study programme

Fine Arts

Original title in Czech: Volné uměníFaculty: FFAAbbreviation: VUM_BAcad. year: 2023/2024

Type of study programme: Bachelor's

Study programme code: B0213A310013

Degree awarded: BcA.

Language of instruction: Czech

Accreditation: 26.9.2023 - 26.9.2033

Profile of the programme

Academically oriented

Mode of study

Full-time study

Standard study length

4 years

Programme supervisor

Degree Programme Board

Fields of education

Area Topic Share [%]
Art Free Art 100

Study aims

As an academic bachelor's degree programme in the field of Art Education, the study programme in Fine Art targets mainly graduates of secondary schools of the same or similar focus, but is also open to applicants with a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree. The goal of the program is to produce graduates who exhibit professional mastery of a wide range of skills and knowledge in the contemporary visual arts. Graduates are equipped with strong reflexivity and critical thinking, and are able to seek out new topics, problems or opportunities. The content of the study is adapted to the main goal, which is the education of complex creative personalities capable of establishing themselves both in the field of professional art and in related fields, or continuing successfully in the Master's degree.

Graduate profile

The Bachelor of Fine Art programme is designed to create the conditions for students to become independent creative personalities in the field of visual arts and related cultural industries. The curriculum emphasises the acquisition and strengthening of creative competences as well as the ability to critically reflect and evaluate one's own work and the work of others using the conceptual apparatus of contemporary art criticism and art theory.
The curriculum allows students to choose from a complementary range of studio training and practical courses and combine them in such a way as to gain a comprehensive practical education in one or more areas of contemporary art, from traditional disciplines such as painting, printmaking and sculpture to intermedia approaches. The structure of compulsory and elective theoretical courses provides students with a broad knowledge overview while allowing them to delve deeper into sub-topics and issues in art history and theory of their own choosing. Graduates of the Bachelor's programme are equipped to pursue their field professionally and to further deepen their knowledge at the Master's level.

Subject specific knowledge:
- The graduate has an overview of current local and international art practice, is familiar with its working tools and discourses and is able to apply them within their own creative process;
- Has a good knowledge of contemporary art issues, art theory and history, has an overview of broader cultural history and topics of current public debate; is able to apply this knowledge in their own creative process, reflection and presentation;
- Knows the criteria that establish excellence in contemporary art and can relate to them in their creative practice;
- Is familiar with the range of contemporary technologies available for artistic work and the possibilities for disseminating their results.

Subject specific skills:
- The graduate is able to independently manage the creative process, from the stage of inspiration and articulation of the theme, through conceptualization and choice of expressive means, to the realization of the final work;
- Is able to find appropriate formal and technological solutions for creative intentions;
- Is able to use the acquired knowledge and critical apparatus of contemporary art to achieve set goals;
- Can subject their creative work and the work of others to critical analysis in terms of its results, the processes by which it is carried out and its thought base;

Transferable skills:
- The graduate is able to present their creative work at a professional level (in exhibitions, competitions or public presentations, for grant applications);
- Is able to have informed discussions about their own work, as well as contemporary cultural production and their wider social contexts;
- Is able to defend their work as socially relevant;
- Is ready and willing to continue to learn and expand their knowledge and competences.

Profession characteristics

In terms of career prospects, graduates of the Fine Art programme are prepared for the "freelance" career as an artist. A good orientation in the field of contemporary art history and theory, together with a high level of written expression, also predisposes graduates for employment in important non-artistic positions in the institutions of contemporary art (curating, art criticism, managing exhibition institutions, organizing exhibitions and festivals, realizing gallery installations and architecture). Graduates* can develop their expertise at the master's level, which prepares them for an academic career in art and its theory (teaching positions in art colleges associated with teaching studio practice, workshop and theoretical courses, publishing and lecturing focused on the visual arts). They may also find employment in other teaching professions (art teaching, gallery pedagogy), in art therapy or in art consultancy and business. With their knowledge and skills, they are ready to apply themselves in a wide range of creative industries, not only as independent entrepreneurs, but also as members of creative teams and broader work collectives (e.g. in the fields of film or television production, advertising, exhibition, cultivation of public space).

