Fine Art and Design (Placement Year)

Lancaster's Fine Art and Design degree gives you the opportunity to study fine art practice alongside the practices of contemporary design.

Fine Art at Lancaster gives you the opportunity to integrate Fine Art Practice with Art History/Theory at a high level. From the first through to the final year of your degree you will have the opportunity to develop creative and technical skills in painting, drawing, sculpture, digital art and their hybrids. We have a wide ranging view of what fine Art can be in the 21st century and have no ‘house style’. Our emphasis is on Fine Art practice and Fine Art thinking. Students work across painting, drawing, sculpture, digital, live art and their hybrids. Our aim is for you to develop the practice and ideas that best reflect your aims and values as a young Fine Artist.

Lancaster’s approach to design reflects a department that is actively seeking new and innovative ways to apply design. The degree is taught by leading design researchers, and it moves beyond the scope of traditional disciplines such as graphic or product design. You will learn how to conduct robust design research so that you can conceptualise both physical and digital responses to design briefs that often tackle complex societal issues. You will also have opportunities to develop strong visualisation skills to support your design decision-making and enable you to present your design work to a professional standard.

The Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts also has a range of interdisciplinary modules available to you to give you the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and understanding that is relevant across both art and design.

Your Placement Year Sometimes known as a year in industry, your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years.

A placement year is an excellent way to • try out a role that you may be interested in as a career path • start to build your professional network (some placement students are offered permanent roles to return to after they graduate) • develop skills, knowledge and experience to put you ahead of the field when you graduate

You'll spend your third year in a paid, graduate-level position, where you’ll work for between nine and twelve months in the type of role that you might be considering for after you graduate. A very wide range of companies and organisations offer placements across all sectors. As a full-time employee, you’ll have a detailed job description with specific responsibilities and opportunities to access training and development, the same as other employees.

Our Careers and Placements Team will help you to secure a suitable placement with expert advice and resources, such as creating an effective CV, and tips for applications and interviews. You will still be a Lancaster University student during your placement and we’ll keep in touch to check how you are getting on.

The university will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.