Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art

Duration: 3 Years
Mode: Full-time

Lead the Way as an Art Professional in Singapore and Beyond

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art, conferred by the University of the Arts Singapore^*, nurtures the next generation of artists through an immersive studio-based education that values experimentation, critical enquiry and cultural engagement. You will develop the creative and technical skills, alongside the critical awareness, to build a distinctive artistic practice that responds to contemporary local, regional and global arts contexts.

Working across traditional and contemporary media, you will explore independent and collaborative approaches to artmaking in a dynamic studio environment. Through interdisciplinary projects, industry partnerships and live projects, the programme supports interdisciplinary and collective practices while fostering creative experimentation. Distinctively informed by the NAFA (Nanyang) spirit of adventure, exploration and resilience, the programme encourages engagement with Southeast Asian perspectives, deepening your understanding of art's role in society.

You will graduate as a reflective and socially engaged practitioner, equipped to pursue diverse opportunities across the visual arts, cultural sector and wider creative industries.

^*Students entering the programme in Year 1 will graduate with a degree awarded by the University of the Arts Singapore. Students granted direct entry into Year 2 will graduate with a degree awarded by the University of the Arts London.

Practice-Led, Industry-Focused Learning

Develop contemporary Fine Art approaches, methodologies and technical skills through a practice-led curriculum enriched by international placements and exchanges, industry partnerships as well as artist apprenticeships and residencies.

Interdisciplinary Exploration

Investigate contemporary issues from multiple perspectives through collaborative projects that connect artistic practice with archival, curatorial, collective, socially engaged and healthcare practices.

Southeast Asian Perspectives

Engage with Southeast Asian art practices to deepen your artistic enquiry and contribute to contemporary cultural dialogues.

Extended Learning

Broaden your artistic practice through Fine Art electives, visiting artists and platforms such as the Living Archive of Contemporary Southeast Asian Art (LACAA).

Read The Straits Times feature on our transformative programme.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction

More Information

UAS Common Curriculum

The UAS Common Curriculum supplements the core curriculum by equipping you with a broader set of proficiencies, empowering you to adapt to evolving professional and industry demands. These non-credit bearing graduation requirements include:

IN-depth Module – 36 hours
Career Skills Module – 10 hours
Industry-Based Learning Module – 10 weeks (approximately 400 hours)

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate from the degree programmes, students are required to attain a total of 360 credits. For students admitted via direct entry into second year, they are required to attain a total of 240 credits, which comprise 120 credits for second year and 120 credits for third year.

Mode of Instruction

Lessons may be delivered face-to-face on campus or facilitated online. Lecturers employ a variety of teaching strategies and methods according to the needs of each module. Students are required to attend every lesson as scheduled and these are conducted in many different forms such as lectures, group critiques, peer-led discussions, mid-year reviews, open studios, and public showcases. Students are also expected to participate in community engagements such as collaborative projects, artist workshops, gallery visits, field trips, industry engagement, and art conferences.

Assessment Methods

Students will be evaluated through critique, degree show, dissertation and essay, portfolio, individual and group presentations, publication, public showcase, research and contextual documentation, critical reflections, self and peer evaluations, professional practice plan, and studio work or any of these combinations which vary depending on the module. Assessment methods may vary according to individual module requirements.

Career Pathways

Art Apprentice/Assistant
Art Consultant
Art Director/Producer
Art Educator/Trainer
Art Historian and Academic
Art Manager and Administrator
Art Service Provider/Facilitator
Art Teacher/Teaching Assistant
Art Therapist
Art Workshop and Studio Technician
Art Writer
Artist/Arts Practitioner
Community Facilitator
Museum, Gallery, and Independent Curator
Research Assistant

