Programme Specifications

Fine Art / English Literature


1 : Awarding Institution / Body
Aberystwyth University

2a : Teaching Institution / University
Aberystwyth University

2b : Work-based learning (where appropriate)


Information provided by School of Art:

n/a


Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:



3a : Programme accredited by
Aberystwyth University

3b : Programme approved by
Aberystwyth University

4 : Final Award
Bachelor of Arts

5 : Programme title
Fine Art / English Literature

6 : UCAS code
WQ13

7 : QAA Subject Benchmark


Information provided by School of Art:

Art and Design

Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:

QAA English

8 : Date of publication


Information provided by School of Art:

September 2023

Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:

September 2023

9 : Educational aims of the programme


Information provided by School of Art:

The programme aims to:

  • Offer sound training in the subject of Fine Art.

  • Provide opportunities for students to develop knowledge, understanding, and proficiency in a broad range of media and processes, starting with drawing as a prerequisite skill, and the fundamental concepts and key skills of artistic practice.

  • Provide opportunities for students to develop specialised proficiency in the offered discipline(s) of their choice.

  • Offer a flexible curriculum with a variety of pathways.

  • Encourage students to develop their aesthetic sensibility, creativity, curiosity, and artistic identity.

  • Provide opportunities for students to develop a broad range of subject-specific and transferrable skills that will equip them for further study and/or their future career (in particular as fine artists, art educators, professionals in the heritage sector, and cultural industries


Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:

To enable successful students to:
  • gain a knowledge of literatures in English by studying a range of literary texts in a variety of genres from different historical periods and (in some cases) geographical locations

  • develop a knowledge of the literary, social, historical, and cultural contexts of writing in English and an understanding of their significance

  • explore the literary relationships between texts and between texts and their contexts

  • develop a knowledge and understanding of the major theoretical formations in the twentieth century

  • investigate how different literary theories interrelate and confront each other

  • explore the relationships between literary theory and literary analysis

  • gain experience of the practical application of literary theory and literary analysis

  • acquire a knowledge of critical debates about the writing they study

  • engage in reasoned critical analysis of particular texts

  • become independent learners who can use a broad range of reference tools, assimilate and appraise substantial amounts of information, and address, define and solve problems

  • become self-aware readers of literature and writers about literature

  • develop an ability to arrive at independent conclusions and make judgements

  • develop an ability to express themselves clearly in speech and in writing

  • develop their own critical voice

  • develop their own interests and manage their own learning through their choice of options



10 : Intended learning outcomes


Information provided by School of Art:

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:


Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:



10.1 : Knowledge and understanding


Information provided by School of Art:

Knowledge and understanding of:

  • A1 A broad range of traditional and contemporary media and processes: their nature and techniques, history and development, and the relationship between materials, media and process, and ideas and contexts.

  • A2 One or more disciplines in depth, informed by staff practice and research, and/or study of the School of Art’s museum collection.

  • A3 The ​fundamental issues, contexts, concepts, theories, and debates (historical, contemporary, cultural settings) in art and visual culture.

  • A4 The foundations of art history as a critical and historical way of interpreting works of art and visual culture, and knowledge of the art and visual culture of specific periods, movements, mediums, genres, and places from the medieval to the present day​.

  • A5 The contemporary art world and cultural industries, including the variety of opportunities for graduate employment; the significance of the work of other practitioners; major developments in current and emerging media and technologies; the role and impact of intellectual property; and the issues which arise from the creative practitioner’s relationships with audiences, clients, markets, environments, users, consumers, and/or participants.

