Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Fine Art (Extension Degree)

Overview

The Extension Degree has been designed specifically for students from countries outside the United Kingdom. Our aim is to enable you to work independently as an artist, and to generate and develop your own ideas.

Why study BA Fine Art (Extension Degree) at Goldsmiths

• Within a university, the term fine art describes an area of study in which students make and learn about contemporary art (this means art being made and exhibited today). Fine art students might create sculpture, painting, video, performance, sound art, installation, drawing, art writing, or any other mediums to describe their aesthetic and intellectual ideas. The ideas expressed within the artwork are understood to be as important as the medium that the artist has chosen to use.
• On the BA Fine Art (Extension Degree) you'll make and study contemporary art in a dynamic, critical and interdisciplinary environment.
• Through the development of your individual practice you'll be introduced to a range of technical and conceptual skills that will help you to develop your critical judgment and establish the basics of your future work, and you'll undertake English Language study where necessary.
• It's a small, friendly programme, and we place an emphasis on one-to-one tuition and teaching in small groups.
• You'll have your own studio space from day one, and will have access to excellent facilities including specialist art practice areas.
• All staff on the programme are practising artists, curators and writers, here to respond to the work that you make and to help you understand how it contributes to, and challenges, the critical debates that animate cultural practices and contexts today.
• Many Goldsmiths students go on to become internationally successful artists. Since 1990, former Goldsmiths students have been nominated for the Turner Prize more than 30 times, and have won the prize on 8 occasions.

UCAS code

W191

Length

1 year full-time, followed by 3 years full-time (undergraduate degree)

Fees

International - full-time: £28900

Department

Art

What you'll study

Studio Practice

As a student on the Fine Art Extension Degree, you will be taught by practising artists, writers and curators and the student-centred learning means that it is your own practice and research that is the centre of the learning process.

You will join a tutor group led by your personal tutor as part of a larger group of students and staff. You take part in regular tutorials (one-to-one discussions) and studio seminars with staff and other Extension Degree students where you present your work and you are encouraged to participate in discussions around your own practice and that of others.

The development of your own practice will introduce you to a range of technical art practice areas and specialist tutors to support your work, and you will be allocated an individual studio space which forms the focal point of your activities for the full academic year. You will be supported, and your progress assessed, by the Studio Practice teaching staff and we have a programme of visiting artists' talks with workshops and tutorials throughout the year.

Critical Studies

The Critical Studies element of the programme introduces you to the broader critical, institutional, historical and social contexts of contemporary art practice.

Critical Studies is taught as a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and tutor-led visits to relevant exhibitions in London. This is designed to support your practical work in the studio, broaden your horizon, and help you ground your thinking and making in a contemporary cultural and theoretical context.

Critical Studies is intended to help you formulate your own ideas and responses to artworks across different mediums. We will encourage you to familiarise yourselves with key themes in contemporary cultural debate, develop ways of actively discussing other artists' work and grant insights into the varied infrastructures of contemporary art in London and beyond.

Portfolio of Art Writing or English language classes

Depending on your level of English language you will either study the Portfolio of Art Writing module or take English language classes.

Integration

As an Extension Degree student you'll meet students on the BA Fine Art or BA Fine Art and History of Art programmes through mixed-level group sessions and discussions arranged by our Junior Fellow Graduates. They enable you to benefit from contact and shared activity with other students working across different levels.

How you'll be assessed

Studio Practice is continuously assessed through your participation in individual tutorials and group seminars, and presentations of your work during the first two terms. In addition to this, in the summer term there is an assessment of studio practice through a formal presentation of your work in your studio space.

Critical Studies is assessed through submission of essays and collaborative presentations in the first two terms.

Portfolio of Art Writing is assessed through submission and there are exams for English for Academic Purposes in the summer term.

Facilities

Some of your practical work will take place in specialist Art Practice Areas, staffed by highly skilled artist technicians to help you realise your ideas:

• 3D printing
• Casting
• Constructed textiles
• Fine art print
• Graphics and time-based media
• Metal
• Photography and moving image
• Stitch and fabric
• Print and dye
• Wood
• Ceramics

You also have access to Goldsmiths-wide facilities.

Careers

Many graduates have continued to be successful, practising artists long after graduating, winning major prizes and exhibiting around the world.

The Turner Prize shortlist has consistently included at least one of our former undergraduates. Eight of the prizewinners have studied here: Grenville Davey, Antony Gormley, Damien Hirst, Gillian Wearing, Steve McQueen, Mark Wallinger, Laure Prouvost and Charlotte Prodger.

The interdisciplinary nature of the programme will enable you to work in a variety of fields (eg media, museums, education, the music business, and academia) and progress to a variety of careers, including:

• Practising artist
• Art historian
• Arts administrator
• Gallery curator
• Arts journalist
• Teacher
• Lecturer
• Writer
• Editor
• Publisher
• Media and communications manager
• Conservationist
• Designer

Skills

The art undergraduate degrees at Goldsmiths give you the skills to develop independent thought and confidence in your practice. Many of these skills will also be transferable and of use in other career paths you may wish to follow.

You'll develop skills such as:

• Technical skills in art practice areas
• Creativity and imagination
• Independent learning
• Resourcefulness
• An understanding of your own practice and where it sits within historical and contemporary contexts of art
• Critical and analytical skills
• The ability to express ideas clearly
• The ability to work collaboratively and with an awareness of contemporary political and social contexts and debates

Entry requirements

Our entry requirements for this programme are usually:

• Successful completion of A-levels (CC)
• Portfolio of work - At application, you'll be required to provide a portfolio of recent work. This informs the selection and interview process.

You apply via UCAS.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.0 (with no individual score lower than 5.5) to study on this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

These are the UG fees for students starting their programme in the 2025/2026 academic year.

• International - full-time: £28900

If your fees are not listed here, please check our undergraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time if you require a Student Visa, however this is currently being reviewed and will be confirmed in the new year. Please read our visa guidance in the interim for more information. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Funding opportunities

We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries, and our Careers Service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies. Find out more about funding your studies with us.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Staff

Jacqueline Pennell

Programme Leader, BA Fine Art Extension Degree

Installation and sculpture is the focus of Jacqueline's work, which investigates negotiations of space.

Sophie Seita

Lecturer in Fine Art & History of Art, Department of Art (Studio Practice), Director of Critical Studies, BA Fine Art Extension

Sophie Seita works with language as a material across performance, video, sound, textiles, books, and installations.

Programme leaders

Jacqueline is the Programme Leader and Director of Studio Practice for BA Fine Art Extension, and Sophie is the Director of Critical Studies for the programme. Learn more about their approach to the BA Fine Art Extension programme and their own work in this interview with Junior Fellow in Art, Xuan.

You will also be taught by:

• Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom
• Alice Channer
• Daniella Valz Gen
• Ella McCartney
• Dr Hannah Catherine Jones
• Dr Isobel Harbison
• Ghislaine Leung

Find out more about staff in the Department of Art.