspiration from a wealth of historical and contemporary sources. The course prepares graduates for careers in fine art practice, curatorial work, art education, and other related fields, equipping them with the essential skills for innovative and responsible artistic practice. This program is ideal for aspiring artists who seek an academically challenging environment to nurture their creative talents while engaging deeply with the intellectual aspects of art.

The course will provide an intensive series of one-to-one tutorials and weekly studio seminars, focused upon your own art-making, its key concerns and ideas, and your inter-dependent development with the other artists in the MFA group.

This studio-based learning programme will be supported by a regular seminar series engaged with current debates in contemporary art history and theory. The curriculum of reading and discussion will be tailored to the emergent concerns of the group and their dialogue with wider discourses of contemporary art and visual culture.

This student-centric approach to your own art making, as well as to its historical and theoretical context, will be possible because of the unusually small cohort size of the Ruskin MFA. Great attention will be paid to individual concerns, whilst generating a collective dynamic of mutual participation in generous and robust discussion. Through this process, you will be provided with a demanding yet supportive environment that allows you to engage with what it means to work as an artist today, considering how an artist's practice and ideas are understood in and across different social, artistic and intellectual contexts.

The course benefits from the extraordinary resources of knowledge across the University, placing special emphasis upon the experimental histories of art and art education, and their potential to transform knowledge, forms and situations. You will be expected to develop your artistic practice within the programme, researching and generating an advanced body of art work, employing the technical resources and facilities of the Ruskin and drawing upon Oxford’s extensive library and museum resources.

Varied teaching situations will be employed to identify and provide for each individual student's needs, and to draw individual artistic concerns into group dialogue to promote extensive contextual knowledge and awareness. These include:

• a studio programme of individual tutorials over all three (or six for part-time students) terms, with an allocated tutor who will oversee your academic development. An additional provision of elective tutorials will also be made, enabling you to benefit from the individual research strengths of other permanent staff as well as regular visiting staff across the school, complemented by input from high-profile visiting lecturers;
• two programmes of group seminars throughout the first and second terms, one dedicated to the presentation and analysis of studio work (such as group critiques) and one to the reading and analysis of contemporary art history and theory. These will be timetabled to facilitate the attendance of part-time students; and
• complementary support through access to technical training for new skills and techniques, delivered by the Ruskin’s regular technical staff, as well as occasional skills workshops.

The MFA will have three main modes of assessment:

• an exhibition or other presentation of a fully realised artwork or body of artworks made by you during the MFA programme. This will require you to develop, create and present a coherent, thoughtful exhibition, or other presentation as appropriate, of artwork. Other presentations may include websites, live performances, etc;
• an extended written text of at least 4,000 words. This piece of written work will require you to reflect upon your studio practice, drawing together aspects of the technical and formal processes of art making and considering them in relation to art-historical contexts and theoretical debates;
• a portfolio of documentation of studio work. Throughout the programme, you will be required to make thorough, scholarly documentation of your work, to be submitted at the conclusion of the programme. This supports the assessment of the final exhibition or presentation in demonstrating the provenance of the processes, strategies and ideas manifest there.

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in fine art or a related subject. 

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a good first-class degree or the equivalent.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA generally sought is 3.75 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Statement of purpose/personal statement:1,000 words
• Portfolio: Up to 15 images and/or 12 minute of moving image work
• References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

Portfolio

A digital portfolio of recently completed studio work documented through images or other mode of documentation is required.

Your portfolio should be provided in digital format with your application, although you may be asked to bring along originals at the interview. Portfolios should be hosted on a website or service that is publicly accessible via the internet, eg via Vimeo, YouTube, Flickr or your own website.

A PDF document comprising the URL (and password, if necessary) for your portfolio should be uploaded to your application as written work.

The department will not accept portfolios submitted via email. If you cannot provide a web-based portfolio, please send an email to graduate@rsa.ox.ac.uk to discuss alternative arrangements.

Portfolios will be assessed for evidence of creative thinking and artistic accomplishment, and clarity in the exposition of ideas.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

Funding options for the Fine Art program at the University of Oxford include a range of scholarships, bursaries, and financial aid opportunities designed to support students throughout their studies. Prospective students are encouraged to explore university-wide funding schemes such as the Clarendon Fund, which offers highly competitive scholarships covering tuition fees and a generous living stipend for students of high academic achievement. Additionally, the Andrew W Mellon Foundation provides grants for graduate students pursuing degrees in arts and humanities, including Fine Art, aimed at supporting diverse and innovative research projects. The university also offers specific college-based scholarships; all colleges affiliated with the University of Oxford may have their own funding opportunities, which students can apply for directly through the college administration. International students may be eligible for additional funding from government schemes, third-party organizations, or international scholarship programs, and it is advisable to check with the relevant embassy or scholarship providers for up-to-date information. Many students also finance their studies through part-time work or research grants; the university’s career service provides resources and advice on employment opportunities both on and off campus, compatible with the demands of graduate studies. The cost of living in Oxford varies, but students typically budget for accommodation, materials, and personal expenses, with some colleges providing accommodation that may reduce housing costs. The university’s financial aid office offers guidance and support in planning funding strategies tailored to individual circumstances. It is recommended that applicants start exploring funding options early, as some scholarships have competitive application deadlines and specific eligibility criteria. The university's commitment to financial accessibility ensures that talented students from diverse backgrounds can pursue their artistic and academic ambitions without undue financial hardship.

The Master of Fine Art (MFA) at the University of Oxford is a prestigious postgraduate program designed to cultivate advanced artistic practice and critical engagement with contemporary art. It provides a rigorous environment for artists to develop their individual practice through studio-based work, supported by a core curriculum that emphasizes both practical skills and critical theory. The program aims to foster innovation, experimentation, and deep intellectual inquiry, preparing graduates for careers in the arts, academia, or other related fields.

Students benefit from the university’s distinguished faculty, renowned for their expertise across diverse disciplines within the arts. The curriculum includes access to extensive resources such as specialized studios, workshops, and libraries, offering a conducive environment for creative exploration. Throughout the program, students participate in exhibitions, public lectures, and seminars, facilitating engagement with wider artistic communities and fostering connections with practicing artists, curators, and scholars.

The program emphasizes an individual approach, encouraging students to develop a distinctive artistic voice while engaging critically with contemporary issues. Research components often involve contemporary art theory, history, and cultural studies, which inform practice and provide a broader context for artistic development. The interdisciplinary nature of the program allows for collaboration across diverse fields, including sculpture, painting, installation, digital art, and performance.

Students are also supported by professional development modules, aimed at preparing them for careers beyond academia, including arts administration, curation, and enterprise. The program typically involves a combination of taught elements, independent studio work, and a final exhibition or substantial project demonstrating mastery of media and concept.

Overall, the Oxford MFA program reflects the university’s commitment to excellence in arts education, fostering a vibrant community of creative practitioners eager to engage with pressing social and cultural issues through innovative artistic practice. Graduates of the program are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to the contemporary art scene and related sectors worldwide.