    Learning and teaching methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved:

  • 1:1 tutorials

  • Small group tutorials and crits

  • Group studio sessions

  • Seminars

  • Lectures (synchronous and asynchronous)

  • Workshops

  • Guided independent practice

  • Guided independent research

    Assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be demonstrated:

  • Portfolio

  • Exhibition

  • Professional projects

  • Essays

  • Dissertation

  • Seen and unseen examinations

  • Visual analysis

  • Object study

  • Reflective writing

  • Slide test

  • Presentation (live and recorded)

  • Exhibition project

  • Critical journal

  • Book review

  • Literature review

  • Annotated bibliography

  • Essay plan


Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:

The successful student will have gained a knowledge and understanding of:

A1 a range of different genres and periods of literatures in English
A2 the importance of the literary, socio-historical and cultural contexts within which texts are produced and read
A3 the relations between literary texts, and between texts and their contexts
A4 some of the critical issues and debates that have been raised by texts

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Teaching and learning: Lectures; tutor-led workshops and seminars; student-led workshops and seminars, written seen and unseen examinations

Assessment - coursework essays; written unseen examinations; oral presentation, dissertation

The programme ensure that all students study a range of writing in English from more than one period.



10.2 : Skills and other attributes


Information provided by School of Art:

10.2.1 Intellectual skills

  • B1 Creative skills: creatively and imaginatively conceive, produce, promote, and disseminate artefacts​.

  • B2 ​Visual skills: close and systematic visual examination, informed by appropriate knowledge of materials, techniques, and cultural contexts; clear and precise description, using ordinary and specialist terminology as appropriate and demonstrating awareness of the inherently translative relationship between the visual and the verbal; technical evaluation of artefacts considering materiality, production, methodology, and cultural context.

  • B3 Interpretive skills : discern and explain the meaning and significance of works of art created by oneself and others, drawing on close observation, personal response, knowledge of techniques, relevant theoretical and methodological debates, historical context, and contemporary relevance; produce logical and structured narratives and arguments, supported by relevant evidence.

  • B4 Cognitive skills: find creative solutions to aesthetic, practical, and theoretical and problems; generate ideas independently and in response to set briefs; make connections between intention, process, outcome, context, and methods of dissemination; evaluate and apply a variety of theoretical perspectives; analyse arguments, tasks, and bodies of evidence, breaking them down into, and effectively dealing with, their component parts.

  • B5 Open-mindedness: be open and receptive to new things and ideas; identify the merits of unfamiliar arguments or cultural artefacts and the merits or shortcomings of familiar ones; appreciate and evaluate divergent points of view and to communicate their qualities.

10.2.2 Practical skills

  • C1 Making skills: develop a body of ambitious studio work through experimentation, technical innovation, and independent reflection on making in the creative translation of ideas into practice, drawing on research on historical and contemporary contexts, technical skill and knowledge in traditional and contemporary processes, and selecting and using materials, processes, and environments.

  • C2 Presentation skills: present bodies of work professionally and effectively, demonstrating awareness of audience and contexts; present and promote oneself as a creative professional; write text for a variety of purposes to support one’s artistic practice.

  • C3 Communication skills: communicate information, arguments, and ideas cogently and effectively within a range of discourses as appropriate to particular audiences, and in written, spoken, or other form using appropriate visual aids and information technology resources; particular abilities in the deployment of visual material in conjunction with written, oral, and other forms of communication; the ability to listen effectively, and to participate constructively in discussion and debate.

  • C4 Research skills: capacity for critical, effective, and testable information retrieval and organisation; ability to design and carry out a research project with limited tutorial guidanc


Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:

10.2.1 Intellectual skills

The successful student will develop the ability to:

B1 analyse and interpret a variety of texts
B2 exercise independent thought and judgement
B3 engage critically and self-reflectively with complex material and concepts
B4 present sustained, persuasive and coherent arguments
B5 communicate the results of their studies clearly
B6 plan and organise work and present work to deadlines

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Seminars and workshops are used to develop these skills, which are assessed by independently researched coursework assignments, unseen timed examinations, dissertation.

