Fine Art Foundation – 1 year Full Time, available Part Time

A one-year course for those wanting to go on to study art or design at a higher level. This course develops your skills, creativity and conceptual and critical understanding. Unlike on other foundation courses you will have the opportunity to devise your own individually tailored programme, learning the skills relevant to your goals. You will focus on developing a strong portfolio that will give you a good chance of achieving a place at a sought-after Art School or University. You will have three tutored days a week at the Academy and undertake a further day independently developing your individual project work; much more contact times with tutors than most other foundation courses.

Fine Art Diploma – 3 years Full Time, available Part Time

The Fine Art Diploma is our flagship programme. Choose this course if you want to make Fine Art your career or a large part of your life. Uniquely, our Fine Art Diploma provides the opportunity to devise an individual programme of study, gaining skills in a range of specialist areas from traditional figurative painting or sculpture through to more contemporary media. The course includes elements of art theory and history, contextual and critical study, personal and creative development and professional practice after graduation. You will have three or four fully tutored study days per week and undertake one day of independent study; triple the contact hours of most comparable degrees. Furthermore, all of our academic students are able to access our evening, weekend and short courses for free.  

Contemporary Portrait Diploma – 2 years Full Time, available Part Time

Chose the Contemporary Portrait Diploma if you want to focus on developing skills in Portrait and Figure Painting. This programme is the only course of its kind specialising in portraiture. Broader than other courses and incorporating creative and experimental projects together with the study of historical and critical components, you will develop your own approach to portraiture. Like our Fine Art Diploma students, you will have the opportunity to devise an individual programme of study, acquiring the skills needed to shape your individual practice. All of our academic students are also able to access our evening, weekend and short courses for free.

Sculpture Diploma – 2 years Full Time, available Part Time

The Sculpture Diploma focuses on a wide range of technical and creative skills needed for a successful sculptural practice. You will have the opportunity to devise an individual programme of study, working with a variety of materials and in a range of styles, developing skills according to personal preference. The programme will enable you to acquire both traditional, figurative and contemporary sculpture skills, whilst encouraging you to develop your own sculptural language. All of our academic students are also able to access our evening, weekend and short courses for free.

Certificate – 2 years, one day a week

Our Certificate Course is ideal if you’re serious about developing your abilities, but have limited time. Studying for one day a week over two years (or two days a week over one year), you will focus on one of four disciplines: Painting, Drawing, Sculpture or Printmaking. This is a structured programme culminating in a Graduate Show. In joining the Academy community you will have access to artists talks, gallery visits, art history lectures, storage space and professional opportunities. Furthermore you will be able to enrol in evening and weekend courses for free.

If you have less time, we offer an amazing range of short courses, 10 week evening or day courses, intensive weekend courses, masterclasses, young artist courses and taster courses. For more information see our Short Courses, email shortcourses@artacademy.org.uk or call us on +44 (0)207 701 2880.