Art - Fine Art - Sligo
This degree is designed to offer students a wide experience of materials, media, processes and ideas within a supportive and stimulating environment. The degree fosters an awareness of, and responsiveness to, the world around and within students.
| Award Name | Degree - Ordinary Bachelor (Level 7 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Atlantic Technological University |
| NFQ Level | Level 7 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Ordinary Bachelor (Level 7 NFQ) | Major | Atlantic Technological University | Level 7 NFQ |
Duration
3 years full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Additional Requirement
• Portfolio
• Maths not required
Higher Certificate (Level 6) and Ordinary Degree (Level 7)
5 Leaving Cert. subjects @ grade O6/H7 or better
Subjects must include either English or Irish.
Minimum points score of 160 points
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
Students who achieve grade H6 or better in the Higher (Honours) maths exam will receive 25 additional points. Bonus points will also apply to Honours maths results from previous years. For maths results from 2016 and earlier, applicants will need to have achieved a grade of HD3 or better to qualify for bonus points.
Maths
Maths with a minimum grade of O6/H7 or F2 is the minimum requirement for most programmes. However, there are some programmes for which maths in not required and others (typically engineering computing programmes) for which foundation maths may not be sufficient or for which the minimum grade required is higher, e.g. H5 or better. Please check individual programme descriptors carefully for details of the maths requirement specific to each programme.
Foundation Maths
Foundation maths at and above grade F2 (80%) is accepted as meeting the maths requirement for most, but not all, programmes. Typically, foundation maths is not accepted for our engineering, education or nursing programmes.
Nor is foundation maths accepted for some abinitio level 8 programmes. Please check individual programme descriptors to see the minimum maths requirement.
Where accepted, points for qualifying Foundation Maths are:
FI 20 points
F2 12 points
Qualifying Maths Programmes
ATU run qualifying maths programmes for applicants who are otherwise eligible but who do not meet the maths requirement for the programme to which they have applied. These qualifying maths programmes are usually held after the Leaving Certificate results become available. Please see the ATU website for details of times and locations.
Passing a qualifying maths programme at ATU will compensate for failure to matriculate in maths via the Leaving Cert. or equivalent school-leaving exam. Passing a qualifying maths course will not compensate for any other deficit in the entry requirements. In all cases applicants must meet the other minimum entry requirements and the current points for the programme they wish to attend.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
QQI Leibhéal 5/6 (FETAC)
Applicants must present a full major award at Level 5 or higher. A record achievement, a minor award or a component award will not meet the minimum entry requirement. You must have at least 120 QQI FET credits to matriculate.
Additional specific requirements apply to some programmes. For most ATU programmes we accept any
QQI Level 5 award. However, for some ATU programmes, e.g. Nursing, specific QQI awards are required.
For other ATU programmes you will be expected to include a specific module within your FE award – most commonly a maths module, or to have passed Maths in the Leaving Cert. For Level 8 programmes you will normally be required to have achieved at least 3 distinctions, though 5 distinctions are required for nursing programmes.
Please consult the Applicants section of the CAO website for listings of QQI/FE requirements for individual ATU programme codes, https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=fetac_search
Details of the Scoring Scheme for QQI awards can also be found via the Applicants section of the CAO website, http://www2.cao.ie/fetac/FETAC_scoring.pdf
Note that points based on QQI/FET results will be used when assigning places for the vocational quota only. Most offers for the vocational quota issue on Round Zero. If the vocational quota for any programme remains unfilled after Round Zero additional offers for this quota may be made
on subsequent rounds.
Applicants with QQI awards at Level 6 or higher may be considered for advanced entry, i.e. into Year 2 in a cognate area. Apply directly to ATU if you wish to be considered for advanced entry.
Careers / Further progression
Career Opportunities
Graduates work as painters, printmakers, ceramicists, filmmakers, photographers and gallery owners. They also pursue careers in secondary school teaching, arts administration, arts management, art therapy and exhibition curation.
Further Study Options
Level 7 graduates may exit after three years with a BA in Fine Art, or progress to the final year of our honours degree in Fine Art. Level 8 graduates may progress to an MA in Fine Art or a cognate discipline. Graduates may also progress to a Professional Master of Education (PME) to become a secondary school teacher of Art.
Further information
Mature Students
Mic Léinn Lánfhásta
If you are applying for Year 1 and will be 23 years of age (or older) by 1st January in the proposed year of entry you are defined as a “Mature Applicant”.