10.2.2 Practical skills

The successful student will develop:

C1 research skills
C2 writing skills
C3 competence in structuring and presenting arguments orally and in writing
C4 an ability to work in groups
C5 time and task management
C6 word-processing skills
C7 ability to use recognised presentational skills, including bibliographical and notational conventions
C8 oral presentation skills

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Teaching and learning: skills-based course in first year; preparation for oral and written assignments; essay writing; group work in seminars and workshops; independent study Assessment: coursework assignments; essays; unseen examinations; group oral presentations


10.3 : Transferable/Key skills


Information provided by School of Art:

  • D1 Autonomy: generate ideas, concepts, proposals, solutions, or arguments independently; develop an independent practice that is informed by, but not dependent on, the work of others.

  • D2 Diligence: undertake and complete set tasks, whether routine and familiar or requiring the acquisition and application of new skills.

  • D3 Time management and personal initiative: work to briefs and deadlines, including managing concurrent projects; take responsibility for one’s own work; reflect on one’s own learning and make constructive use of feedback; take shared responsibility for one’s own course of studies.

  • D4 Teamwork: the ability to work constructively and productively in teams.

  • D5 Critical engagement: formulate and articulate reasoned, independent judgements and arguments, supported by analysis of evidence and experiences, and informed by, but not dependent on, the ideas and arguments of others.

  • D6 Problem solving: identify, analyse, and creatively solve problems individually or as part of a team.


Information provided by Department of English and Creative Writing:

D1 ability to analyse issues
D2 ability to research, assimilate, select and organise relevant material using a variety of research tools in paper and on-line formats
D3 writing skills (in a range of modes)
D4 competence in structuring and presenting arguments
D5 an ability to work in groups
D6 time and task management
D7 word-processing skills
D8 oral presentation skills

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Student-centred seminars and workshops; essay writing assignments; oral presentations; dissertation


11 : Program Structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards



BA Fine Art / English Literature [WQ13]

Academic Year: 2023/2024Joint Honours scheme - available from 2000/2001

Duration (studying Full-Time): 3 years

Part 1 Rules

Year 1 Core (40 Credits)

Compulsory module(s).

Semester 1
AR11120

Drawing: Looking, Seeing, Thinking

Semester 2
AR11220

Painting: Looking, Seeing, Thinking

Year 1 Core (40 Credits)

Compulsory module(s).

Semester 1
EN11300

Critical Practice

Semester 2
EN10220

Ancestral Voices

EN11320

Critical Practice

Year 1 Options

Choose 20 credits

Semester 1
AH11320

Pleasure, Power, and Profit: Art in the Long Eighteenth Century

AH11520

Looking into Landscape: Reading, Researching, Responding

AH11820

Photography Begins

Semester 2
AH11220

Exploring the School of Art Collections: Research and Museums

AH11420

Revolutions & Modernities: Art in the Nineteenth Century

AH11720

Representing the Body

Year 1 Options

Choose 20 credits

Semester 1
EN11220

American Literature 1819-1925

IC17700

Academic Writing: Planning, Process and Product

WL10120

Re-imagining Nineteenth-Century Literature

WL11420

Literature And The Sea

Semester 2
CL10120

Greek and Roman Epic and Drama

EN10520

Contemporary Writing

IC13420

Language Awareness for TESOL

IC17720

Academic Writing: Planning, Process and Product

WL10420

Introduction to Poetry

Part 2 Rules

Year 2 Core (20 Credits)

Compulsory module(s).