Fulfilment criteria

The general conditions for successful completion of studies are set out in the Study and Examination Regulations of the BUT. For successful completion of studies in the programme, 240 credits must be obtained, including at least 120 credits for compulsory courses and at least 52 credits for compulsory elective courses. The study programme is completed by the State Final Examination consisting of two separately assessed parts - the State Examination in History and Theory of Art and presentation and the defence of the Diploma Work. The content of the State Examination in History and Theory is the oral presentation of two questions, each of which belongs to one of the two areas (1. History and Theory of Art, 2. Media and Technology of Visual Arts). The students choose the questions in advance under the guidance of the assigned consultants and prepare them in the form of written theses (maximum 5 standard pages). The Diploma Work is a practical original project in the arts and demonstrates the ability to engage in independent creative activity at a level appropriate to the demands of the professional art world.

Study plan creation

Study at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the BUT is governed by the Study and Examination Regulations of the BUT and the BUT Information System is used for its registration. The creation of study plans is governed by the internal regulations of the University - the Regulations of Study Programmes of the BUT.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is used at the Brno University of Technology. The standard study period in the Bachelor's degree programme in Fine Arts is 4 years and is determined with regard to the expected study load, the content and aim of the study and the profile of the graduate. This is also reflected in the credit evaluation of the courses determined in accordance with the ECTS. The curriculum is spread over 8 semesters in 4 academic years. The total number of credits for successful completion of the Bachelor's degree is 240 ECTS credits. The recommended annual study plan is set at 60 credits, however, 50 credits are sufficient for advancement to the next year. The duration of the class is 50 minutes.
The courses in the curriculum are divided into compulsory, compulsory elective and elective courses. The total number of credits for compulsory courses is 155 (of which 109 credits are for courses of a profile foundation). The compulsory elective courses (PVP type B) are divided into three groups in the curriculum: 1. "History and Theory", 2. "Media and Technology", 3. "Workshops". The number of credits to be obtained in each group varies from semester to semester; the framework requires that at least one third of the courses in groups 1 and 2 and at least half of the courses in group 3 be taken in each semester. At a minimum, students must obtain 54 credits in the compulsory elective courses. The groups of compulsory elective courses are structured in such a way that in the first two semesters they contain mainly courses related to the acquisition of basic subject-specific skills, and in the following semesters of study, courses of a more theoretical nature begin to be added and the courses allow for a more individualised course of study. The range of elective courses is kept high in the curriculum, and courses are generally offered in a given semester throughout the course of study so that students can develop their interests in a given direction when it is appropriate for them. Elective English language courses are offered in the curriculum, culminating in both credit and examination. Students are required to take an English language examination of at least B1 level during their undergraduate studies, unless they provide evidence of having already passed an examination of the same level.

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Availability for the disabled

The Faculty of Fine Arts makes effort to integrate disabled students. In cooperation with the Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI), the faculty provides support to students with special educational needs. Special educational needs mean special needs on the grounds of: Specific learning disorders (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, etc.); Disability (visual, hearing, or locomotive impairment); Autism spectrum disorders (eg. Asperger syndrome); Mental disease; Long-term somatic disease. Support in studies means adapting the study conditions by the FFA and/or making the support services of the Institute of Lifelong Learning available for students. Information on the support services provided by the LLI is available on the website of the Alfons Counselling Centre.  Barrier-free access is not possible at the Faculty of Fine Arts right now.

https://www.favu.vut.cz/en/international/special-needs

What degree programme types may have preceded

Graduates of the programme may continue their studies in the Master's degree programme in Liberal Arts accredited at the Faculty of Arts of the BUT, as well as in other Master's degree programmes accredited at universities in the Czech Republic (e.g. AVU Prague, UMPRUM Prague, FUD UJEP Ústí nad Labem) or abroad.

Specialization

Abbreviation Title (specialisation) Mandatory credits