For more information, please visit www.cao.ie/mature
All mature applicants will be assessed on previous qualifications and their personal statements. For high demand programmes, applicants will be ranked in order of merit or called for interview.
Mature applicants applying for nursing will be selected on the basis of an external test organised by the Nursing Board. Please check individual programme descriptions for more information.
UK and Northern Ireland Applicants
Iarrthóirí ón Ríocht Aontaithe agus Ó Thuaisceart Éirinn
An award at Level 3 on the UK framework is the minimum entry standard for year one.
Standard UK/NI applicants
Standard applicants are those presenting a combination of GCSE/GCE awards only. This is the most clear-cut entry pathway. The more common entry requirements are outlined below but it is necessary to consult individual programme description pages for full details.
English (or Irish) is always a required subject. The minimum acceptable grade is GCSE grade C.
Mathematics is almost always required. Where required, the minimum acceptable grade is usually GCSE grade C, but a higher grade may be specified for some programmes, especially in engineering/computing.
Other - Additional subject requirements may apply to some programmes. Where specific other subjects are required the minimum acceptable grade, GCSE @ C or higher. For instance,
Art may be required for some Design programmes
A laboratory Science is required for Nursing and several science-based programmes.
For ATU Level 6 or Level 7 programmes you will need:
Five different recognised GCSE/GCE subjects.
These must include at least one GCE A-Level at grade E or better.
The remaining four may be drawn from GCSE (Grades A-C only) or AS grades A-E.
Your subject must include either English or Irish - minimum acceptable grade, GCSE at C or higher.
In most cases you will be required to present maths, where required, the minimum acceptable grade
is usually GCSE grade C, but a higher grade may be specified for some programmes, especially in
engineering/computing.
Where specific other subjects are required the minimum acceptable grade, GCSE at C or higher.
For ATU Level 8 ab initio programmes you will need:
Six different recognised GCSE/GCE subjects.
These must include at least two GCE A-Levels at grade C or higher.
The remaining 4 can be drawn from GCSE (Grades A-C only), or from A-Levels or AS grades A-E
Applied A-Level subjects may be used to meet the minimum requirements.
It is possible to meet the minimum requirements through a combination of exams taken over more than one year.
Meeting the minimum requirements outlined may not be sufficient to guarantee selection. Entry is competitive and ranking is based on points. Points are derived from GCE A-Level grades. The better your GCE results the better your chance of selection.
Non-standard UK/NI Applicants
Awards other than GCE/GCSE combination are regarded as non-standard and are not included in CAO centralised automated processing. If you are including UK awards other than the standard GCE/GCSE combination as part of your application, you will need to submit supporting documents. Details of the alternate qualification(s) should be supplied to CAO (if applying for entry to the first year) or directly to ATU (if applying for advanced entry, i.e. entry to years 2, 3, or 4).
Whether or not a non-standard award will be recognised, and to what degree, will depend on the framework level, the learning outcomes achieved, and how those learning outcomes fit in with the pre-requisites of the programme for which application is being made.
ATU will consider awards at UK Framework Level 3 or higher, including BTECs, AVCs, GNVQs, etc.
Please attach the following for any non-standard awards you may be presenting at UK Level 3 or higher
1. The Award Certificate
2. A transcript of results - showing subject is taken and grades achieved
3. A copy of the syllabus or the programme schedule showing modules are taken, credits that apply, and expected learning outcomes.
With the exception of GCSE certificates at grade C or higher, awards below UK framework Level 3 do not contribute to matriculation and will be disregarded.
Advanced Entry, HND and other UK level 4 awards
Applicants presenting any award at Level 4 or higher on the UK framework may be considered for Advanced Entry into a cognate area. Applicants for Advanced Entry should apply directly to ATU and not via the CAO.
Please attach to the completed ATU application form details of both your Level 4 syllabus – e.g. HND or other and of your results.
Our ability to accommodate advanced entry applicants will depend on several factors including:
Available vacancies in the advanced class group
The “fit” between the learning outcomes you have already achieved and the programme for which you are applying
Whether or not it will be possible to make up any deficit, or missed element, including any placement requirements, etc.
Every case is different. First offers for advanced entry are normally issued in late July. However, as we sometimes need to await the outcome of autumn exams to resolve any space issues, offers may issue as late as September.
Since advanced entry is not guaranteed, some advanced entry applicants may decide, as a fall-back position, to also apply for first-year via the CAO. This is permissible.