Semester 1
EN20120

Literary Theory: Debates and Dialogues

Semester 2

Year 2 Options

Joint honours Fine Art students should select a minimum of 40 credits of art practice from the following:

Semester 1
AR20120

Painting 1

AR20230

Painting 2

AR20720

Photography 1

AR20830

Photography 2

AR22110

Life Studies 1

AR22320

Printmaking 1: Etching and Relief Printing

AR22430

Printmaking 2: Etching and Relief Printing

AR25320

Interdisciplinary Practice 3

Semester 2
AR20920

Painting 3

AR21030

Painting 4

AR21620

Photography 3

AR21730

Photography 4

AR21820

Book Illustration 1

AR21930

Book Illustration 2

AR22210

Life Studies 2

AR22520

Printmaking 3: Screenprinting, lithography & hybrid printing

AR22630

Printmaking 4: Screenprinting, lithography & hybrid printing

AR23210

Professional Practice for Students of Art

AR25420

Interdisciplinary Practice 4

Year 2 Options

Choose 20 credits

Semester 1
EN20920

Literary Modernisms

EN21220

Literature and Climate in the Nineteenth Century

EN21620

Contemporary Queer Fiction

IC27720

Effective Academic and Professional Communication 1

Semester 2
EN21020

Literary Geographies

EN21120

Contemporary Writing and Climate Crisis

EN22920

Literature since the '60s

IC27720

Effective Academic and Professional Communication 1

WL20720

A Century in Crisis: 1790s to 1890s

Year 2 Options

Choose 20 credits

Semester 1
CL20320

Classical Drama and Myth

EN23120

In the Olde Dayes: Medieval Texts and Their World

EN28720

Writing Women for the Public Stage, 1670-1780

Semester 2
EN22120

Place and Self

Final Year Options

Joint Honours Fine Art students must take AR30130 in Semester 2 of the final year

Semester 2
AR30130

Exhibition 1: Graduation Show

Final Year Options

Choose 60 credits

Semester 1
EN30000

Undergraduate Dissertation

EN30120

Reading Theory / Reading Text

EN30520

Romantic Eroticism

IC37820

Effective Academic and Professional Communication 2

WL30620

Remix: Chaucer In The Then and Now

WL35320

Literatures of Surveillance

Semester 2
EN30040

Undergraduate Dissertation

EN30320

Victorian Childhoods

EN30420

Writing in the Margins: Twentieth-Century Welsh Poetry in English

EN30820

Haunting Texts

EN31320

The Mark of the Beast: Animals in Literature from the 1780s to the 1920s

EN33620

Ali Smith and 21st Century fiction(s)

IC37820

Effective Academic and Professional Communication 2

Final Year Options

Joint Honours Fine Art students should select from the following modules for their remaining final year credits:

Semester 1
AR31610

Life Studies 3

AR31730

Painting 5 - Paint Directed Practice

AR31930

Printmaking 5 - Print Directed Practice

AR32130

Photography 5 - Photo Directed Practice

AR32330

Book Illustration 3

AR35320

Interdisciplinary Practice 5

Semester 2
AR35420

Interdisciplinary Practice 6


12 : Support for students and their learning
Every student is allocated a Personal Tutor. Personal Tutors have an important role within the overall framework for supporting students and their personal development at the University. The role is crucial in helping students to identify where they might find support, how and where to seek advice and how to approach support to maximise their student experience. Further support for students and their learning is provided by Information Services and Student Support and Careers Services.

13 : Entry Requirements
Details of entry requirements for the scheme can be found at http://courses.aber.ac.uk

14 : Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standards of teaching and learning
All taught study schemes are subject to annual monitoring and periodic review, which provide the University with assurance that schemes are meeting their aims, and also identify areas of good practice and disseminate this information in order to enhance the provision.

15 : Regulation of Assessment
Academic Regulations are published as Appendix 2 of the Academic Quality Handbook: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/aqro/handbook/app-2/.

15.1 : External Examiners
External Examiners fulfill an essential part of the University’s Quality Assurance. Annual reports by External Examiners are considered by Faculties and Academic Board at university level.

16 : Indicators of quality and standards
The Department Quality Audit questionnaire serves as a checklist about the current requirements of the University’s Academic Quality Handbook. The periodic Department Reviews provide an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of quality assurance processes and for the University to assure itself that management of quality and standards which are the responsibility of the University as a whole are being delivered successfully.