Fine Art
The MFA (Master of Fine Art) is an advanced two-year full-time masters of fine art designed to further advance students' capacities in practical, theoretical and professional domains, with an emphasis on specialist studio practice. MFA students will establish and refine core concerns and ambitions, as well as subjecting the work to critical scrutiny and self-reflection. Interdisciplinary practices are encouraged and supported, as well as those focused on a single discipline such as Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Drawing, Tapestry and Textiles.
The Blended Delivery MFA follows the same general programme specification as the fully on-site MFA programme, with a greater degree of flexibility to fit around your existing practice or commitments. Students attend a series of ten one-week, on-site study blocks, in combination with interim access to a range of online resources (making use of both synchronous and asynchronous delivery) throughout each academic year. Each one-week study block will typically include practical sessions, one-to-one or group tutorials, critiques and lectures. During these blocks you will also have access to a shared study space in the Fine Art Studios, and the opportunity to make the most of the College’s specialist facilities including a print room, dark room and sculpture courtyard.
Learning environment
You can expect
MFA units include:
Interdisciplinary study
Students are encouraged to collaborate with other College departments, particularly the full-time programmes in the School of Conservation, making the most of the wide range of specialist knowledge, materials and equipment that is available.
Blended Delivery MFA students are provided with a large shared workspace in the Edward James Studios for each study block, with access 8.30am-9pm five days a week*. Additional facilities onsite include:
There is also:
Access to Short Courses
To develop particular skills and techniques students can access over 800 short courses. If places are available at weekends during term, students are encouraged to attend free of charge, (there may be a charge for specific material or model fees) or can book in advance at a reduced rate.
House, Grounds, Collection and Archive
The House and Estate offers ambitious exhibition opportunities and unique research material, and students can submit site-specific proposals throughout the year. The Edward James Collection, is an outstanding resource, giving students access to significant works of art and historic objects; including paintings, drawings and prints by artists most notably, Salvador DalÍ, Rene Magritte, Leonora Carrington, Pavel Tchelitchew, and Leonor Fini.
West Dean Tapestry Studio
One of the world's leading producers of hand-woven tapestry; students have close contact with the expertise of Master Weavers and designers, and access to the studio's Dye Rooms, a specialist facility for the dyeing of yarn. Find out more about the professional Tapestry Studio.
* Coronavirus update: Workshops and studio spaces may need to close outside teaching hours for thorough cleaning.
Each year students stage a series of public exhibitions, including pop-up exhibitions, an annual fundraising exhibition and the celebrated Summer Shows that are held at the College and one other location, recently London and Margate, Kent. Through these, students develop skills in the requirements of exhibition management, such as production, installation and marketing.
As well as being encouraged to exhibit externally, both locally and nationally, during their studies, students have the unique opportunity to propose installations within West Dean House and West Dean Gardens. Project proposals are encouraged to reflect the rich heritage of West Dean and the legacy of College founder Edward James. See the 2018 installations
The following qualifications will be considered for entry on to the MFA:
Teaching
You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops, individual and group tutorials, critique sessions, oral and written presentations, and external visits.
On the Blended Delivery MFA the division of learning hours, on-site and online periods breaks down as follows:
On each of the Blended Delivery MFA study blocks you will have around 11-12 contact hours per week, typically consisting of:
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars, workshops or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-directed study. Typically, this will involve:
Overall workload
33% of your time is spent in scheduled teaching and learning activity
Scheduled teaching and learning: 785 hours
Independent learning: 1615 hours
International study trips
The College continues to monitor travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with regards to any international travel. At this time, all international travel which includes study trips will be subject to agreement by the College. Full details in our coronavirus update.
Learn more about the programme structure of each semester and the breakdown of study blocks.