Modules

Code	Title	Credits
NBFA1101	Fine Art Practices In this module, you will explore a wide range of mediums through conventional and contemporary approaches to artmaking in three key practices – 2D (painting, drawing, printmaking), 3D (ceramics, sculpture, installation) and 4D (photography, performance, video). You will be asked to develop a self-directed, independent, enquiry-led and exploratory practice.	40
NBFA1102	Introduction to Fine Art This module introduces you to the historical, cultural, and regional contexts that inform contemporary Fine Art practice in Singapore and Southeast Asia. You will learn to engage with key artistic movements, case studies, and practices that have shaped the cultural landscape of the region, and explore how these histories intersect with contemporary issues such as postcolonialism, migration, hybridity, and identity.	10
NBFA1103 (Elective)	Introduction to Artistic Research This module equips you with foundational tools and methods for conducting artistic research. You will learn how to generate enquiries, locate resources, and critically analyse materials that inform your practice. Emphasis will be placed on developing research as a creative and reflective process that supports studio practice and connects personal interests with broader artistic and cultural contexts.	10

Code	Title	Credits
NBFA1201	Thinking Through Making This module is designed to support you in developing your independent art practice through sustained studio experimentation and inquiry. Building on the technical knowledge and approaches gained in earlier modules, you will deepen your studio skills and confidence as informed, critical practitioners. Through the principle of ‘thinking through making’, you will explore the relationships between process, material, and concept, while engaging with the cultural, contextual, and theoretical frameworks that inform contemporary art discourse.	40
NBFA1202 (Elective)	Art and Ethics This module introduces you to the fundamental questions and ethical considerations that shape contemporary art practice. You will explore how artistic decisions – from the choice of materials and subjects, emerging concerns around AI and technology, to modes of representation and engagement with audiences – impact communities, cultural narratives, contemporary art discourse. You will learn how to critically reflect on the intentions, processes, and consequences of your creative decisions while developing a deeper awareness of your role as an artist within wider social, cultural, and political contexts.	10
NBFA1203 (Elective)	Curating as Artistic Practice This module introduces you to curating as an expansive framework for thinking about and extending your artistic practice. The focus is less on becoming a curator and more on exploring the ethos of curating as a way to organise, activate, and contextualise artistic work within wider cultural, social, and spatial frameworks. You will examine how artists often curate – not only exhibitions, but also ideas, spaces, audiences, and communities – as part of their creative process.	10

Code	Title	Credits
NBFA2101	Collective and Collaborative Practices This module focuses on artists working collaboratively with non-art institutional and community stakeholders – a growing trend in the local and regional art landscape. It introduces you to methods of collective and participatory practice, encouraging you to think critically about the roles of artists, audiences, and collaborators in shaping artistic outcomes.	40
NBFA2102	Art in Public Spaces This module explores how contemporary artists respond to, intervene in, and activate public spaces through collective inquiry and site-informed artistic practices. You will investigate the social, spatial, and historical dimensions of public environments, drawing from psychogeography, walking practices, and other embodied research methods. Working in research collectives, you will identify a public site in Singapore, develop research methods, and test ideas through experimental activations.	10
NBFA2103	Art Books and Publications This module introduces you to the field of artist books, publications, and experimental printed and digital formats as extensions of artistic practice. You will examine the artist book as a liminal and experimental space — one that exists between art object, archive, and publication — and consider its potential as a strategy for generating, contextualising, and disseminating research. Through lectures, workshops, and collective inquiry, you will explore the relationship between image and text, and consider publication as both process and outcome, encouraging critical engagement with the histories and possibilities of artist-led publishing.	10

Code	Title	Credits
NBFA2201	Art and the Archive This module introduces you to the archive as both a site and method of artistic research and production. It examines how contemporary artists engage with archival materials, documentation strategies, and narratives as artistic methodologies. Through active participation in the Living Archive of Contemporary Asian Art (LACAA) (https://www.lacaa-fa.org), you will work collaboratively to research, document, and contextualise the practices of contemporary visual artists in Singapore and Southeast Asia.	20
NBFA2202	Practice in Context This module supports you in consolidating your personal artistic practice and developing a critically informed research inquiry that will guide your studio work. Building on the foundations established in the earlier stages of Year 2, it provides an opportunity to sustain a more focused and rigorous engagement with your emerging artistic position. The module encourages you to situate your practice within broader artistic, cultural, and theoretical contexts, enabling you to critically position your work in relation to contemporary debates and practices.	20
NBFA2203	International Placement This module provides you with an opportunity to situate your artistic practice within an international context through a five-week study placement. Building upon the critical inquiries developed in the Practice in Context module, you will engage with diverse cultural environments, artistic practices, and institutional frameworks while testing and expanding your own studio-based research and inquiry. Alternative learning activities will be offered to students who cannot attend the International Placement due to extenuating circumstances.	20