Whether you apply directly to ATU and/ or via the CAO it is important to include all relevant supporting documents.
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Entry 2024 - Restricted Course
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid submitting an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all fees are non-refundable.
Restricted Courses
Applying for a restricted course – you must have applied to CAO by 1 February 2024 at 5pm if you wish to apply for a restricted course. The restricted course must be included on your course choices list by that date, or added to your application using the facility to amend course choices (for a fee of €10) before 1 March at 5pm.
Restricted courses normally require additional assessment procedures, for example, the submission of a portfolio, an oral assessment or interview, or a written assessment. Restricted courses are identified in the handbook by the words “(Restricted - see page 3)" on the same line as the restricted course’s title. Please make sure to acquaint yourself with the additional requirements, if any, of the restricted course(s) that you have applied for and go to page 24 of the 2024 CAO Handbook for more information about interviews and assessments.
Exception: If a restricted course shares the exact same assessment procedures with a course you had applied for by 1 February 2024, you may be permitted to introduce it on a Change of Mind. You should consult with the relevant HEI before introducing such a course.
Mature Applicants
Mature applicants – most HEIs will require mature applicants, who wish to be assessed on mature grounds, to have applied to CAO by 1st February 2024 at 5pm, and include course choices by that date or add them using the facility to amend course choices (for a fee of €10) before 1 March at 5pm. (This restriction does not apply if the applicant wishes to be considered on the basis of school leaving qualifications only.) For more information about applying to CAO on the basis of mature years go to www.cao.ie/mature
Supplementary Admission Routes
Applying for DARE and/or HEAR – to be considered for DARE and/or HEAR, applicants must have registered on the CAO system by 1 February 2024 at 5pm. To apply to DARE, you must answer YES to Question 1 ('Do you wish to be considered for DARE?) on Section A of the fully completed Supplementary Information Form (SIF) by 5pm on 1 March 2024.
To apply to HEAR, you must indicate on your CAO application that you wish to apply for HEAR and fully and correctly complete all elements of the online HEAR form by 5pm on 1 March 2024.
Supporting documents for DARE and/or HEAR applicants must be sent to CAO offices before 15 March 2024 at 5pm
Fine Art
Studying fine art encourages students to develop individual ways of thinking and of expressing themselves in visual and theoretical terms. This degree is designed to offer students a wide experience of materials, media, processes and ideas within a supportive and stimulating environment. The degree fosters an awareness of, and responsiveness to, the world around and within students. Each student has individual workspace and access to specialised printmaking, ceramics, photography and digital media workshops.
Special Features
Contemporary and historical art practices are examined through a series of lectures, seminars and written assignments. External engagements include a regular visiting artist lecture series and national and international study trips. Students can also make collaborative projects with local and national art institutions. We offer a broad range of modules in the first two years, with students specialising in the latter part of the degree. Students may focus on one discipline if they wish and are equally confident should they choose to mix disciplines.
What will I study?
Year 1
• Ceramics - Introduction
• Digital Lens Based Media
• Painting - Colour, Light and Composition
• Printmaking
• Visual Literacy
• Ceramics - Extruded Form and Raku Glazing
• Drawing - Foundation in Drawing Mediums
• Visual and Material Culture
Year 2
• Ceramics
• Digital Lens Based Media - Photography
• Drawing - Expanding Applications
• Painting - Process and Concepts
• Visual and Material Culture
• Printmaking - Project Based Printmaking
• Intro to Video Production
• Drawing - Sustaining Practices
• Painting - Extending the Medium
Year 3
• History / Theory of Art
• Practice - Establishing Direction
• Sculpture Studies
• Interdisciplinary Practice
• Drawing - Refining a Practice
• Practice - Developing an Exhibition
• Work in Context
Did You Know?
All applicants must submit a digital portfolio through our application portal. The portfolio carries a weighting of a maximum of 100 additional points to academic results. CAO points are a combination of academic results and the digital portfolio. Applicants are expected to have ten piecesof finished work, along with studies and notebooks that demonstrate the development of their ideas. Our Fine Art team run several portfolio information sessions throughout the year. For more information please visit the Fine Art programme webpage.
Quick Fact
A new multi-million-euro creative teaching hub means our Fine Art students have access to some of the best facilities in Ireland. Final year students take part in the YAADA Creative Showcase each year. A link to the latest edition of the YAADA Yearbook can be found on our Fine Art programme webpages.
e: cao.sligo@atu.ie