Undergraduate Course: Art in Practice 4 (ARTX10074)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | This course is designed to build upon the knowledge and skills acquired in Art in Practice 3, with the specific objective of refining and advancing the development your artistic practice. The work produced within this course will inform your other final-year courses with the subject area of Art. You will acquire the professional skills required to pursue a career related to art. The course integrates research and practice, providing a comprehensive and immersive learning experience for students within a studio-based environment. |
| Course description |
In Art in Practice 4, the studio environment will play a crucial role in facilitating the research and creation of your work. You will have the opportunity to engage in regular one-to-one tutorials and peer discussions, as well as benefit from the wide-ranging expertise of the teaching team.
You will be encouraged to pursue self-directed study, including accessing technical facilities, allowing you to recognise practice-based enquiry as a form of research and equip you with unique academic and professional methodologies to support your progress. The course will also foster the understanding of critical reflection in relation to research materials and contemporary art practices.
You will develop key professional artistic practices by engaging with writing about your work (artist statement), presenting and discussing your studio work with staff outside of your tutor group (studio visits), and communicating it in a way appropriate to the discipline (digital portfolio). Lectures delivered across semesters one and two will introduce you to the different parts of the course. Every three weeks, you will have a one-to-one tutorial and you will also participate in a group tutorial every three weeks. These will be with a range of experienced artists, practitioners, and theorists, who will support you to extend your understanding of processes, methods, and applications relevant to your work, and begin to consolidate an integrated knowledge of what constitutes your developing art practice.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Art in Practice 3 (ARTX10072)
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Co-requisites | Students MUST also take:
Art in Context 4 (ARTX10070)
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| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | Students are encouraged to use the Free-Use Hub and consider sustainable methods of production and material use.
Specific materials and equipment costs will vary depending on students¿ individual choice of method of production and will need to be met by the students. Considering affordability of practice is reflective of professional constraints beyond University. The cost of materials used by students will have no bearing on assessment outcomes. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
| Course Start Date |
21/09/2026 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Lecture Hours 4,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 17,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
365 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
SUMMATIVE Assessment(s)
This course has 2 summative assessments components:
Portfolio of Practice 1 (50%) submitted in the December assessment period and evidencing all Learning Outcomes.
Portfolio of Practice 2 (50%) submitted at the end of the course and evidencing all Learning Outcomes.
All Learning Outcomes must be passed to pass the course.
SUMMATIVE Assessment details
Portfolio of Practice 1 (50%) requires a body of practice and research with supporting statement (750 words).
Portfolio of Practice 2 (50%) requires a body of practice and research with supporting statement (750 words).
The Year 4 Portfolio of Practice submissions both involve the submission of a body of work that demonstrates a self-directed enquiry and integrates primary and secondary research. |
| Feedback |
FORMATIVE
Verbal feedback is provided regularly during individual and group tutorials. This feedback will assist you in understanding the strengths, weaknesses, and areas of focus within your investigation which need further clarification and refinement.
SUMMATIVE
You will receive written feedback for summative components. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of how artistic enquiry is informed by practitioners and theories of contemporary art.
- Define professional contexts and practical approaches that inform personal artistic practice.
- Critically apply relevant working methods, materials and techniques to artistic enquiry.
- Compose a digital portfolio in a professional manner to represent a body of resolved studio work.
|
Reading List
Bishop, Claire. (2005) Installation Art: A Critical History. London: Tate Publishing.
Borgdorff, Henk. (2012) The Conflict of the Faculties. Perspectives on Artistic Research and Academia, Leiden University Press
Elderton, Louisa & Rebecca Morrill (eds). (2021) Vitamin D3: Today's Best in Contemporary Drawing London: Phaidon Press Limited.
Melick, Tom, Rebecca Morill and Kathryn Rattee (eds). (2016) Vitamin P3: New Perspectives in Painting. London: Phaidon Press Limited.
Noe, Alva. (2016) Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and Inquiry: Managing complexity and ambiguity via sourcing and editing information from various outlets to develop original concepts.
Personal and Intellectual Autonomy: Fostering creativity and innovative thinking by initiating a unique perspective on contemporary art practice.
Personal Effectiveness: Assertiveness and confidence through successfully translating ideas into outcomes at a high level, demonstrating the ability to edit and utilise relevant sources pertaining to contemporary art and ideas.
Communication: Effectively conveying ideas and information through visual, oral, and written means regarding current ideas and debates in contemporary art. |
| Keywords | Research,Practice,Studio Enquiry,Artistic Practice |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Jenny Hogarth
Tel:
Email: jenny.b.hogarth@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Tom Clayton
Tel:
Email: tclayto2@ed.ac.uk |
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