Code	Title	Credits
NBFA3101	Thinking, Making, Writing 1 This module builds upon the skills, knowledge, and experiences gained during your second year of study and foregrounds the interdependence between thinking, making, and writing as interconnected modes of artistic research and production. Through independent research, studio practice, critical writing, and engagement with practitioners and industry representatives, you will refine your artistic position, contextualise your practice within local and regional frameworks, and develop the rigour needed to sustain a cohesive and critical body of work.	60

Code	Title	Credits
NBFA3201	Thinking, Making, Writing 2 Building upon the sustained enquiry and research developed in Thinking, Making, Writing 1, this module supports you in expanding your independent practice and bringing your work into public contexts. It focuses on refining your artistic position, deepening your critical and theoretical frameworks, and developing resolved work that demonstrates a strong connection between thinking, making, and writing. You will define and take control of the context in which you position your work, establishing an awareness of how you might continue your practice beyond the programme.	60

entry requirements

Portfolio and Statement of Intent

Portfolio and Statement of Intent
All applicants are to demonstrate their artistic potential through the submission of the following:
1. Statement of Intent of about 500 words describing an artistic practice or research that you are interested in or have been pursuing and how this practice or research is critical to you as an arts practitioner.
2. A portfolio which consists of 5 artworks or art projects that best demonstrate the applicant’s artistic practice or research and can be from a wide range of different art disciplines and mediums and should not be restricted to visual art practice only. Each of these works should be supported by up to 10 visuals that show the art-making process as well as details of the completed artwork.
  
  These works should demonstrate criticality, creativity, and rigour in the applicant's art practice or research. These works should be original works created by the applicant and not copied from the internet or reproduced from another source (e.g. art magazines, etc). The applicant is required to declare if any of the submitted artworks in the portfolio are generated by AI tools and should clearly explain the use of AI tools in the portfolio.
  
  (Allowed file types: .pdf. Maximum file size: 10 MB)
  (Allowed video/audio file types: .mpeg,.mp4,.mov,.m4v,.avi,.wmv,.flv,.asf,.mpg,.mp3. Maximum file size: 200 MB)
  
  The work submitted should preferably be not more than two years old. It may be the product of assigned class projects, or the applicant's independent art practice or research. It is greatly recommended that the selected examples of work clearly reflect the applicant's interests, experiences, and competencies in art making and research.
  
  Guidelines on taking photographs of artworks:
  - A clean background with no visual clutter distracting the artwork should be used.
  - The artwork should be evenly lit and there should not be any shadows cast on the artworks unless the shadows are necessary to show form and depth for 3D artworks.
    
    You are required to upload your portfolio online and label each work as follows:
    1. Title of your work (if any)
    2. Medium used
    3. Month/year created
    4. Description (50 words); include the Material of artwork (if applicable), dimension of artwork (in cm): width x height (for 2D), width x height x depth (for 3D) or duration of artwork (in min): for performance, video/film, and sound art

Interview
All applicants are to attend an interview where they are expected to communicate their motivations in applying for the BA (Hons) Fine Art programme. Applicants will be encouraged to share their views on their current art practice and how they see their role as artists in the local Southeast Asian art ecosystem.

Note: You will be notified of the outcome of your application 4 to 6 weeks after your portfolio interview or audition. Some application outcomes may take longer than expected.

