What is Art & Design?

The study of Art & Design encompasses a wide field of specialisation which includes History of Art, Fine Arts, Design, and Digital Arts. In general, a degree in History of Art explores analysing the myriad of renowned artworks from a range of cultures and historical periods. Students will be taught to examine and determine these artefacts and artworks in terms of their relationship to artistic movements, social context and historic importance. This constitutes from the most traditional sense of art such as paintings and sculptures, to a much broader approach such as architecture and cartoons. History of Art courses are often essay-based, with the traditional dissertation or supervised project conducted during the final year.

Students in the field of Fine Arts are given the opportunity to develop their studio skills related to becoming a great artist such as painting and sculpting. Concurrently, students will explore the theoretical, historical and critical foundations of the subject. Often students will get the chance to discuss and critique their own work and that of others. In order to give undergraduates an external perspective, most universities would invite professional artists, curators and critics for talks and lectures. Fine Arts degrees are more likely to conclude with assessment via a project or portfolio of work which may be presented to the public.

Design degrees comprise of subjects such as advertising design, architecture, fashion, graphic design, interior design, jewellery design, product design, textile design and theatre design. Undergraduates would gain a strong set of technical knowledge and practical skills and at the same time, build up their understanding of how to best apply these design principles to the different types of brief. Finally, in response to the transforming impact of new technologies, the field of Digital Arts is dedicated to animation, computer arts, filming, illustration and photography.

In order to prepare graduates with the versatility to work in a wide field and elevate their expertise, Art & Design courses usually provide sufficient if not great coverage in content. Graduates are dynamic and proficient to take up roles in a variety of fields such as Media, Museums, Education, the Creative Business and Academia. Careers include Practicing Artist, Art Administrator, Art Historian, Gallery Curator, Art Journalist, Lecturer and Designer to name some.