Year 1 / Semester 1 (18 weeks) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Block 1 | |||||
September/October | on-site | Induction week |
Block 2 | |||||
October | on-site | Mon: MFA 1A – Creative Research Strategies – Workshops/Tutorials | |||
Tues: MFA 1C – App. of Phil. Aesthetics – Tutorials/Independent Study | |||||
Weds: MFA 1C – Studio Work I – Visiting Artists/Workshops | |||||
Thurs: MFA 1B – Creative Research Strategies – Lectures/Seminars | |||||
Fri: MFA 1C – Studio Work I – Critiques / Independent Study |
Block 3 | |||||
November | on-site | As above |
Block 4 | |||||
December | on-site | As above |
REVIEW |
Block 5 | |||||
January | on-site | As above |
Block 6 | |||||
February | on-site | As above |
ASSESSMENT |
Year 1 / Semester 2 (18 weeks) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Block 7 | |||||
March | on-site | Mon: MFA 3C – Art Research and Criticality – Workshops/Tutorial | |||
Tues: MFA 3C – Studio Work II – Critiques/Independent Study | |||||
Weds: MFA 3C – Studio Work II – Visiting Artists/Workshops | |||||
Thurs: MFA 3A – Art Research and Criticality – Lectures/Seminars | |||||
Fri: MFA 3A – Studio Work II – Critiques/Tutorials/Independent Study |
Block 8 | |||||
April | on-site | As above |
REVIEW |
Block 9 | |||||
May | on-site | As above |
Block 10 | |||||
June | on-site | As above |
INTERIM EXHIBITION/ASSESSMENT |
Year 2 / Semester 1 (18 weeks) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Block 11 | |||||
September/October | on-site | Induction week |
Block 12 | |||||
October | on-site | Mon: Studio Work III – Workshops/Tutorials/Independent Study | |||
Tues: MFA 5A & 5C – Dissertation/Studio Work III – Independent Study | |||||
Weds: MFA 5C – Studio Work – Visiting Artists/Workshops | |||||
Thurs: MFA 5A – Dissertation - Lectures/Seminars/Tutorials | |||||
Fri: MFA 5C – Studio Work III – Critiques/Independent Study |
Block 13 | |||||
November | on-site | As above |
Block 14 | |||||
December | on-site | As above |
REVIEW |
Block 15 | |||||
January | on-site | As above |
Block 16 | |||||
February | on-site | As above |
ASSESSMENT | |||||
Block 17 | |||||
March | on-site | Mon: Studio Work III – Workshops/Tutorials/Independent Study | |||
Tues: MFA 5A – Dissertation – Independent Study/Tutorials | |||||
Weds: MFA 5C – Studio Work – Visiting Artists/Workshops | |||||
Thurs: MFA 5A – Dissertation - Lectures/Seminars/Tutorials | |||||
Fri: MFA 5C – Studio Work III – Critiques/Independent Study |
Block 18 | |||||
April | on-site | As above |
Course fees are the same for UK and international students
£7,500 per year (2021/22)
Lunch, accommodation and other living expenses are additional. Find out more
A £250 course fee and £200 accommodation deposit (if residential) is required to secure your place. Details will be provided to you in your offer. Fees are billed termly in advance. Please see the Terms and Conditions for further information.
Postgraduate loans
If you are a UK student and plan to take a postgraduate Master's course you may be able to get a postgraduate loan of up to £10,906 to help with course fees and living costs. See www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Student Scholarships and Bursaries are also available
Subject Leader - Fine Art
Dr David Stent is an artist, writer, curator and performer. His practice has drawn on various media, from drawing and painting to film, video, sonic and sculptural installation. He holds a PhD in Fine Art from the University of Reading, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Tapestry Subject Tutor and Studio Leader
Philip Sanderson is Leader of the Professional Tapestry Studio and a Subject Tutor on the MFA in Fine Art. He is also the Tutor for the Tapestry Foundation Diploma and a short course tutor. During his time at West Dean Philip has translated the work of a number of artists into large-scale tapestries including Marta Rogoyska, John Hubbard, Tracy Emin, and Eva Rothschild.
Subject Tutor (Fine Art) and Collections Curator
Sarah Hughes is a Subject Tutor on the full-time Fine Art programmes and Curatorial Assistant in the College's Collections Department. She is a practicing artist, performer, and composer with a long standing interest in alternative modes of living, creative agency, and acts of resistance.
Year 2 Lead Tutor
George Charman is an artist and lecturer based in London who teaches on the DACC, GD and MFA programmes at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation. Charman's practice-led research focuses on embodied social knowledge, exploring connections between dialogic social experiences and physical sensation in modes of creative production/fabrication.
Sessional Tutor, Printmaking, DACC, GD and MFA Fine Art
Poppy Jones is an artist and lecturer based in the UK. Working primarily with traditional printmaking tools and materials together with digital printing, Jones’ work stems from her research interest in materiality and the digital image.
Year 1 Lead Tutor
Rebecca is an artist, writer and curator who has been exhibiting internationally since graduating from the Royal Academy Schools in 2007. While primarily a painter, her interests include cross-disciplinary approaches to landscape, contemporary Romanticism, synaesthesia and perception, with current curatorial research into the connections between contemporary painting and historical Land Art. She has been a lecturer at West Dean since 2012.
Jon K Shaw is a writer, editor and educator based in southeast London. He teaches in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London; City & Guilds of London Art School; and West Dean College of Arts and Conservation.
If you are interested in applying for this course or would like further information please contact admissions either by enquiring online or calling the number below. To make your application you will need to download and fill out our application form.