Educational Qualifications

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is either one of the following qualifications:

Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level: Minimum 2 A-Level/ H2 subjects and a pass in General Paper. If General Paper is not passed, an English proficiency qualification (e.g. IELTS Band 6.0 or equivalent) will be required.
Local Polytechnic Diploma
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
It is mandatory for all applicants to authorise the International Baccalaureate (IB) to release their IB transcripts to the 'Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' (Institute Code 003693). Applicants can do so by informing their school’s IB coordinator. Please refer to the IB website for details.
ITE Work-Study Diploma (WSDip)
NUS High School Diploma
Equivalent of Year 12 qualification

Applicants with a relevant diploma from NAFA, LASALLE or a recognised institution may be considered for direct entry into the second year of the Bachelor programme subject to availability of places.

Conditional Offers for Degree Admission
You may use the latest results available to apply for the programme if you have not received your final examination results. You will be given conditional offers and are still required to submit the following results, as applicable:

GCE A-Level results with minimum 2 A-Level/ H2 subjects and a pass in General Paper. If General Paper is not passed, an English proficiency qualification (e.g. IELTS Band 6.0 or equivalent) will be required.
Polytechnic Diploma certificate and transcript
IB Diploma certificate and transcript
It is mandatory for all applicants to authorise the International Baccalaureate (IB) to release their IB transcripts to the 'Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' (Institute Code 003693). Applicants can do so by informing their school’s IB coordinator. Please refer to the IB website for details.
ITE Work-Study Diploma (WSDip) certificate and transcript
NUS High School Diploma certificate and transcript
Final result slip/Proof of completion of Year 12

If you fail to provide documentary evidence of having met the admission requirements, your conditional offer will be withdrawn.

Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning (APEL)

Applicants who do not meet these programme entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases.

The programme team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

Related academic or work experience
The quality of the personal statement
A strong academic or other professional references
A combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit, but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case. In such cases, approval by the University of the Arts London will be required prior to final acceptance into the programme.

English Language Proficiency

Entry to Year 1 (UAS):
An English Language proficiency* of at least^*:

IELTS Academic	TOEFL - iBT	PTE Academic	Duolingo English Test
6.0	80 or 4.0	50	105

^*Not applicable to applicants who have completed their NAFA diploma or diplomas/degrees from other institutions where English is the medium of instruction.

Applicants from countries where English is not the first language, or whose qualifications are obtained from institutions where English is not the medium of instruction, NAFA will consider the English Language proficiency attained through the above-mentioned English Language qualifications.

Entry to Year 2 (UAL):
All classes are taught in English. The minimum English Language proficiency requirement: IELTS level 6.0 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Click here for other acceptable English language qualifications.

How to Apply

Get started on your quest to become an art & design professional today!

We have simplified our application process so you can focus on showcasing your strengths.

Here’s a quick overview of what you need to do.

Shortlist your bachelor’s degree programme(s) – Choose up to two programmes* towards your interests and abilities

(*applicable for selected programmes)

Check if you have the required application documents - Here is the checklist for your quick reference

Apply online

Apply online here along with your application fees. Applications are open from October each year for the following year’s August intake.

Make payment of the Application Fee (non-refundable)

Make payment of the Application Fee (non-refundable).

	Singapore Citizens & Singapore Permanent Residents	International Students
Application fee	S$75.00	S$120.00

Application fee is inclusive of prevailing GST.

Keep the Application Acknowledgement for your reference and submit the required documents

Send documents listed in the checklist to [email protected] for verification within five working days from the application date.

Upload portfolio

Upload your portfolio.

Receive an email and attend interview

You will receive a notification through the application portal on the details of your interview around 1 week before your interview, after you have submitted all required documents and portfolio.

For local (SIN/SPR) applicants applying for BA (Hons) Fine Art: Your application outcomes will be announced progressively from February to April.

Application outcome

You may expect to receive an outcome of your application through the application portal 4 after your interview.

Apply Now

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fine Art

Lead the Way as an Art Professional in Singapore and Beyond

Students' Work

Modules

Year 1 Semester 1

Year 1 Semester 2

Year 2 Semester 1

Year 2 Semester 2

Year 3 Semester 1

Year 3 Semester 2

entry requirements

Portfolio and Statement of Intent

Educational Qualifications

Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning (APEL)

English Language Proficiency

How to Apply